PARTNERS // |
FROM VOLUNTEER TO CHIEF OF START
Diana Rochon's experiences at the Whistler Sliding Centre
Q What is your role as a VANOC Volunteer?
A Chief of Start, Skeleton. For Bobsleigh assisting the Chief of Start and Assistant Chief. The main responsibility of the start team is to help provide a safe and fair race for all athletes. As Chief, I work with the Race Director and FIBT Jury to have the start area set-up and ready to go for the teams. The volunteer crew is organized into their positions to run the necessary race protocols (air/ice/reference runner temperatures; sled runner temps; ice box; assisting materials commission; acetone wipe down and athlete wrangling). Honestly, it is all about keeping a smooth flow going. When the crew does their job well we are not noticed or remembered. The rest of the my responsibility is to “hang” by the Race Director and Jury to keep in the know of what is going on (to pass along info to crew and/or coaches as necessary) and to do “their bidding” :).
Q How did you get selected to this position?
A I decided to volunteer at the Sliding Centre as the facility was new and the sports (bobsleigh, skeleton and luge) were new to Whistler. While I knew a bit about them I decided that I wanted to learn more and have a hand in the legacy of the facility and its programs. Beginning as a volunteer seemed like a good place to start. After the VANOC orientation I had a chance to see all the officials positions and chose to be a part of the start crew. After working through Canadian Selection Races and last year’s ITW & World Cup events, VANOC needed to have someone step up into the role of Chief of Start for Skeleton. The rest of the Leadership Team (consisting of long-time sliding sport officials from Park City and Calgary) nominated me for the position.
Q The Sliding Centre has seen tragedy and triumph this week. What is the vibe like up there? How has that environment changed as the week progressed?
A Even though I was up at the Olympic Bob/Skel start at the time of the accident, the feeling that something very serious had happened travelled up the track quite quickly. As part of the overall Leadership Team, I stayed on site until we had confirmed what had happened and offered my assistance to the Luge start & finish crew. However, I did end up leaving the track when it was clear any extra people on site would just be in the way. Everyone involved at the track (including my start crew who were not on site) was naturally saddened by the death of the Georgian athlete. My thoughts certainly went out immediately to the Georgian delegation and the athlete’s family, but just as quickly they also turned to the Luge Finish Crew. It is a tough and traumatic thing to see someone seriously injured let alone die, but in this context of the first day of the Olympic Games even more so.
At our first group meeting with the Bob/Skel start crew we did discuss the accident and allow everyone to ask their questions to be able to “get it out of their system”. Certainly there was a period of time that everyone was sombre, and rightly so…however, we all believe in the track and we all know how hard everyone, especially our-absolutely-without-a-doubt-amazing track crew works to provide a safe environment for the athletes to compete in what are high speed and inherently dangerous sports. We certainly will not forget the accident, nor the Georgian athlete. If anything this event will lead us to be even better at providing the best place for athletes to train and compete at in the future.
As for Mellissa Hollingsworth and Jon Montgomery…we all felt for Mel, especially after seeing her in training be so consistent and strong. I was very happy to see that she foreran prior to the Women’s Bob last night, to get the opportunity to physically and mentally overcome that 4th heat run. Last night she was smiling and feeling good, and for me personally that was awesome to see. And while Mel’s disappointment was heartbreaking in its own right, my most deflated moment during Skeleton was having the Jury tell me to put in the call that Mike Douglas was disqualified. Knowing and helping out the athletes from my position at CSC Pacific adds a bit of a personal emphasis to their ups and downs, and to see Mike’s disqualification unfold was the proverbial “watching a train wreck in slow motion”.
Jon’s win certainly buoyed everyone at the track. We all knew that medals would be awarded on this track, and it is always great to see the top spot go to one of our athletes. Once again it is pretty exciting to see someone you have gotten to know and have helped out in some small way hit their dream. Doubling that up with the win by the girls last night certainly elevated the feeling, especially since the girls were sliding so strongly. In particular I am so happy for the Track Crew…they have worked soooo hard to keep the track in awesome shape and they have been following the Bobsled Team on the World Cup circuit that they really share in the excitement of Team Canada. I loved the picture of the track crew member running down the track with a huge Canadian flag last night (In fact the entire track crew up at the start actually did run all the way down the track to get to the finish dock last night).
Q Do you think you’ll stay involved in sliding officiating after this experience?
A Yup, especially since we are working on the opportunity to share/use/rotate officials through the 4 tracks in North America…and there are World Cups and Junior World Championships already scheduled for all four tracks over the next couple of years. As well I am now the Vice-President of the BC Bobsleigh & Skeleton Association, so I certainly will be involved in a variety of aspects.
Q As a resident of Whistler – how do you think the Games has affected the community, and how might the Games leave a legacy in the sea to sky region?
A Interestingly, having spent all pretty much all of my time at the Sliding Centre, I don’t have a solid personal perception how the Games have affected the community. I do know from Resort Municipality Of Whistler employees who work in the Village regularly that the vibe and the crowds are something they have never seen and they are wowed by the positive atmosphere – they will miss it. Like every event I think that locals who became a part of the “scene” will have many great things to say and will hopefully carry that forward. Hopefully, the power of Canadian medals won and amazing performances at these new venues will encourage all of Whistler to help build a legacy of sport development. I think that Whistler has been showcased well over television and with World Cup events heading our way hopefully tourism will increase.
Q How do you feel about being part of the 2010 Games?
A Good...it has been an interesting experience all around and there certainly were a few moments that will stick with me. I look forward to possibly having a chance to officiate in Sochi in 2014!
Diana Rochon's experiences at the Whistler Sliding Centre
Q What is your role as a VANOC Volunteer?
A Chief of Start, Skeleton. For Bobsleigh assisting the Chief of Start and Assistant Chief. The main responsibility of the start team is to help provide a safe and fair race for all athletes. As Chief, I work with the Race Director and FIBT Jury to have the start area set-up and ready to go for the teams. The volunteer crew is organized into their positions to run the necessary race protocols (air/ice/reference runner temperatures; sled runner temps; ice box; assisting materials commission; acetone wipe down and athlete wrangling). Honestly, it is all about keeping a smooth flow going. When the crew does their job well we are not noticed or remembered. The rest of the my responsibility is to “hang” by the Race Director and Jury to keep in the know of what is going on (to pass along info to crew and/or coaches as necessary) and to do “their bidding” :).
Q How did you get selected to this position?
A I decided to volunteer at the Sliding Centre as the facility was new and the sports (bobsleigh, skeleton and luge) were new to Whistler. While I knew a bit about them I decided that I wanted to learn more and have a hand in the legacy of the facility and its programs. Beginning as a volunteer seemed like a good place to start. After the VANOC orientation I had a chance to see all the officials positions and chose to be a part of the start crew. After working through Canadian Selection Races and last year’s ITW & World Cup events, VANOC needed to have someone step up into the role of Chief of Start for Skeleton. The rest of the Leadership Team (consisting of long-time sliding sport officials from Park City and Calgary) nominated me for the position.
Q The Sliding Centre has seen tragedy and triumph this week. What is the vibe like up there? How has that environment changed as the week progressed?
A Even though I was up at the Olympic Bob/Skel start at the time of the accident, the feeling that something very serious had happened travelled up the track quite quickly. As part of the overall Leadership Team, I stayed on site until we had confirmed what had happened and offered my assistance to the Luge start & finish crew. However, I did end up leaving the track when it was clear any extra people on site would just be in the way. Everyone involved at the track (including my start crew who were not on site) was naturally saddened by the death of the Georgian athlete. My thoughts certainly went out immediately to the Georgian delegation and the athlete’s family, but just as quickly they also turned to the Luge Finish Crew. It is a tough and traumatic thing to see someone seriously injured let alone die, but in this context of the first day of the Olympic Games even more so.
At our first group meeting with the Bob/Skel start crew we did discuss the accident and allow everyone to ask their questions to be able to “get it out of their system”. Certainly there was a period of time that everyone was sombre, and rightly so…however, we all believe in the track and we all know how hard everyone, especially our-absolutely-without-a-doubt-amazing track crew works to provide a safe environment for the athletes to compete in what are high speed and inherently dangerous sports. We certainly will not forget the accident, nor the Georgian athlete. If anything this event will lead us to be even better at providing the best place for athletes to train and compete at in the future.
As for Mellissa Hollingsworth and Jon Montgomery…we all felt for Mel, especially after seeing her in training be so consistent and strong. I was very happy to see that she foreran prior to the Women’s Bob last night, to get the opportunity to physically and mentally overcome that 4th heat run. Last night she was smiling and feeling good, and for me personally that was awesome to see. And while Mel’s disappointment was heartbreaking in its own right, my most deflated moment during Skeleton was having the Jury tell me to put in the call that Mike Douglas was disqualified. Knowing and helping out the athletes from my position at CSC Pacific adds a bit of a personal emphasis to their ups and downs, and to see Mike’s disqualification unfold was the proverbial “watching a train wreck in slow motion”.
Jon’s win certainly buoyed everyone at the track. We all knew that medals would be awarded on this track, and it is always great to see the top spot go to one of our athletes. Once again it is pretty exciting to see someone you have gotten to know and have helped out in some small way hit their dream. Doubling that up with the win by the girls last night certainly elevated the feeling, especially since the girls were sliding so strongly. In particular I am so happy for the Track Crew…they have worked soooo hard to keep the track in awesome shape and they have been following the Bobsled Team on the World Cup circuit that they really share in the excitement of Team Canada. I loved the picture of the track crew member running down the track with a huge Canadian flag last night (In fact the entire track crew up at the start actually did run all the way down the track to get to the finish dock last night).
Q Do you think you’ll stay involved in sliding officiating after this experience?
A Yup, especially since we are working on the opportunity to share/use/rotate officials through the 4 tracks in North America…and there are World Cups and Junior World Championships already scheduled for all four tracks over the next couple of years. As well I am now the Vice-President of the BC Bobsleigh & Skeleton Association, so I certainly will be involved in a variety of aspects.
Q As a resident of Whistler – how do you think the Games has affected the community, and how might the Games leave a legacy in the sea to sky region?
A Interestingly, having spent all pretty much all of my time at the Sliding Centre, I don’t have a solid personal perception how the Games have affected the community. I do know from Resort Municipality Of Whistler employees who work in the Village regularly that the vibe and the crowds are something they have never seen and they are wowed by the positive atmosphere – they will miss it. Like every event I think that locals who became a part of the “scene” will have many great things to say and will hopefully carry that forward. Hopefully, the power of Canadian medals won and amazing performances at these new venues will encourage all of Whistler to help build a legacy of sport development. I think that Whistler has been showcased well over television and with World Cup events heading our way hopefully tourism will increase.
Q How do you feel about being part of the 2010 Games?
A Good...it has been an interesting experience all around and there certainly were a few moments that will stick with me. I look forward to possibly having a chance to officiate in Sochi in 2014!