Bromborough ambassador to Paralympics speaks of his dream come true

Sep 5 2012 by Linda Foo Guest, Heswall News

PARALYMPICS 2012 WIRRAL MAN THRILLED TO STEP FORWARD AS GAMESMAKER AS HOSPICE GETS INTO THE CELEBRATORY SPIRIT

AN AMBASSADOR to the Paralympic Games has spoken about his once-in-a-lifetime role in the historic event.

Fresh from returning from the Games, Stephen Evans talked to the News about his experience as a London ambassador.

Stephen, 53, from Bromborough, was one of 8,000 volunteers chosen to represent the country from 30,000 applications.

He was based at Heathrow Airport for six days, helping to direct people to the Games, and finished his duties on Monday.

Stephen said: “I arrived in London and collected my accreditation, ID badge and trilby from Olympic HQ in Blackfriars.

“I was based at Heathrow Airport Terminal One for the week, part of a team of six from around the UK and worldwide.

“I refreshed my memory on all the landmarks in the capital for when people asked how to get to them.

“I met many athletes, including Boris Becker, as well as the Mayor of London Boris Johnson and the Prime Minister David Cameron.

“Heathrow was incredibly busy. The range of help required by people varied greatly.

“At times we encountered language barriers with visitors but we overcome it with amazing resourcefulness.

“Athletes were easy to direct – just some guidance to get to the Olympic Village.

“It was so much fun at times. I don’t remember letting anybody down. I was asked some unusual questions such as ‘do you know my cousin who lives in Wales?’.

“I had the occasional bartering for my uniform and pin badges.

“Judging by the feedback received, I achieved the near impossible at times. Some people even came back to thank me later in the day or left messages of support.

“Generally the role was a complete success and thousands of people congratulated me. The positive comments has made it a week to remember.

“I have been invited to the athlete’s parade on September 10 which is an honour.

“I enjoyed every single minute. It felt good knowing I was helping and gave me such a great feeling of pride.”