Amilloise Véronique Blondeau was assigned to La Défense Arena during the para-swimming events of the Paralympic Games. An experience that leaves him full of memories.
Long aware of disability, Véronique Blondeau made her small contribution to the organization of the Paralympic Games in Paris last summer. “I received information by email, perhaps through J3 Sports Amilly judo jujitsu, where I practice taiso. I ended up sending my application, at the beginning of 2023, to volunteer at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, before being selected for the latter,” remembers this Amilloise.
For six days, she was assigned to the transport information office, at the Défense Arena, where the para swimming events took place. She accompanied VIPs to the lounge allocated to them, in order to guide them and order taxis or other vehicles.
“We all worked together”
She was able to meet personalities like Florent Manaudou, the Queen of Denmark, members of the International Olympic Committee, Valérie Pécresse, and other elected officials from Greater Paris. But also see the President of the Republic and his wife.
“The goal was to be as discreet as possible, and to be kind to the people we support. There were many of us compared to the tasks to be accomplished. Despite the fact that we did not know each other, that we had no affinities at the start, we all worked together, and it was a very good experience of collective work. There were occasionally, among the volunteers, three residents of a retirement home with a mental disability. They were very happy to help bring the para-athletes up. »
His team’s task was to park the taxis in the right place, and to ensure that they could transport people in wheelchairs.
His position also required him to be in contact with the athletes when they arrived or returned to the Olympic village. This involved parking their buses in the right place on the four allocated platforms, installing an access ramp, getting the athletes off and ensuring that there were enough places, knowing that a bus has two six seats per chair.
She has encountered all types of disabilities. “When they got off the buses, the athletes were very focused and went straight to the locker rooms. On the way back up, I saw all the feelings, from disappointment to joy. Some were in tears,” says Véronique Blondeau.
The return of the athletes when leaving the competition venue allowed him to begin discussions with Italian, Greek, Ukrainian and Canadian para-athletes.
“I thought they were great. They overcome their handicap”
“I thought they were great. In addition to being high-level athletes, they overcome their disabilities. They are sometimes older than able-bodied athletes. We even celebrated the birthdays of two of them. This was the case with Alexandra Stamatopoulou, a Greek wheelchair athlete who won her gold medal the same day! I also spoke with Alice Tai, a British gold medalist, who joined others. »
On the final evening of September 7, all volunteers were allowed to swim in the Olympic swimming pool. “But as I wanted to take the last train to go home, I didn’t take advantage of it,” she recalls. Nor did she follow the para athletics events at the Stade de France where every volunteer was invited. For her, the main thing was not there, but rather in this beautiful human adventure and this different view of disability.
