Helpful Volunteers Everywhere!

GWANGJU – Navigating any country where you don’t speak the language can be tricky. Fortunately at the Gwangju Universiade there are 20,000 volunteers standing at the ready to assist you. Easily recognized by their yellow multi-colored jackets, you can find them on nearly every street color in Gwangju and stationed at every venue rain or shine. These volunteers ease the confusion experienced by unilingual English speakers like myself. While not all of the volunteers speak English they will help you regardless.

Over the past few days I have experienced first hand the tremendous volunteer base and their efforts to create an accessible event for all foreigners. While out covering the women’s basketball games at the Gwangju University stadium I was nearly stranded after the Sweden versus Russia game wrapped up. I ventured outside in the rain only to discover that no shuttle buses were running. Desperate over what to do two volunteers approached the Swedish women’s basketball coach and asked if I could board the bus with them to the Athletes’ Village. Lucky for me he said yes.

When I arrived at the Athletes’ Village a Korean officer offered to walk with me from the bus stop to the street so I could catch a taxi. The entire way he held an umbrella for me. Neither of us could speak the same language but we exchanged smiles and I attempted to thank him profusely very poorly in Korean. When we arrived at the street I was prepared to wave goodbye but instead he stayed, hailed me a cab and to my amazement handed the taxi driver 10,000 won. It is people like this that make the Universiade so special.

Megan McPhaden (CAN) FISU Young Reporter