The Pursuit of 32 - Part 1

After living in America for almost a year, and meeting many people who had visited Ireland; it made me realise how much I take my own country for granted.

These people described to me their excitement of visiting the Guiness Factory in Dublin, and the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland. I've been to neither.

Hearing other people's adventures and stories of Ireland, I decided that upon my return; I would make it an objective of mine to visit all corners of Ireland, North and South.

County number one on that list was County Clare to the west of Ireland.

It was planned by Clann Eireann Youth Club, the club I volunteer with; and they were fantastic in the organisation of a great few days.

A four and a half hour journey on a Monday morning isn't typically something that would be enough to convince me to get out of bed. But I gave it a shot!

We arrived in Clare mid afternoon Monday last week; and were staying at the Burren Outdoor Education Centre. It's a great little place; with nice rooms, fantastic staff and a brilliant range of activities.

We did arrive later than expected; meaning we were unable to do an activity that afternoon. Instead, we unpacked, had some food to refuel, and played a little table tennis in the games room.

That evening, Stephen and Dee (our accompanying youth leaders), took us on another drive to the Cliffs of Moher, which was about 45 minutes away.

Once again, the drive wasn't very appealing, but the excitement of visiting the Cliffs was.

When we arrived, we had a look around the museum before making our way to the Cliffs themselves.

The view from either side was beautiful, with the grass waving in the cold breeze.

It was fantastic to visit a place of such natural beauty; and spending a lot of time there just didn't seem to ever feel tedious.

It's very difficult to describe in words or depict in pictures how beautiful the Cliffs were; but I hope to give you an idea through my snaps.

An interesting fact that I learned about the Cliffs was that they were a part of the filming of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. 

You see, there's a little bit of truth in the saying; 'You learn something new every day'.

We spent about an hour at the Cliffs before heading back to the centre; and had a late night playing table tennis and using the common room WiFi!

Awake bright and early the next day; it was time for some activities. We decided on going caving in the Burren, and kayaking early in the morning.

We got kitted out in our kayaking gear; wetsuit and waterproofs and headed off to a lake nearby to get started.

I'm not a lover of water, but kayaking exceeded my expectations and I really enjoyed learning the basics; the fact I didn't capsize was also a bonus!

Luckily the instructor Carmel had a waterproof pouch, so we were able to take a few pictures when we were in shallow water. 

We spent a few hours kayaking before we heading back to the centre to get lunch and get prepared for or second activity of the day; caving! 

Caving; although exciting, was a more nerve wracking activity, and not recommended for those who dislike confined spaces. 

There are roughly 200 caves in the Burren, many much more complex than the one we explored, but we were more than excited with the cave we were in. 

It had tight spaces requiring careful walking, crouching and frequent crawling. This type of activity was not for the faint hearted. 

Equipped with just a helmet and a flashlight, we had to rely on each others words of encouragement and trust.

At one point, we did an activity in which ever one had to turn off their helmet flashlight, and hold the person in front of them on the shoulder. It was a great team bonding activity despite us playing pranks on each other.

The photo above was at the widest part of the cave; and I can assure you it was a tight squeeze for the majority of the time. 

It was a great experience, and the caves are one of the natural wonders of Ireland. I would love to go back again some day and try to tackle some of the tougher routes.

That evening, we decided to take a a drive to another wonderful site in Clare, Poulnabrone Dolmen.

Poulnabrone Dolmen consists of a twelve-foot, thin, slab-like, tabular capstone supported by two slender portal stones. 

A crack was discovered in one of the portal stones in 1985. Excavations during that time found that between 16 and 22 adults and six children were buried under the monument. 

The attraction draws a lot of visitors; and we had a great time learning more about the site while we were there. 

After heading back to the centre, we all decided on an early night before our long trip home on Wednesday morning.

We did have an early start on Wednesday though; and still had another activity. 

We were able to go rock climbing closeby; which meant no long journey to our destination. 

We were equipped with helmets and harnesses, and got stuck in; climbing up a rocky hill to then strapping ourselves in to our harnesses and auditioning for the next Spiderman movie by climbing up steep rock walls.

We had three different attempts, each getting more difficult as we went along.

It was another activity that was not for the faint hearted; especially because you had to trust your friends to keep you safe on tour harness and rope.

Additionally, it was another great team bonding activity that brought us all a little closer.

As a whole, I'm absolutely delighted with chalking the first county off my list of 32. 

I had a fantastic time in County Clare, and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

I would like to ensure that I express my thanks to Clann Eireann Youth Club for providing me with the opportunity to participate in this; as well as the staff at the Burren Outdoor Education Centre, who were gracious and extremely accommodating! 

One County Down, only 31 to go. 

Two Years Later

Wow. It's hard to believe that the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games was two years ago. It's hard to believe that two years ago, I was a relatively inexperienced 19 year old, traveling alone to London to volunteer at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

Two years later, I look back on this experience with immense pride and happiness. I look back on the other opportunities presented to me; knowing that London 2012 was the catalyst for all my future endeavours. 

Two years later, I look back at the friends I made; many of whom I have stayed in contact with. I look back at the memories that were created over the course of an incredible few weeks.

27th July 2012 - I traveled alone to London in the hope of making new friends, creating amazing memories, and giving my time to be a part of one of the greatest sporting events in the world.

I have so many happy memories of my time in London; from receiving my uniform from Lord Seb Coe, to checking spectator's tickets at the venues.

As a Games Maker; my role was in the Event Services team. I worked at Wembley Arena for the Olympic Games, and the Basketball Arena for the Paralympic Games. We wore a distinctive purple and poppy coloured uniform; making us stand out from the rest of the crowd. 

However, I didn't begin my volunteering duties until the 28th July, so I was able to enjoy the Olympics Opening Ceremony in Victoria Park where we could hear the cheers bellowing from the stadium - an amazing atmosphere! We seen blasts of colour from the incredible fireworks and eyes were glued to the sky at 8:12pm (20:12), as the Red Arrows performed a flypast over the Stadium. What a beautiful scene! 

My first Games Maker shift was at Wembley Arena on the 28th July 2012; and I never looked back after that.

It took a little while to settle in to my role at the Olympics; probably because I was extremely nervous. I had never volunteered at an event of such scale before, so I found it difficult to fit in at the start. However; by the end of the Olympic Games, I was beyond excited to get involved with the Paralympic Games.

31st August 2012 - After such a successful Olympics, it was time for the Paralympics; perceived by many sports fans, admittedly including myself; as the lesser important of the two. 

How wrong was I? 

I packed my bags again, one more time and headed off to London to begin my shifts at the Basketball Arena in the Olympic Park. 

The Paralympic Games was without a doubt, the greatest event I have ever been a part of. Many believed it could not live up to the hype and expectation of the Olympic Games; but it delivered on an enormous scale.

My role at the Paralympic Games was a lot more relaxed than the Olympics; and I was able to have much more fun. I sang; I danced, I cried a little, and I gave spectators high-fives, (which is a lot more fun that it sounds). 

I feel as though the Paralympics helped me to come out of my shell a lot more; and the Event Services team at the Basketball Arena was just the most incredible group of people I had ever met. 

I cannot even begin to describe to anyone how amazing my experience at the Paralympics was. I have ran out of superlatives to express what an incredible summer it was in London in the summer of 2012.

And one of the lasting legacies of both Games; the Games Makers. 

The positive publicity we received was extraordinary. I couldn't have asked for much more.

There was great camaraderie among the Games Makers who came from all over the UK, and further afield. It was an experience like no other, and everyone was joined in a collective state of euphoria. After 12 hour shifts, we were dancing on the Tube all the way home.

However; on a personal level, I cannot imagine how my life would have panned out had it not been for my experience at the Games. I have been lucky enough to have the opportunities to volunteer at a number of other national and international events, all thanks to my experience at London 2012.

After London 2012, I decided to explore other volunteering ventures, wanting to do as much as possible in my younger years. However; the first priority for me was to get a part time job. Having spent almost £4000 on my expenses at London 2012, I decided to try to get a job to make myself more financially stable.

25th October 2012 - Sometimes, I come up with crazy ideas. Sometimes I apply for jobs that I know I can't accept, just to see if my applications are of a high enough standard to be invited for interviews. However; on 25th October, I applied to work at Manchester United Football Club. And I didn't even live in Manchester - what was I thinking?

Determined to make it work, I flew to Manchester for an interview in November, knowing there was a high chance I wouldn't get the job. I experienced the stadium tour and seen the museum before the interview took place in a private box overlooking the Old Trafford pitch - and I was so gobsmacked at the view that I nearly couldn't speak.

However, the interview that lasted about 15 minutes, with the interviewer asking me specific questions about my experience at London 2012, which she seemed very interested in. I was expecting her to tell me that they would get back to me once they had interviewed all applicants. But that wasn't exactly the way it panned out. 

November 16th 2012 - 'Congratulations, you got the job'!! 

Little did I know that my next paid job would be for Manchester United Football Club, the team I have supported for as long as I can remember. I had a feeling in my gut that I got the job due to my experience of working at London 2012. 

Due to the amount of traveling involved, I only worked three games for Manchester United, however I was able to work at a Premier League game against Liverpool, an FA Cup game against West Ham and a Champions League game against Real Madrid. 

During my time working at Manchester United, I was able to meet most of the first team squad and coaches, as well as numerous special guests at the Champions League game against Real Madrid. 

Whilst I was working at Manchester United, I continued to apply for local jobs, eventually getting one at my local Poundstretcher - nothing overly glamourous, but a job is a job.

I was also at University, as I am a current undergraduate studying Leisure and Event Management. I was in my second year, and preparing myself for my placement year. I applied for many different posts, mostly internationally such as Study USA and Walt Disney World.

Rejected without even getting an interview for numerous jobs, including the one I wanted the most - Study USA. However, I got an interview for Walt Disney World, and after a whirlwind few weeks of interviews, I was accepted to work as a Cultural Representative at Disney World! How on earth did that just happen?

I couldn't believe my luck! Those six months between July 2012 & December 2012 were the craziest of my life. I never in my wildest dreams imagined the opportunities that would have presented themselves to me!

Along with this, there was a very special event that came to Belfast in the summer of 2013; The World Police and Fire Games. This event attracted over 5,000 competitors and I was lucky enough to volunteer as an Assistant Venue Operations Manager. 

July/August 2013 - This event lasted for just less than two weeks, and a lot of my friends that I had volunteered with at London 2012 joined us in Belfast for the Games!

For this volunteer role, I was based at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast. However, as you can tell from the picture on the left, I spent most of my time in the pub!

August 13th 2013 - So in August 2013, I made the one way trip to Orlando, Florida to embark on the most insane adventures of my life thus far - working at the most Magical place on earth!

I was a Cultural Representative working on the front of house in the UK Pavilion in Epcot. On the front of house, I was responsible for a number of things; working in the fish and chip shop, on the beer cart, the restaurant podium and stocking duties. 

It was a lot more fun than it sounds; and it barely seemed like I was working! I was able to go out on the street and play football and draw chalk on the ground outside the restaurant.

After a while working on the front of house, I started to get a little bored, but I had something to look forward to as I was moving in to the restaurant to become a server in March.

Luckily, I was chosen to become a Disney trainer, training new cast members on the front of house.

In an effort to keep myself motivated, I searched for some volunteer opportunities, hoping that if I volunteered internationally, then that would help improve my CV; and to be honest I enjoyed giving my time up to help make a difference.

Originally, I began looking at local opportunities (and by local, I mean in the Orlando vicinity). I volunteered at a Special Olympics Florida event which was held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports. Having been a keen volunteer with Special Olympic Ireland at home, I thought it would be a good idea to further my experience with that organisation.

A few weeks later, I happened to come across an advert from Superbowl XLVIII, who were looking for volunteers to work for the Host Committee in New York and New Jersey.

Again, I was making crazy plans to travel to another State to volunteer at a major event, but I suppose it was the only opportunity I would ever have to do something like this in my lifetime.

Along with this,  I applied to work at a local golf tournament; one of the most prestigious tournaments on the PGA Tour; the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, Orlando. 

To my surprise, I was offered the chance to work at both events! I was ecstatic! My year had just got a million times better!

February 2014 -  I flew to New York, and went straight in to the City. Having only a budget of about $100 for two days transport and food, I struggled, but just about coped.

I collected my uniform in the center of the City, and I put the thermal jacket on right away - as it was FREEZING!

My volunteer role was giving information and directions to visitors, and I was based in the center of Times Square - it was insane! The atmosphere was something I could never have imagined. The whole city of New York was buzzing. 

I had an extra day to spend in New York, and I thanked my lucky stars; as three of my friends that I met at London 2012, Frankie, Gem and Charlie were in the City so I was able to meet up with them. 

It just goes to show, that if I had not met these incredible people at London 2012, I would never have seen them again in New York. I would never had any trace of them in my life; but as it goes, they have been a major part of my life. We all share one great thing in common - we love to volunteer. 

March 2014 - Once my time was up in New York, I flew back to Orlando, and back to the Disney bubble I had spent half a year in. And I had another opportunity to burst out of that bubble in March, when I volunteered at the Arnold Palmer Invitational Golf Tournament in Bay Hill.

I wasn't alone either. My friend Conor that I worked at Disney with volunteered with me, which was a fantastic experience. We are both major golf fans, so it was the right fit for us both.

We were both given the same role, which was being a Front Nine Marshal. We spent most of our time between the tee of the third hole, and the tee of the fourth hole; obviously switching positions frequently. 

This was one of my favourite events that I have been involved in, due to the sheer quality of the competitors, and because I was so close to the action. 

I volunteered here for three days, and was able to meet a lot of the players who were competing, and myself and Conor were the two youngest volunteers which was an added bonus!

I had a fantastic experience at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and would love to go back in the future and volunteer once again.

After volunteering at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, I entered the final stretch of my adventures at Disney World, with only a few months left of my program. 

During the final 5 months, I became a server in the Rose & Crown Restaurant. 

I met guests from all around the world, and was able to share my culture and heritage with my guests on a daily basis, and I served between twenty and sixty people a day, depending on the length of my shift.

I was lucky enough to also have my parents and my friend Kirsty visit me in May, which was amazing. I had a whole week off work and was able to show my mum and dad where I worked; and even better, I was able to serve them on Mother's Day! 

I saved up for a few weeks to be able to book my mum and dad in to the Grand Floridian and Animal Kingdom Lodge Hotels for a week. They absolutely adored them and had an amazing time. 

We visited all the Disney parks, and my mum and dad even attempted all the rides in each park!

Before the end of my program, I was also able to go on one last road trip, to Miami to watch an International Football game between England and Ecuador. It was a fantastic experience, as it was the only International game I had eve been to, and I got to see a few Manchester United players in the flesh. 

My program at Disney finished on the 13th July 2014 - and it was the most incredible, insane and crazy year of my life. I wholeheartedly believe that I never would have had the opportunity to work at Disney World had I not worked at London 2012; meaning I would never have had the opportunities that I had whilst working there, such as becoming a trainer, and volunteering at two international sports events. 

Over the last two years, volunteering at one event has had a snowball effect on every other opportunity I have been given. Had I not worked at London 2012, I probably would not have got a job at Manchester United.

Had I not worked at London 2012, I probably would not have even got an interview to work at Disney World. Had I not worked at Disney World, I would never have had the opportunity to volunteer at Superbowl XLVIII or the Arnold Palmer Invitational. 

Had I not worked at London 2012, then I wouldn't be where I am today. 

Being a Games Maker at London 2012 provided me with the platform to follow my dreams. 

Being a Games Maker gave me the motivation to better myself every day in all aspects of life.

Being a Games Maker made me want to inspire others to follow their dreams; because that is what I have tried to do.

Just over two years ago was the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games. Two years ago, my life changed forever.

Two Years Later, I look back at the most incredible experience of my life, and it continues to inspire me every day, and I hope to inspire others. 

Thank you to everyone who has been a part of any of my adventures; especially the last two years.

Thank you to my family, especially my mum and dad, who inspire me to make them proud, every day of my life.

Thank you to Clann Eireann Youth Club in Lurgan, Northern Ireland; who gave me the opportunity to volunteer locally since the age of 14, and continue to do so now. Thank you to all the staff at Clann Eireann for encouraging and supporting me. I will forever be thankful.

And thank you to everyone who gets to the end of this blog and reads it the whole way down. I appreciate all of your lovely comments and will continue to try and inspire others to follow their dreams, because;

'All of your dreams can come true; if you have the courage to pursue them'. 

- Walt Disney