2012 is going to be Olympian!

As I may have mentioned before, I am going to be a volunteer at this year's Olympic Games.  It's in London, in case you haven't heard.

I don't yet know what I'll be doing, but I don't care.  I'm excited just to be part of the Games, and perhaps even more excited to be based at Lord's.

How the home of cricket will look during the Olympics.

Lots of people are cynical about London hosting the Olympics.  Some say it's a waste of money, especially in these tough economic times.  Some say its an over-commercialized behemoth far-removed from its supposed ethos.  Others simply don't like the sport.

I agree that there's an awful lot of money being thrown at London 2012.  I also think that the sponsorship and brand protection can get out of hand.  However, I vehemently defend the idea of the Olympic Games, which is a noble one.  I also salute the sportsmen and women taking part, who are a testament to hard work, skill, and dedication.  Many of the complainants could learn a thing or two from their example.

Yes, the logo is still rubbish.  My brother's art class pupils could have done better*.  I can't say I'm that keen on the volunteer uniforms either.  But I'm proud to be helping run an event that I have loved since I was a small boy.  And I'm very much looking forward to London 2012 being an international, multicultural celebration of personal achievement, sporting and otherwise.

Oh yes, and if you want to find out more about my voluntary experiences, the first of a small series of articles has just been published by ESPN: Behind the scenes at Lords.


*and did so, appearing on BBC London to demonstrate the fact.

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