....Glasgow 2014/Manchester 2002........

I think I've found my mojo......at least for a couple of days/weeks.

12 years ago I did something I'm still very proud of.......something that allowed me to mert people from all over the world.........something that gave me a wonderful, if tiring and challenging couple of weeks........something I'll never forget..........something that I have been reminded of this week.

I volunteered for the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester.......eventually being selected as a driver.......and assigned to a small team from the Caribbean.......St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

At first I was disappointed..........I'd wanted one of the big teams........Australia, Canada, England........but I quickly realised that being with a small team had it's advantages.........there were 4 of us attached to SVG........and the team had only 7 athletes, one coach, one chaperone (for the sole female athlete) and a Chef de Mission.........but in reality all the Caribbean teams stuck together and acted as one big team.

My job was to drive them, especially the Chef, wherever they wanted to go..........which meant my accreditation gave me pretty much access all areas......and the Chef was very good at blagging to get me where I shouldn't be......."This is my driver, I have a meeting with the Jamaican High Commissioner and I need him with me in the stadium (or wherever)".

The best bit without a doubt though was..........I had unrestricted access to the Athletes Village.........every day I went to work.....and spent most of the time just hanging out with the competitors......Ian Thorpe, Jamie Balsch, Dame Tanni Gray-Thompson, Kim Collins, Frankie Fredericks, Nathan Robertson, Gail Emms, Jason Queally, Chris Hoy, Bradley Wiggins, Beth Tweddle, Mark Foster, Karen Pickering, Darren Campbell, Sammy Kipketer, Colin Jackson, Jonathon Edwards, Steve Backley, Kelly Holmes, Paula Radcliffe, Cathy Freeman, ............and dozens more............how I envy the volunteers in Glasgow getting to rub shoulders with all the stars of today....and tomorrow!

These are some of the pin badges I collected............the Crew 2002 (the volunteers pin)....the two village pins (restricted and unrestricted) and the uniform pin.......plus one of the daily motivational badges.

So that's my mojo............a mini series of pins and stories from the Manchester Commonwealth Games.