Foreign volunteers assist participating delegations: once-in-a-lifetime opportunities

The 16th summer EYOF 2022 in Banská Bystrica would not be possible without more than a thousand volunteers who help the event run smoothly. Several of them help all the participating foreign expeditions to orient themselves in the new environment.

27-year-old Chunrong Zhao, from the Netherlands, helps as an assistant to the Turkish delegation. He also has an important role for the national team. "I am working as a volunteer for the first time ever. I feel great and very lucky to be here. I met great people; delegations, Olympic officials, and also athletes who are amazing. I applied because I wanted to volunteer at a sporting event but never had the opportunity. And then I found EYOF 2022. I wanted to experience something new and meet new people. I am a freelance photographer, so I wanted to try sports photography and connect with delegations and athletes this way. Although I am not an official photographer, the Turkish expedition is happy that I take pictures for them. I can combine photography with volunteer work that allows me to enter the media space, so it is a combination of both worlds."

At first, he was assigned to the Maltese delegation, and only later was he assigned to work with the Turkish delegation. "I have been living in Europe for almost five years and I have many friends here. I have a few countries in Europe that are special to me: Germany, Italy, Turkey, the Netherlands, and Romania. First, I was assigned to the Maltese delegation. A few days later, however, I was assigned to Turkey. It was like fate; it was definitely not a coincidence that I was assigned to the country I love. Everyone is very friendly. Here at EYOF, all of Europe is like one big family. I am not European yet, but I believe that I too will soon become part of this family," he added.

26-year-old Ludovica Sini helps the Italian national team at EYOF 2022 in Banská Bystrica. It is a dream come true for her. "It was my first choice and I am very happy to help my country's delegation. I have already been to the winter EYOF in Vuokatti this year. I was a volunteer for the first time at the World Figure Skating Championships in Milan. I am happy to be here. Ever since I was assigned to Italy, it's been a dream come true for me. In the future, I would like to work with the Italian national team. However, I don't know yet whether with any federation or the Italian Olympic Committee. But this is a very important step on the way to fulfilling my dream. They gave me a team shirt and a cap, which I wear with great pride."

Working with the Italian national team brought her unforgettable experiences. "I went to the first boys' volleyball game and talked to the coach before the game. He asked if I'm usually a person who brings luck to others, and I said I do not know, but we will see. He responded that if Italy won the first match, I could stay. Italy won 3-0, so I stayed until the end. After the match, he told me that I could come to all the matches, and today he told me that I am the lucky charm of the Italian team," Ludovica added with a smile.

The EYOF Banská Bystrica 2022 volunteer project is part of the European Sport Volunteers project, financed by the European Union within the Erasmus+ program.