Our Volunteer profiles give us a chance to say thank you and recognise volunteers on the front line and behind the scenes.
Dawn Hunter shares her experience of volunteering as a Team Manager (GB Age-Group Team).
Dawn Hunter - Team Manager (GB Age-Group Team)
I became a Team Manager In 2006 following a telephone interview in response to an advert looking for team managers. I probably thought it was an interesting opportunity and had managed a Home Nation team previously. I was successful, but initially my team (Long Distance Worlds) was deemed too small to send a team manager as the race was in Australia. About 6 weeks before the event, I got a call to say I could go and off to Canberra I went!
The best aspect of being a Team Manager is meeting lots of new lovely people and helping them often when they are at their most stressed.
There has been so many fantastic race day experiences, but one that stands out is Chrissie Wellington winning in Almere and then waiting until every single GB age grouper had crossed the line (and this is long distance, so it was quite a long time!) and then giving away most of her kit and endlessly and cheerfully signing flags and other random things for the rest of the day and even during her tea.
The best advice to an athlete who has qualified for the GB Age-Group team for the first time is do not worry about the things you can't control. Worrying about the water temperature/potential rain three months out is a waste of energy. Plan for what you can.
Thank you Dawn for all you do for our sport!
As everybody within sport knows, the help given by volunteers is invaluable. Take a look at our Volunteers and Technical Officials pages where you can find out more about how to get involved in volunteering and the responsibilities of your role, keep up to date with any important issues concerning volunteers and hear about any new initiatives of which you should be aware.
