The largest viewing figures for any event or ceremony on the planet, is the Olympic Opening Ceremony. Danny Boyle has been given £12 million to put on a spectacular show. The Chinese did any amazing job, and controversially spent over US$100 million for the Opening Ceremony alone!
The best kept secret in the country is how the cauldron will be lit. Rumours have been James Bond (Danny Craig is such a hotty!) and even that the Queen may be lighting it. I doubt she will abseil from a helicopter or do flick flacks up a platform, but an interesting thought! Now the idea is not to think about WHO will light it, but HOW it will be lit…ooohhhh….very exciting!
Arriving at the Olympic Stadium
This is the first Olympics where the athletes don’t have to be bussed to the stadium for the Opening Ceremony. Instead we have a highly co-ordinated plan to march the athletes from different parts of the Olympic Village, at carefully worked out times, in 3 waves. So many people are involved in the execution of the plan, that all the NOC (National Olympic Committee) Assistants were used to do a full rehearsal of the first wave. Greece to enter first, and then alphabetically with Team GB at the end.
All the NOC Assistants met in the Chef de Mission meeting hall for a briefing. The South African NOC Assistants were assigned to be Bulgarian athletes for the rehearsal. We were given appropriate accreditation to get into the stadium. And then assembled outside our departure point and waited for the allocated time to start moving to our spot outside the stadium.
We were joined by some army boys to make up the numbers and they were great for keeping our marching in check. Such gentle, kind, fun loving men!
The Rehearsal
We waited patiently outside the stadium and those who had come to watch the rehearsal started filing out and took photos of us. The vibe was great! We could hear music from the stadium – the Beetles, Chariots of Fire…was incredible!
Each country has a young lady with a sign board attached to her with the country name. The lady who came out with the Bulgarian sign board was in tears, “I am so sorry! I am just so emotional!”. Everyone was feeling overwhelmed about being here.
And that is when it began….I can NOT tell you, there are no words, how emotional I was to walk out into the stadium…..
In the Stadium
We walked in, and even though there were no spectators, the energy was breath-taking! The drummers were incredible, the sound was wonderful and it was surreal!
We did a full loop of the stadium, just taking in the experience and trying to get an idea of what it would be like for the athletes, when this stadium is full!
We were held in the area where the athletes will be held and then made our way out. The co-ordinating staff were unreal – super efficient, firm and fun. This is going to be the most incredible experience for the Olympians and for London…and the world will be sharing this with us from all corners of the globe.
This will truly be the GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH!
Have a look at my YouTube clip of the rehearsal
27 July 2012
