Shift #5 and Sidney! - Part 11
- Isabelle Morin
- Feb 15
- 5 min read
Updated: Feb 18
My fifth shift at the arena was going to be a tricky one. First, I planned to sneak away for about 30 minutes around 14:00 and, second, Dave and I hoped to leave early (18:30 instead of 19:30). I needed to slip out because, through my cousin’s wife, I had been put in contact with the radio station from my home region (La Beauce). They wanted to interview me about my Olympic volunteer experience. And we wanted to leave early because we had tickets to the men’s hockey game that night (Canada vs. Switzerland). The game was at 21:10, but we needed at least two and a half hours beforehand to go home, change, eat, and make our way to the Santa Giulia Arena on the opposite side of the city.
We arrived right on time for check‑in at 11:30 and immediately told the supervisors we needed to leave early. They assured us it wouldn’t be a problem and that things should be wrapping up by then anyway. They didn’t assign us roles right away and instead told us to go eat, saying it would be easy to sort everything out at 12:30 when everyone received their assignments. When we returned, we repeated that we were willing to do any job as long as we could leave by 18:30. For the second shift in a row, we were assigned to the West Gate, outside the arena. There was hockey at Rho that day as well, so the West Entrance checkpoint had been moved closer to the building compared to my first shift there.
Since I needed to sneak out at 14:00, I didn’t volunteer to scan tickets this time. I wanted a role that was less noticeable, so I stayed with the "general greeters" (volunteers who simply direct spectators where to go). I also made sure Dave was stationed with me so he could cover during my interview. The doors opened at 14:00, and the flow of spectators was slow at that hour, so slipping away for 30 minutes was no issue at all.
The interview with the radio station was actually very fun. They wanted to know how I ended up volunteering at the Olympics and asked me to describe the experience. They were also quite charmed by the fact that Dave and I had decided to do this together. I admitted to them that Dave hadn’t exactly been my biggest cheerleader when I first told him about my plan, but that he quickly changed his mind, and now loves the experience as much as I do. We also talked about my encounter with the MPP at the Opening Ceremony (of course!). The interview is only in French, but here is the link if you’re curious, scroll down to the 13 February segment.
As soon as the interview ended, I hurried back to where Dave was standing. I didn’t stay there long. A response volunteer quickly moved me to a spot just past the ticket scanners, where we had to direct spectators toward the escalator leading down to the arena. It was finally my turn to wear the giant foam finger! For two straight hours, I danced to the pop music blasting behind me and shouted “This way! This way!” while pointing at the escalator. Apparently, I nailed it—two supervisors and several spectators complimented me. “You’re really in the right spot,” my supervisor said. I was filmed and photographed by countless people. It reinforced my belief that life is truly what you make of it.
Once most spectators had arrived, we were told that Dave and I would be redeployed inside the arena. I was thrilled—but, as you can imagine, I made sure they knew we still had to leave at 18:30. “Of course!” they said. So off we went, into the arena. Our first assignment? Go inside and watch three pairs of skaters. We got to see Ted‑Jan Bloemen skate (though he didn’t reach the podium). After watching the race, I told Dave, “If I ever pay to see speed skating, it definitely won’t be the 10,000 m". It’s just so long…
After the final pair finished, our new supervisor told us to follow her immediately; she needed us at a critical control point. We obeyed. The spot was outside, between the arena and the walkway to the metro. For 40 minutes, we watched spectators slowly exit while I kept checking my watch to make sure we’d leave on time. At 18:22, a supervisor came over and said, “I’m here for you! I know you need to leave at 18:30 and I’ll cover as soon as you go.” Perfect. Our message had been received and understood. Or so we thought...Less than three minutes later, two other supervisors rushed over with some kind of emergency, and the person that was supposed to cover for us left with them, without saying a word... Uh‑oh. 18:30 came… then 18:33… and no one had come to relieve us. I told Dave, “Two more minutes.” At 18:35, spectators were still exiting the stadium but there was no signs of replacement for us. That said there were two other volunteers at our control point, and literally everyone knew we had to leave. So we did!
Dave’s Early Valentine’s Day Present
From the beginning of our Olympic adventure, Dave really wanted to see at least one men’s hockey game. During the pre‑sale in February 2025, men’s hockey tickets weren’t available yet, and we had seen that seats would eventually be sold for 30 euros (Category C) and 80 euros (Category B). So we waited and checked the ticket site regularly (daily once we arrived in Italy). Those 30‑ and 80‑euro tickets never appeared. Even the 190‑euro tickets were impossible to find! I knew how much Dave wanted to see Sidney Crosby play for Canada, so I looked up the best non‑official resale site in Italy (Ticombo) and we bit the bullet, paying over 200 euros for not‑so‑great seats. But the important thing is: we saw Sidney! And how nice of him to score a goal for Dave. :)
One interesting thing about that game was the overwhelming number of Swiss fans in the stands. Until then, it hadn’t occurred to me that Switzerland is only about a hour’s drive from Milan, making it cheap and easy for fans to fill the arena. The Swiss also have their own “Olé Olé” chant that I had never heard before, and it echoed loudly throughout the arena that night. Despite the enthusiastic Swiss crowd, Canada won. It was the perfect way to spend the evening before Valentine’s Day.
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