Volunteers (right) at the National Biathlon Center help foreign journalists check the shuttle bus schedule on March 9. Photographed by Zhang Wujun, a reporter of this newspaper
At the National Alpine Ski Center on March 10, a member of the Canadian delegation embraced the Beijing Winter Paralympic mascot "Snow Rongrong". Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Sun Fei
"Volunteer, very brilliant!" At the closing ceremony of the Beijing Winter Paralympic Games on the evening of March 13, IPC President Andrew Parsons expressed his heartfelt thanks to more than 9,000 Beijing Winter Paralympic volunteers with Chinese. During the unforgettable nine competition days, volunteers, staff and more people working in different jobs at the Beijing Winter Paralympic Games set up a competitive stage for nearly 600 disabled athletes to show themselves and inspire others, and also built bridges of friendship with intimate and heart-warming service guarantees.
During the Beijing Winter Paralympic Games, the National Gymnasium undertook the Paralympic ice hockey competition. Because the athletes' equipment is heavy and the wheelchair is very inconvenient, the volunteers in the stadium found a small board car with low height and large space, laid a yoga mat, and then decorated with a "snow rongrong" balloon, and then "went online to operate" after the transformation. "I have never seen this kind of scooter, sitting on it, the space is not as narrow as a wheelchair, it is very convenient to get on and off the car, the arrangement on the car makes me feel like entering the playground, everyone is very happy." André Alex, a Paralympic ice hockey player from the Italian delegation, said: "I find it very intimate that all the volunteers put themselves in our shoes. ”
Scooters have become the first choice for Paralympic ice hockey players when they go to the arena and training ground, and some teams will "ride" volunteers before the game. When several teams were training at the same time, the volunteers pushed the scooter back and forth, constantly "taking orders". On 8 March, as paralympic hockey celebrated its final day of the group stage, IPC Vice-President Duane Kahler gave a thumbs up: "The accessibility facilities here are excellent and the service is meticulous and thoughtful. ”
At the Beijing Winter Paralympic Games, the intimate and professional service of volunteers and staff has won praise from all parties.
"It's incredible! If it weren't for your enthusiasm, my phone would probably be 'buried deep' in the snow. At the National Biathlon Center, a foreign photojournalist excitedly thanked Huang Xuansheng, a volunteer in the field of media operations, and pulled him for a group photo. During the Beijing Winter Paralympic Games, Huang Xuansheng, who had already left work, stumbled upon a mobile phone that had fallen into the snow on the road, and after some hard work, he finally returned to his original owner. "Although I am a little tired, in the Winter Paralympic volunteer service, the gratitude of others makes me feel that what I am doing is meaningful." Huang Xuansheng said.
Although the fire is small, it can light up the world; although the good deeds are small, they also warm people's hearts. On February 27, service workers in the apartment building in the accommodation area of Beijing's Winter Paralympic Village found that the elevator had signs of the Italian delegation celebrating the athletes' birthdays, and they immediately coordinated the cake, handmade bouquets, and prepared traditional Chinese handicrafts as gifts. Singing a happy birthday song in Italian, the waiter came to the athlete's room and gave him a big surprise.
The mascot of the Beijing Winter Paralympic Games, "Xue Rongrong", is also a competent messenger of friendship. Turkin, a 22-year-old Canadian girl who was planning to start her second Winter Paralympic trip in Beijing, was injured during pre-match training on the morning of February 28 and had to say goodbye early. The day before his departure, Turgin expressed his desire to take a photo with Snow Rongrong. Time is pressing, protocol, transportation and other fields and the relevant departments of the National Alpine Ski Center work hard to coordinate, on the morning of the flight departure, finally let the Canadian girl see the "snow melting" in her heart. So many people helped her fulfill her wish, and she was deeply moved while she was happy, and she shed tears twice.
During the Beijing Winter Paralympic Games, "Xue Rongrong" was sent to the shuttle station, performed five poultry plays in the traditional Chinese medicine display area, and sent flowers to the female athletes celebrating Women's Day in the Winter Paralympic Village... "'Snow Rongrong' is also a bridge between China and the world, and I want to take it back to my friends and family so that they can also pay attention to and understand Chinese culture." Slovak delegation athlete Jakob Krako said. In the name of "Xue Rongrong", "Rongrong" expresses the concept of exchange, mutual learning and harmonious development of world civilizations. The seeds of friendship will also spread to the world with this humble figure.
Layout design: Zhang Danfeng
People's Daily ( 2022-03-15 15th edition)