Trent Valley SC member selected for Olympic & Paralympic volunteer duties
by John Richardson 21 Jul 2012 17:44 BST
29 July - 11 August 2012
Trent Valley Sailing Club member selected for Olympic and Paralympic volunteer duties
Mike Haynes, a member of Trent Valley Sailing Club, has been selected as a volunteer official at both the Olympic and Paralympic 2012 Games for the sailing events being held at Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy. Mike will be a Field of Play Marshall at the Olympic Games and will then return to Weymouth to be an Assistant Mark Layer for the Paralympic Games.
"My ambition began seven years ago on 6th July 2005, when London was awarded the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. I set myself the target of being involved as an official for the sailing events, if at all possible, and knew that even if I didn't make it, I would enjoy myself in the process of trying. As well as enjoying myself, I have made lots of good friends, achieved a number of qualifications and gained significant experience during many weekends and using my holidays from work to attend events", explained Mike who has been a long time member of Trent Valley Sailing Club.
Mike has trained to become a Royal Yachting Association (RYA) National Race Officer and a Regional Mark Layer. Trent Valley Sailing Club (TVSC) is an RYA Training Centre and acts as a venue for many different types of training including introduction to sailing as well as more advanced courses. Mike has trained and worked at lots of venues around the UK, both on the coast and inland, to achieve the level of experience that has seen him selected for the Games.
"The club is incredibly proud of Mike's achievements and we are delighted that he has been so successful. His commitment as a volunteer to the sport of sailing is highly commendable, as he is not only a very busy Racing Official but he is also the current Chairman of Derbyshire Youth Sailing. In addition to this, his two teenage children, who are also TVSC members, are both racing sailors competing at youth international level, requiring them to be taken to events at many other sailing clubs both in the UK and in continental Europe", enthused TVSC Commodore John Richardson.
There are tens of thousands of volunteers who will all be working hard to help make the 2012 London Games successful at the many venues and across all of the sports. Mike will be in a powerboat on the water at Weymouth for both Games, helping as part of a dedicated team to ensure that everyone has a great, safe and successful time. The members of Trent Valley Sailing Club wish him well and know that he will really enjoy his time in Weymouth this summer.