16 days, 329 events, 10,500 athletes, and 45,000 volunteers. These staggering numbers highlight the scale and grandeur of the Olympic Games. But it’s the 45,000 volunteers that make the Games possible.
Their tireless dedication and enthusiasm helps create an unforgettable experience for not only the athletes and their coaches, but also for the spectators. According to the Olympics’ official site, “[The volunteers] are the face, soul, heart, and smile of our Games. And thanks to them, you will be able to enjoy a memorable Games yourself.”
Meet the volunteers
Maya Sol Sørgård is a 28-year-old avid Olympic fan from Norway. Maya also volunteered with the Youth Olympic Games and has had a front-row view of up-and-coming Olympians.
Andrew “Drew” Bell is a 26-year-old travel blogger and content creator from St. Louis, Mo.. Drew and his girlfriend, Isabelle Lindheimer, recently relocated to Germany and have been traveling the world. Together they have traveled to over 30 countries.
Drew and Maya are part of the 15% of applicants who were chosen to be volunteers for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
“I have always been very fond of the Olympics, like not just one sport but the whole organization” Maya continues, “I believe the Paris Games is the first Games where it’s 50/50 on gender equality, like there’s an equal amount of females as there is to males.”
Drew was flipping through a travel newsletter when he came across an article about volunteering at the Olympics.
“I kind of did it on a whim,” he confessed. “I finished my application a couple of days before the deadline.”
Volunteer application process
The Olympic volunteer application process is almost as competitive as the Games themselves. While only 45,000 volunteers were needed this year, over 300,000 applied.
“I wouldn’t say it was easy," Maya said. “There were over 200 questions to answer."
Drew explained it was essentially a personality test, “but it wasn’t your typical ‘If this scenario happened how would you handle it?’ like test.’”
Some of the questions focused on your experiences in sports: what sports have you played? Were you ever a referee? While others focused on your language skills.
“They’re mapping you out of who you are and what experience you have, and finding a way to use that in the Olympics," Maya added.
While most of the volunteers speak French, it was not a requirement. For most Games, fluency in either the official language of the country or English is required. Despite being fluent in English, Maya could not volunteer at the 2020 Tokyo Games due to complications in receiving an English certificate. Along with fluency in English and Norwegian (her mother tongue) she can also communicate in French and is familiar with some Scandinavian languages such as Swedish.
The applications usually open up a year before the Games are scheduled. Maya sent her application in the spring of 2023 and didn’t hear back until the fall.
“[It] was a long wait, and especially coming at the end of November, [I started] to lose hope because it was such a long time,” she said.
“There was about a six-month gap between sending in the application and actually getting the offer,” added Drew.
During those months, Drew and his girlfriend Isabelle quit their full-time jobs and moved to Germany and started traveling the world together. “Well, this is going to be the most diverse place in the world, with people from every country, so of course I’m going to say yes,” he said when the offer finally came.
Volunteer responsibilities
Volunteers are assigned to various areas such as event operations, hospitality, languages, sports competition, and technology. Volunteers are placed in the department that best aligns with their self-reported skills and experiences.
Maya was stationed at Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille, France, which is about an hour's train ride from the heart of Paris. Basketball and handball events were held there.
“I had never seen a basketball game until the Olympics”, she confessed. “It's really cool to see. I really like it.”
Maya was assigned to press operations. She worked in the “mixed zone,” which is the area filled with journalists that every athlete and coach has to weave through before reaching wardrobe. Her job was to make sure the media personnel were where they needed to be and weren’t taking photos or videos beyond the press area. She was able to rub shoulders with the top athletes in the world.
“I’m gonna see LeBron James,” Maya said excitedly.
Drew was posted at Nautical Stadium which is outside the city near Disneyland Paris. Canoe slalom, canoe sprint, and rowing events were held there. Drew was charged with helping accredited people, such as athletes and coaches, with transportation. This included getting them through security and ordering cars or other vehicles for people leaving the venue.
When Drew first heard he was put on the transportation team, he wasn’t thrilled. He was worried he’d be stuck in a parking lot all day.
“You kind of imagine yourself like, in the stadium, in the court, being the one holding the boat straight before it starts going,” he said.
But he has since come around to his assignment.
Being a part of the transportation team Drew has been able to meet people all over the world.
@drizzy_onthego Part 13 | Spend the morning at the Olympic Nautical Stadium @Team USA @Olympics #parisolympics #rowing #kayaking #canoeing #volunteer #CapCut ♬ original sound - DREW & IZZY
“I’ve become such good friends with all the other transport team members… most days it’s slow and we just hang out and play games, we have fun together,” he said.
Drew also explained that a lot of the volunteers are older retired locals who don’t speak a lot of English.
“They’re [just] happy to be a part of it. They don’t care about the money they would make. They’re just happy to show up at work every day. They talk to athletes. They make friends with people,” he said.
Volunteer accommodations
Contrary to common belief, the Olympics do not cover volunteer traveling or lodging expenses. Maya had an Airbnb lined up but that was canceled at the last minute, which meant she had to book a hotel instead. Her flight from Norway was about $400 and the hotel ended up being $2,500.
“It’s not cheap being a volunteer, but it’s so worth it…From everything that you get both from experience and everything behind the scenes,” she said.
“Hotels are super expensive, especially during the Olympics, so that wasn’t an option.” Drew explained that a lot of locals decided to list their homes on Airbnb to make a couple thousand euros and go on vacation.
He lucked out and was able to find two Airbnbs for his stay outside of the city which averaged about $47 a night.
“Yes I am outside of the city, but I didn’t need to be in the heart of Paris. If I want to go to Paris, it’s a train ride away” he stated.
While on the clock, volunteers are also provided with drinks, snacks, and a meal. They also receive a public transportation card for going to and from the stadiums.
@drizzy_onthego Part 14 | What it cost me to Volunteer at the Olympics ⚠️ If you’re thinking of volunteering at Milan 2026 (volunteer application opens in September), use this to help you prepare and budget! @Olympics #parisolympics #volunteer #budget #tips ♬ That Couch Potato Again - Prod. By Rose
Perks of volunteering
While volunteers don’t receive a stipend for their accommodations or free entry into events, they do receive some highly-coveted and priceless volunteer swag. Their volunteer uniforms include an Olympics-branded fanny pack, duffel bag, watch, shoes, pants, shirts, a jacket, and a hat.
@mayasolsor Having fomo from the Olympics? Join as a volunteer!! 🏅 #paris2024 #uniform #olympics #unboxing #volunteer ♬ Walking On A Dream - kalia ྀི
Some volunteers have been asked, “Where can I get that hat?” so many times they have decided to list their uniforms on sites such as eBay and Facebook Marketplace.
Volunteering for the Olympics may be a great way to get free swag and explore a country for a few weeks, but for Maya and Drew, it extends more than just sightseeing and merch.
“The Olympics are a place that you can advocate for peace, like you have all of these nations coming together, and they are learning about each other’s culture, and they’re talking to each other, and you’re creating bonds, not just the athletes, but the spectators as well,” Maya said.
Drew explains how the Games are a melting pot.
“You may be cheering for America and the people next to you are cheering for a different country but it doesn’t matter…a lot of times, sports divides people based on teams. But here at the Olympics there's still competition, but there’s also great sportsmanship,” he said.
@dailyunivsports Watching Katie Ledecky make history once again 😍 #olympics #paris #parisolympics #parisolympics2024 ♬ Midnight City - M83
Maya has also volunteered for the Youth Olympic Games. She explains that this is also a great way to be involved with the Olympic Games because you get to see the athletes develop before they head to the big show.
“[There was this one skier] and he just won everything, he won everything on that slope. He was always down first,” Maya said. “[I remember thinking] I will see you at the Olympics in a couple of years,” and she did.
Why you should apply to be a volunteer
The past few years the world has been through tough times with a war and a global pandemic. “For the first time, you will experience some kind of hope again, bringing the world together, and to be in the middle of that, and to make sure that the games can run, and just have some small part of it as a volunteer…is an experience of a lifetime, and you can’t just buy it,” Maya said.
“In 40 years, when you're sitting around your dinner table talking with your family, and the Olympics come up, you will remember the time that you were there, you were part of it, you helped out,” Drew said.
Where to apply
The next Olympics will take place in Milan, Italy. The applications for the Milan 2026 Games will open in September. You can find the application here.
So what’s next for our volunteers?
Maya and Drew have stated they will be applying for the Milan Olympic Games.
“They’re going to kill those winter uniforms,” Drew excitedly stated.
But for now, they are finishing their volunteering responsibilities here in Paris and will be on their next world-traveling adventures.