Harrow Online previously covered Brahma Mohanty for his volunteering work at past Olympics, and this summer he continued his journey, volunteering at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.
This was his second experience volunteering at a summer games, having previously contributed to London 2012. His role this year brought a blend of familiarity and new opportunities to contribute to the global event.
Assigned to the Stade de France, Brahma assisted visitors, athletes, officials, and dignitaries throughout the games. “My role was that of a forward-facing one: assisting visitors to the games be they spectators, athletes, officials, dignitaries, etc., and ensuring that their time at the games was an enjoyable experience,” he explained. The venue hosted several events, including Rugby Sevens, Athletics, and the Closing Ceremony.
Mohanty was fortunate to witness some incredible moments firsthand, such as Sweden’s Armand Duplantis setting a new world record for the high jump, and Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem breaking the javelin Olympic record to win gold. “The passionate home crowd roaring on the France men’s Rugby Sevens team to victory in the Gold Medal match” was another standout moment for him.
In addition to his duties at the stadium, Mohanty took the opportunity to visit various Olympic ‘Team Houses’ across the city. “I had the pleasure of visiting the team houses of Japan, South Korea, Slovenia, Slovakia, Mongolia, Brazil, India, Switzerland, South Africa, Serbia, as well as Club France, and a stopover at Team GB House,” he said. These houses served as cultural hubs and offered visitors the chance to experience the diversity of the participating nations.
A highlight for Mohanty was participating in pin collecting and trading, an activity popular among Olympic attendees. “Pin badge collecting is somewhat of a guilty pleasure of mine… I must have acquired almost a hundred pin badges during my stay, including some particularly rare pins from nations such as Azerbaijan, Bhutan, Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, and Vietnam,” he shared.
Mohanty noted how inclusive and supportive he felt the experience was, especially for people with disabilities. “As someone with a disability, I am mindful that others like me may approach volunteering with some anxiety. But my experience in Paris was anything but negative, and the Organising Committee and staff were more than accommodating of my accessibility requirements.”
Reflecting on his passion for volunteering, Mohanty encouraged others to get involved, especially locally. “There are so many great charities, projects, and sports clubs here in Harrow that are always on the lookout for volunteers. It is a fantastic way of building skills and confidence, as well as a fantastic opportunity to make new friends whilst giving something back to your community.”
Chris Mitchell is the founder and editor of Harrow Online, Harrow’s leading local news platform.
He launched Harrow Online in 2010 as a Facebook page sharing local news and information. Since then, it has grown into a trusted source for breaking news, crime, council decisions, planning, transport, business and community stories across the borough.
Harrow Online reaches hundreds of thousands of readers each month and has a social media audience of more than 200,000 followers.
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