The Paralympics run on the strength of volunteers
When Paralympic athletes arrive at the airport in Italy, the first faces they’re likely to see are volunteers; lots of them. And they aren’t just at the airport. Organized, welcoming, and calm amid the chaos, they quietly hold the entire Games together. At the upcoming Winter Paralympics, thousands of volunteers will be everywhere: competition venues, athlete villages, transport hubs, and service centers. They carry out countless small tasks that make the Games possible.
No one keeps an exact count of how many serve exclusively at the Paralympics. Most reports describe a single volunteer team of roughly 18,000 shared between the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Still, one truth remains: the Paralympics run on the strength of volunteers.
I know this not just as a spectator, but as an athlete. I competed at the 1996 Paralympic Games in Atlanta. I remember a woman approaching me at the airport and asking if I needed help. She wheeled my oversized bags to the bus and paused to ask if I wanted a bottle of water and a moment to breathe before heading to the village. Twelve days later, another volunteer helped me pack my racing chair into a shipping crate just hours after I crossed the marathon finish line, moments before the Closing Ceremonies. I will never forget those quiet gestures of patience, awareness, and kindness.
The Paralympics are celebrated as a triumph of resilience, and they are. But they are also a massive global production with broadcasts, sponsorships, packed venues, and serious budgets. While millions of dollars flow through the Games, volunteers take vacation days, rearrange schedules, line up childcare, and sometimes save their paychecks for months just to be there. I’m guessing their contribution is not reflected in any financial report.
Even so, they bring patience when schedules shift, cultural awareness when athletes from over 50 nations converge in crowded hallways, and genuine empathy in an environment where accessibility is not optional, but essential. They guide without grasping, communicate without condescension, and adapt without awkwardness, all while safeguarding the spirit and joy of the Games at every turn.
As Italy prepares to host roughly 665 athletes and thousands of spectators, support staff, and media, I hope organizers recognize volunteers as central to the Games’ success. I hope broadcasters, like NBC, highlight these volunteers on air, because what stays with athletes are those unpaid worker bees quietly making greatness possible.
Trust me, we notice.
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