Since the year 2000, the date 15 September has held a significant place in my life.
On this day 25 years ago, Australian sporting icon Cathy Freeman lit the Olympic cauldron in a dramatic circle of fire at around 8 pm – moments before International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Juan Antonio Samaranch declared the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games officially open.
Consequently, 15 September has become a notable date in world sport – and a cherished memory for me, having witnessed that historic moment.
I was there in person, serving as a volunteer Protocol Manager for the IOC, managing the VIP area and welcoming officials, athletes, and dignitaries from across the globe.
This distinguished group included Kings and Queens, Heads of State, Crown Princes, Presidents and Prime Ministers. Despite the stress, the exhilaration and excitement of that day – and the two weeks that followed – made it the most remarkable fortnight of my life
A full quarter of a century has elapsed, and numerous changes have occurred, bringing about significant developments in the political, social, and sporting arenas worldwide.
We have witnessed six additional Olympic Games in Athens, Beijing, London, Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo, and Paris, where scenes reminiscent of Sydney have been replicated in various forms and contexts. Sydney Olympics 25th Anniversary
Even as time progresses, the memories of the Sydney Games and my role as an active volunteer continue to illuminate my thoughts, reaching a peak around the 15th of September and enduring for nearly two weeks each year.
Among the many unforgettable moments etched in my memory are Cathy Freeman’s golden sprint, Tatiana Grigorieva’s silver medal pole vault, Ethiopian great Haile Gebrselassie’s triumphant entry into the stadium as he won the 10,000m, and Cameroon’s footballers dancing in traditional style after their victory over Spain in the final.
My role at the main Olympic venue gave me the chance to witness it all – from the opening and closing ceremonies to the athletics events and that football final.
Still, what I remember most are my encounters with prominent figures I would never otherwise have met.
Among the extensive list are American statesman Henry Kissinger, pop icon Kylie Minogue, and fashion mogul Elle Macpherson, and sporting legends such as Muhammad Ali, Greg Norman, Roger Milla of Cameroon, and Kenyan long-distance runner Kip Keino. I also met various royals — King Constantine of Greece, King Carl Gustaf of Sweden, Princess Anne of Britain, Prince Albert of Monaco, Prince Felipe of Spain, and Prince Frederik of Denmark, who often appeared with his Australian girlfriend Mary Donaldson, later his wife. There was also Prince Dipendra of Nepal, who tragically took his own life the following year after killing members of his family. Sydney Olympics 25th Anniversary
A particularly cherished memory from the Games was meeting 20-year-old Chelsea Clinton, who was then representing her father, President Bill Clinton. Now a successful author and health advocate, she struck me with her humility and grounded nature — qualities I hadn’t expected from the daughter of the American President. She spoke with delight about her travels in India earlier that year, her eyes sparkling as she recounted the thrill of encountering Royal Bengal Tigers. Sydney Olympics 25th Anniversary
Speaking of royals, here’s a funny one. One afternoon I bumped into an African gentleman dressed simply in a long white robe. Curious, I asked politely, ‘So, what do you do, sir?’ He smiled and replied, ‘I do nothing – I am the King of Swaziland.’ Mortified at the time, I can’t help but laugh now every time I think about it.
Another unforgettable moment was organising the medal presentation for the Women’s 400m, won by Cathy Freeman. I escorted the IOC and Federation officials to her, introduced them, and briefed her on the protocol. At one point, the gold medal itself rested in my hands – so close, yet so far, from Olympic treasure! Later, when I shared this story with an Indian journalist, he published a feature in one of the nation’s highest-selling dailies (image above). His piece wryly noted that while India hadn’t won a gold at Sydney, at least a person of Indian origin had briefly held one.
Reminiscing these memories gives me the pleasure, pride and sense of a lifetime achievement. I still hear the roars and the cheers from the stadium, visualise myself in the Olympic blazer and tie ushering a VIP or an IOC member to their seats or sorting out the medal presentations, which at times became chaotic as medals of three types – gold, silver and bronze had to be organised for the three teams.
These memories come flooding back each time I return to Sydney Olympic Park, brush the dust off my blazer, or hold the souvenir pins from those days. I relive them in stories told, memoirs written, and in the quiet joy of hearing once more the chant ‘Aussie, Aussie, Aussie – Oi, Oi, Oi.’
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