Our Last Full Day in Gib - July 12


Today marks our last full day in Gibraltar as the NatWest International Island Games come to a close. We all had a long and exciting day yesterday working at the final cycling event, which means today we got to sit back, relax and enjoy everything else Gibraltar has to offer. Luckily, the weather was perfect again, so a few of us revisited Sandy Bay to go swimming, play spike ball, and paddle board one more time with our friendly instructors, Tom and Jimmy. After the beach we walked around to find other events still going on like Basketball and even Shooting. There was a lot of excitement around the basketball game since it was the finals. There is so much spirit here in Gibraltar which makes every event that much more fun. I was shocked at how easy we were all able to make friends here in a foreign country, even having a language barrier at times. It just shows how welcoming and polite the people in Gibraltar are. Each island competing in the Games are able to compete at a high level but still have fun, which creates such a great atmosphere here. This was even apparent during our work at the cycling events when after each race, competitors would be shaking hands and laughing. 
Finally, the group attended the Closing Ceremonies which took place near the Lighthouse at the tip of the peninsula. There we met more athletes, coaches, officials, and other marshals to celebrate the success of the Games and the hard work of everyone involved. It was a great place to reflect on our time here volunteering and learning. I got some great inside knowledge on the ins and outs of putting on an international sporting event. There are so many moving parts and each one is vital to running a smooth show. It has been amazing being able to build relationships with the people that make that happen and get advice on how to also be in that position one day. 
Thinking about leaving Gibraltar tomorrow makes us all a little sad knowing how much fun we have had so far and how much closer we were all able to become along the way. Everyone including marshals and athletes made us feel so welcome here this week that it makes it that much harder to say goodbye. We might have just been volunteers to some people, but the Gamemakers showed us how important we were in keeping athletes safe during races and ensuring things were going as planned. This experience was amazing, making unforgettable memories and finding new friends as well. We have had our fun in Gibraltar, but now it is time for one more night in London then head home!

- Grace 




-Grace 

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