Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Internship Highlights

A few weeks ago I finished my internship with the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (GC2018). For those considering applying, do it. Whether you think you’ll get it or not, just try because you never know!

As soon as I realised Griffith would be the main partner for this event, I was extremely excited and I had my heart set on an internship. I applied a few times for a position with them, even before I had arrived in Australia.

I was persistent, and I finally got the call for an interview, and a couple of days after that interview, I found out I would be starting the upcoming Monday as a Communications and Engagement Intern. Though all disciplines under GOLDOC (Gold Coast 2018 Games Corporation) are great, I definitely lucked in with the team I worked with.

I got my hands on so many different things with this internship, I’ll share with you some of the highlights.

 

MEETING NALA

Borobi the mascot is such an A-list koala he’s often very busy. He wasn’t able to attend a certain event, so instead Nala got to make her appearance. By this point, I had been living in Australia for a few months and I still hadn’t seen a koala, so you can imagine how anxious I was when I overheard I would be meeting a koala for the first time. I’m pretty emotional, and I’m known to let my emotions show easily, a.k.a. I was really trying to not be “the crying intern”. This was extremely exciting for a Canadian!

 

AQUATIC CENTRE TOUR

During the same week of meeting Nala, I was able to join in on a tour of the Aquatic Centre. Both events happened because of ‘CoComm’, which is when the board members of the Commonwealth Games Federation came to the Gold Coast to see how everything was going. I got the rundown of where ten thousand seats and a big screen are going to be added around the lanes for Games time. I was also able to get a bigger picture of where the diving competitions are going to take place, and to see where three thousand more seats are going to be added in the diving side of the facility. The swimming events will all be looking over the Broadwater as well. It will be such a beautiful spot for some competition!

 

ATOS & TICKETEK ANNOUNCEMENT 

These were both sponsor announcements, for ticketing and for the tech software behind this event. Both play a big role as you can imagine, so it was really neat to see the work go into the announcements, and how a big media event plays through. Live scores and results happen fast, so how crazy is it that (pardon my lack of tech terms) the results get sent all the way to Perth where the software’s “home base” is, and back to the Gold Coast all within what, under half a second? Today’s technology is absolutely mind-blowing.

 

RON CLARKE ANNOUNCEMENT

I was able to be there for the naming of the GOLDOC headquarters building. It’s now The Ron Clarke building, honouring the Australian running legend and 17-time world record holder.

 

THE MODERN NEWSROOM

I was in the right place at the right time for this one. I was invited to sit in on a little presentation just for the communications team, from industry professional Simon Holt. He’s the Editor in Chief at the Brisbane Times. He chatted to us about his new book 101 Ways to Connect with Modern Newsrooms. That day I walked away with some great insight.

 

THE QUEEN’S MESSAGE

The Queen’s Baton Relay happens as a lead-up to the Games official start. A baton gets carried through all Commonwealth countries and is carried in to the opening ceremony. At the beginning of the the relay, her Majesty the Queen places a message into the baton, and she reads her message to the athletes at the opening ceremony, which officially declares the Games open. I was able to start the very first draft of this message, which is simply just SO cool.

 

AMBASSADOR LAUNCH

The announcement of the first ambassador happened on my very last day; what a great way to finish. On the day of the event I helped out by distributing GC2018 ball caps and Australian flags to all of the kids participating in the launch. They cheered nice and loud as Sally Pearson, the first ambassador for the Games, walked up from the beach. Though I never competed at her level, growing up as an athlete myself, it was great to hear her talk about how excited she is to compete in her own town as an ambassador for this event. Seeing all of the hard work for such a big launch from all involved was a great way to wrap everything together, on how an event like this works in the industry.

Like mentioned above, if you’re thinking of applying, test your chance! Clear aside some time and put some thought into your application. They will notice your efforts; taking a little time out of your day could land you a great opportunity. If you’re successful, remember to soak everything in and don’t be afraid to ask questions. It’s an experience most don’t get, so take advantage of it. It’s well worth it, and I am both so proud and grateful I was able to be a part of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games!

 

– Emily