Ready, Set, Volunteer!

More than three hundred volunteers who will help organise the World Athletics Indoor Championships Kujawy Pomorze 26 took part in a Saturday meeting in Toruń. “There is no major sporting event in the world that can be efficiently delivered without volunteers. We are very pleased that so many willing people — not only from Poland — will help us organise the championships,” says Piotr Całbecki, Marshal of the Kujawy Pomorze Region.

The World Athletics Indoor Championships Kujawy Pomorze 26 will take place on 20–22 March at the Kujawsko-Pomorska Arena Toruń, the largest and best indoor athletics facility in Poland. “There is no other region in the world that has organised such a large number of top-level athletics events, and the World Athletics Indoor Championships are in fact the highest-ranking event we can host in our region. In a sense, we are reaching the ceiling, so it is no surprise that we are making every effort to ensure the event is perfectly organised from the first to the last minute. Volunteers play a major role in this,” emphasizes Krzysztof Wolsztyński, the CEO of the championships.

On Saturday, more than three hundred people from Poland came to Toruń to serve as volunteers, assisting participants in the championships. In total, there will be even more volunteers, as many people from abroad have also signed up. During the Saturday meeting, volunteers had the opportunity to meet those involved in organizing the championships, watch a video message from World Athletics President Sebastian Coe, and take part in substantive training sessions. “The difference between a good games and the great games is the work of the volunteers. They are absolutely essential in delivering sport at virtually every level,” Coe said.

“Among other things, we shared a lot of knowledge about safety at the venue, behavior in crisis situations, as well as rules for publishing photos and posts. There was also a special panel dedicated to pro-environmental attitudes, prepared by representatives of the Brodnica Landscape Park and the Municipal Cleaning Company in Toruń,” adds Wolsztyński.

Undoubtedly, a major experience for the volunteers was meeting Piotr Lisek, one of the ambassadors of the World Athletics Indoor Championships Kujawy Pomorze 26. “From the athletes’ point of view, the help of volunteers is invaluable, and if I tried to count how many times volunteers have saved me at major events, I’d probably run out of fingers. I’m convinced that for these mostly young people it’s a fantastic adventure and a great experience, and for athletes, journalists, and organizers it’s invaluable support,” said Lisek, who was happy to pose for photos with the volunteers. The World Athletics Indoor Championships Kujawy Pomorze 26 will begin on 20 March. Ticket sales are available via the eBilet.pl platform.