Finning Employee Goes Olympic
February 5, 2010
You could say Gord McDougall has been working on the Vancouver Olympics since 2007. That’s when the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) first opened the volunteer registration process.
Gord, Finning’s corporate equipment remarketing manager and an accredited senior alpine ski race official, had his sights set on volunteering at the alpine events. He’s certainly well-qualified: Gord has completed several instructional courses and worked races at various competitive levels to gain the knowledge and experience necessary to get his accreditation.
His participation in the Vancouver Olympics was made official last summer, when he received his acceptance letter in the mail.
Gord will be Crew Chief for the ladies alpine tracks, leading a group of 12 fellow volunteers from across North America. They’ll be part of a group of 400 preparing the courses, looking at everything from safety to snow preparation to rules. Before the ladies’ alpine event, his team will help prepare the tracks. During the event, they’ll make sure the track is in good condition. The days will begin at 5:30 a.m. and end at 5:00 p.m.
A ski racer in his teens, Gord was re-involved when his son became interested in the sport. “I found that participating with the preparation and running of the races was as much fun as having my son racing,” he said of his path to training to be a race official. “Kids’ racing is a great way to give back to the community and have a hobby that keeps me active.”
Gord’s Olympic term is from Feb. 7-27, which might be a long stretch of 11.5-hour days, but he notes his shift is shorter than some. “Several volunteers began working in mid-January,” he said.