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Training Day #2

Our final day of training included an overview of the Paralympic sports, basic safety, and gender equality.

The short videos and explanation of each sport got everyone excited. However, tickets may be very tricky to come by. The POCOG goal to sell 80% of the total available tickets has been exceeded by 130%; they've sold 275,000 so far. Tickets can be found, but Alpine and Biathlon have both sold out. As have Korean and USA ice hockey and curling matches.

The basic safety training was interesting only in that it was led by an individual who didn't speak English well. There were also a few phrases that got lost in translation in the volunteer guide. For example: "After checking the vehicle stopped, go where the vehicle is moving." What was meant, is that it can be hard for a car to stop without sliding in wintry conditions, so make sure the car has come to a complete stop before proceeding. I was also surprised when they attempted CPR basics in less than 10 minutes.

The discussion on gender equality was interesting in that it didn't just focus on income disparity, but also gender roles. For example: London 2012 was the first to have all-male medal assistant teams to carry medals and flowers at medal ceremonies. POCOG has also established help and report lines regarding sexual violence. They emphasized not being a bystander, but be proactive in reporting incidents.

Training Day 2

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