Marion Verstraten is one of the enthusiastic volunteers who will make her valuable contribution to the European Para Championships this summer. In this article, Marion shares her motivation for being involved in the event and looks back on her previous experiences at similar sporting events.
Marion emphasizes that her decision to volunteer at the European Para Championships stems from previous experiences. Marion greatly enjoyed her involvement in previous sporting events. She describes the satisfaction that comes with witnessing unique experiences. “One of these experiences took place during the Invictus Games. During a hand archery workshop, I watched a woman shoot arrows using only one hand and her mouth. This was a fantastic experience to see and I watched with great admiration. Also during the European Para Championships I hope to witness such admirable events up close again,” said Marion.
Perseverance in Para sports
The admiration for the Para sports is something Marion expressed frequently. “I appreciate the way athletes practice Para sports in their own way. In particular, the perseverance these athletes have is so great. I feel that this is perhaps even greater in Para sports than in other sports”.
Marion is looking forward to the European Para Championships. Yet she also has a preference for certain sports. “Para Archery and Wheelchair Basketball are high on my list. During the Invictus Games, I got to admire both sports and watched with admiration how tough Wheelchair Basketball was.”
Meeting other volunteers
Marion was also asked if she would recommend others to volunteer at the European Para Championships. Her response was as follows: ”First, this is everyone’s own choice,” Marion said. “But I can say from my own experience that I get an enormous amount of satisfaction and enjoyment out of it. It’s great to know that you can really contribute to the event. Moreover, meeting other volunteers is a great addition. I have gained valuable contacts myself and we even have plans to go away for a weekend later this year with a group of volunteers from a previous event. So if you love sports and have some free time, I would definitely recommend volunteering. It’s an experience you don’t want to miss!”
We are looking for volunteers to help us organise the greatest event possible! Click here to go straight to volunteer sign-up. Thanks in advance and we’d love to see you in August!
