When you are a volunteer at a huge sporting event such as the European Universities Games Zagreb-Rijeka 2016, you get to meet a lot of new people from every corner of the world. It is really interesting to encounter so many different individuals and share with them some of the unforgettable memories in your life. One such volunteers is Vlada, a girl from Ukraine who has developed a special attitude towards Georgia and the Georgian people.
After talking to her, she mentioned that she had desired to visit Georgia for a very long time.
‘I wanted to go to Georgia. That’s why I chose it as my destination during the AISEC program. Of course I had formed some expectations about this country prior to my trip. However, I could never imagine that my experiences there would be so engrossing. The people I met, the places I visited, the individuals I worked with, everyone and everything attracted me. All the people were extremely welcoming, hospitable and friendly. I felt like Georgian people were very precious to me because I felt emotionally close to them’, said Vlada.
During her first visit to Georgia, Vlada spent a total of six weeks teaching Russian to Georgians. After that, she decided to try volunteering as well. She applied for the European Universities Games 2016 volunteer position and came to Zagreb.
‘I never expected that there would be Georgian athletes at the European Universities Games 2016. However, as soon as I saw the huge banner with the names of all participating universities, I was really excited to find out that two Georgian Universities would arrive to Zagreb. After the Georgian rugby team arrived to Zagreb, I wished to meet them very much. One day, I was standing near the restaurant when I saw them; and I said hello in Georgian. They instantly asked me where I was from, what I was doing in Zagreb, etc. I was not surprised with their friendly reaction because Georgians are really welcoming people’
After the rugby team left Zagreb, the Georgian futsal team arrived, and Vlada became their team attaché.
‘Everybody here knows that I love Georgia. One of my friends, who is also a volunteer here, heard that the Georgian futsal athletes needed a team attaché. She instantly said that she knew a person who would suit perfectly this position. That’s how I became the team attaché of Georgian athletes. When I heard this news, I was really happy and excited’
Vlada is determined to be a reliable team attaché for the Georgians. She also plans to visit Georgia once again with another project in autumn.
