So, I volunteered yesterday to help out a Biker dude club –
Coral Coast Riders - who were volunteering their bikes and riders to take
medics, media and technical officials (those who looked for cheats) out on the
Ironman course which stretched from Cairns
to Port Douglas and back again. Those volunteer bikers worked really hard and were knackered –
literally – I saw them all walk back into the volunteer tent after a very long
day on the bike. My job was to sign people and helmets in and out and know
where people were. And then there was Tracey – who was supposed to assist me.
Supposed to. Assist. Interesting words. The thing with Tracey was she was there
to find a man and marry him.
I knew from the first minute I met her, several days before,
she was on a groom hunt. She wasn’t interested in the organizing of the event.
She was interested in the list of riders and who was and wasn’t married. I knew
when she walked into the tent and would not give up the mobile phone we had for
communication with the riders that she was going to catch and tag one of them but
not let go. How to describe Tracey? Desperate, needy and a pain in the arse.
After all the riders had ridden off she decided, despite being a volunteer (we were
wearing a bright yellow t-shirt with VOLUNTEER written on it – a dead giveaway)
that she needed to go and buy shoes. She was gone for hours. When she came back
she rang some of the biker guy numbers because she could. With no response
there, because they were out on the road doing their job, she wandered off again…and again…oh yeah
and again – until the guys started turning up. Then she came back and made a
beeline for them. There ain’t nothing more desperate than a wannabe bride.
In the end, with no takers, Tracey left and I continued on
with the Volunteers in the tent. I have to say that they were amazing, kind, giving
people, with interesting lives and we had long chats in between sign ins and outs. These are the people
that keep events running so others can enjoy them knowing they are safe, looked
after and everything is running to plan. I was surprised at the number of people who stopped into the Volunteer tent to thank us, who handed me flowers
and who came to us just because they were lost and knew someone in yellow would
know.
As for the Bikers? Very skilled, dedicated and passionate
about what they were doing and just great men and women to talk to.
As for Tracey? I don’t hate her. I feel sorry for her. No
man is going to cure all her problems or make her happy.
As for Cairns ?
You done real good.
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