PARIS, France — A group of long-time friends from Minnesota have spent the last two weeks in Paris, alternating between typical American tourists and Olympic volunteers.
"We are generally assigned to the Team USA Hospitality House," said Anita Steckling, who traveled to Paris from her home in Carver, Minn. "We have a total of eight volunteer shifts, which last from about 11 a.m. to 6 p.m."
Steckling isn't doing it alone. She made the trip with her good friends Linda Vanderwerf, of Shakopee, and Jenni Duerkop, of Chanhassen.
When not working, they don't get into events for free.
"We pay for everything. They do feed you when you work, so you do get a meal. Otherwise we pay for it all but that's part of the deal. We call it vacation volunteering," Steckling said.
They also call it a volun-cation — the best of both worlds.
Steckling and Vanderwerf definitely knew what they were signing up for. The two also served as a volunteers for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
"I had heard from my sister that you can do this and I'm like, 'Wait a minute, I can't go by myself,'" Steckling said.
Fortunately, Vanderwerf put aside her concerns and went along on the adventure.
"I initially laughed at her because I thought a girl from Hutchinson, Minnesota is never going to get to the Olympics," Vanderwerf said. "Was I scared? Yes. But I actually spent six weeks in Rio as a volunteer and it was the best thing that could have happened to me."
The two loved the experience so much that they also volunteered at the 2018 Super Bowl in Minneapolis and welcomed Duerkop to join them.
"For me, it started with Minnesota and we've gone to seven different Super Bowls throughout the years. We travel so well together," Duerkop said. "We also went to Munich two years ago for the European Athletics Championships and then last year we went to Chile for the Pan Am Games."
The coolest thing that she has done so far...
"I was just escorting a lot of the VIPS from the Olympics entrance gate up to get their credentials. Flavor Flav was there. Lebron James came through. We saw Wanda Sykes. Shaun White was in the building," Duerkop said.
"Here in Paris I spent two days guarding the torch. Two days," Vanderwerf said. "That was pretty fantastic, yelling at people to tell them not to touch the torch because that's like forbidden to touch it."
Amid all the laughs, selfies and life-long memories, the friends say their volunteering has also provided a priceless life lesson.
"Never be afraid to say yes to something scary because what scares you will change you and change others for the better," Vanderwerf said.