Sport
Helen’s Olympic record
If there were national rankings for athletics super-fans, the name Helen Isaacs would surely be high up on the list.
August 27, 2019 09:39
If there were national rankings for athletics super-fans, the name Helen Isaacs would surely be high up on the list.
August 27, 2019 09:39Not only is Helen a busy sports volunteer, but she has been to every Olympic Games since Barcelona in 1992.
“I always liked athletics at school and competed in the throws in borough events, but it wasn’t really the start of it,” said Helen, originally from North-West London and a
member of Stanmore Liberal Synagogue before moving to Watford.
“My mum and dad loved watching the Olympics and the image of Mary Peters winning the pentathlon in 1972 stayed with me for a long time.”
Helen, 56, was working as a retail merchandiser in 1991 when a chance conversation with a colleague about athletics eventually resulted in the two taking a road trip to Barcelona and the pattern was set. So when London was awarded the Olympics, naturally Helen wanted to be involved.
She juggled rehearsals for the opening and closing ceremonies with a six-month stint as a Games Maker, working in uniform distribution.
“It was the longest voluntary role,“ said Helen, “but we set the tone for the Games. We did all we could to create a great experience for everyone.”
Over the past year, Helen has taken her volunteering to another level, qualifying as a field judge for the Shaftesbury Harriers.
“I was about to take early retirement after 33 years in retail and I was looking for opportunities to do more in athletics than be a spectator,” she said.
“I knew the club, but it had never occurred to me to officiate for them, until someone suggested it. I did my first meeting within a couple of weeks, and I absolutely loved it.”
She decided to specialise in field judging as she was already familiar with the javelin, shot and discus from her school days.
“With officiating, I enjoy the variety of roles you get with each of the jumps and throws and it’s exciting to know that I could be witnessing the next Daley Thompson or Jessica Ennis. I feel privileged to work closely with athletes of all ages competing and performing at their very best. By the end of this season, I will have my next field
qualification and I see myself continuing in athletics for a long time.”
It has been a while since Helen last took part in athletics as a competitor, but she is a keen open water swimmer and also holds a teaching assistant qualification for swimming. As the outdoor athletics season draws to a close, she is looking forward to volunteering at next month’s Para swimming championships, an event hastily moved to London after the original hosts, Malaysia, refused to allow the Israeli team to compete.
Also high on Helen’s agenda is, of course, her trip to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which she is currently planning with the same retail colleague who has accompanied her to the last seven Olympic Games, Arit Anderson, now a presenter on the BBC’s Gardener’s World.
Helen has also volunteered for many other sports events such as the Canoe Slalom World Cup and the Cricket World Cup. She said: “Without my experience at London 2012 and the network it created, I wouldn’t have found out about all the other volunteering opportunities. That’s the legacy of the Olympics.”