Find out more about Carola here ......
Hi everyone,
I’m Carola, I’m Italian, I’m 29 years old and I work in Tokyo as the Eventing Coordinator for the 2020 Olympic Games.
Sorry if the previous sentence is very similar to an introduction for an AA meeting, but I’m not very good at talking about myself (not a great start for a personal blog!)
Anyway, I will try my best to entertain you every now and then and make you feel part of the preparation for next year’s Olympics and Paralympics while providing you some insights about living in Tokyo!
Everyone should know why I’m here doing what I’m doing. The explanation is pretty simple; I’m very lucky and not very patient.
I consider myself a very lucky person as I had some amazing opportunities in my life and one of these was meeting Alec Lochore, Event Organiser extraordinaire, at Blair Castle in 2017. He was, and still is, the Event Director there and he basically taught me everything I know.
The first time I met Alec at Blair in 2018, he was in the process of being appointed as the Eventing Competition Manager for Tokyo 2020 and, as patience is not one of my biggest qualities, I basically started asking him to have me as his assistant for the Olympics.
Just so you know, one of my biggest qualities is persistence, and this time it really paid off. In January 2019 the interviewing process started and in May I received my Visa that allowed me to move to Japan.
I arrived in Tokyo on the 6th June 2020, during the first week of the rainy season and just two months before the Test Event, meaning the level of humidity was proportional to the amount of work we had to do.
Being the only non-Japanese person (or gaijin as Japanese call foreigners) in the team is still a pretty weird feeling and I’m now getting used at being completely lost in translation without resembling Scarlett Johansson at all.
The office is on Harumi island, just 1km away from the Olympic Village and we have some amazing views to enjoy during a working day
The view from the office.
Various sports and departments share the same floor, but our table is easily recognisable thanks to Tokyoberry!
The Equestrian sports will have two venues; Equestrian Park for Dressage, Eventing dressage and jumping, Jumping and Para-Dressage and Sea Forestwhere the Cross-country Course for Eventing is located
The Equestrian Park is in a very quiet residential area in Tokyo, very close to Shibuya, a major fashion centre and nightlife area and it will be an incredible legacy project for Japan as the venue, used for the 1964 Olympics, was completely renewed and it is amazing!
Sea Forest is on an island in Tokyo Bay and the views are just incredible with Tokyo Bay on one side, the Rowing and Canoe venue on the other side and you can see Mount Fuji when the sky is clear. The island will be transformed in a public park after the Olympics.
Tokyo Bay from Sea Forest (above) and Mount Fuji from Sea Forest (below)
I’ve never lived in a big city and when I was working at Blair CastleI lived on the Estate where the only encounters were with pheasants and deer. By comparison, Tokyo has more than 13 million inhabitants and you can really feel that when taking the subway or crossing the road or walking around the city.
After six months in Tokyo, I’m going back home for the holidays and it is an understatement to say that I’m really forward to it! Some quality time with family and friends is definitely what I need to be back recharged in January, because there is not long to go ….
Sayonara!
さよなら!
カロラ
Carola
The countdown to the Olympic and Paralympic Games is on .....
