With only four days to go until the opening ceremony for the Olympic Games, everyone is getting ready for the impact it will have on London. However, for Fernanda Veiga mother of two, the impact is on a more personal level. Being one of the thousands of individuals to taking part in the historic opening ceremony, she is not letting the pressure of performing at an extremely important event get to her.
“It’s been wonderful. It’s really important and it’s going to be beautiful.” So how did she get involved in the first place?
“I went online last year because I wanted to register my daughters for the opening ceremony and I realised that at the time they were only taking people aged 16 years and over. So I decided to put my name down and a few weeks later they called me for my first audition.”
The £27 million ceremony is being conducted by award winning film director Danny Boyle, with even a small musical collaboration with Oscar winning composer A.R. Rahman. Although it has been subject to excessive public scrutiny, the event will definitely be one to remember. The theme is based on the William Shakespeare’s play The Tempest, with a tribute to the NHS with real nurses taking part. These are the only clues we have as to what may happen on the night; however, Fernanda is one of the lucky people to know exactly what is going to happen on the night. She says wearily, “I signed a contract, we’re not allowed to say what’s happening because we don’t want to spoil the surprise. We all have a role… let me just say mine involves an instrument.”
Only a select number of people have been inside the stadium and have seen the sheer scale and work that has gone into it. Fernanda believes everyone will definitely be impressed: .
“When we first walked in [to the stadium] for rehearsals we couldn’t believe our eyes, it was so incredible. Especially when we rehearsed, it sounds amazing. We’ve been rubbing shoulders with Danny Boyle, it’s so exciting.”
So does she believe London is going to be properly represented during the celebration?
“London is being represented 100%. People from all backgrounds doing different things for the opening and closing ceremony. Young and old, all races and all backgrounds. The other day I was talking to a doctor!”
It’s easy to see why people taking part in both the opening and closing ceremonies are extremely excited for the event. However, not everyone is sharing the same enthusiasm: in fact according to a short poll we conducted, 65% of the young people who responded were not looking forward to the games. The customer service advisor believes it has to do with people’s negative attitude:
“If people stop moaning for a bit and try to enjoy it a little bit more, they will see that there is a lot to take in. People will to see that there are others willing to do this for free, just to show the world what we’re all about”, she says with pride in her voice, adding: “Knowing that I’m going to be a part of history is the most amazing thing.”
So what will she take away from this incredible experience?
“I don’t know if I will ever be able to say this about anything else in my lifetime, but I can definitely say: “ I was there, at the opening ceremony of the London Olympics 2012!” Whether you are pro Olympics or not , it will be hard to avoid the whole thing. So we say if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em! Watch the Olympic opening ceremony at 9pm sharp on BBC1, this Friday the 27th.
Maria was one of thousands of drummers used in the opening ceremony.
This post was originally featured on YHWORLD.co.uk
Ana Peralta 