Yes I know it's a while back now but am just now getting thoughts back together again!
I'll keep it brief :)
After the small matter of applying metallic gold body paint to every surface of our bodies (seriously, the only parts not covered were beneath underwear and that's it!) - a mere 3 hours in the make-up artists' workroom - it was off and out into the parade marshalling area for some dedicated pre-parade fun!
Or so we thought...
Apparently the gold paint, even sealed as it was by half a can of hairspray each (check out that carbon footprint!), was not to be touched by mere mortals. God-like we were whisked through the thronging marshalling area crowd - awash with colour, clamour, cleavage and costumery - but not allowed to touch another living or inanimate thing. Tough work when our shimmery forms were so appealing to the many photo-taking revellers that really make pre-parade so much fun normally!
So, left near our chariot (a converted table-top truck with wooden panelling and paintings of horses - really quite good actually!) we were to remain aloof from those who would come and look with their hands rather than their eyes. Yes we've all done that before.
The music pumped and the parade-goers partied to the warm-up routines of the different floats jammed into a Sydney backstreet near the parade start. So much fun to be had! It really is one of the best parts of being in the parade - soaking up all the atmosphere beforehand, with a few thousand others who have all dieted, worked out, sewed and body painted their way to fabulousness!
After another 3 hours of standing in costume (and working out every available move I could muster with my gilded 'discus') it was time to rev up the road onto the parade route. To the adulation of tens of thousands of spectators, we mounted our chariot and bunny-hopped onwards. We four golden Olympians (discus, javelin, bow and arrow and torch-bearer) stood toward the head of the massive Team Sydney float and attempted to do them honour with our masterful gesticulation with spray-painted replicas. What fun!! Look, suffice to say there's only SO many ways someone who's thrown maybe 2 discii in their life, can pretend to throw two taped-together plastic dinner plates - but you get my drift.
The crowd roared and cheered, the music swelled and the road to the finish line seemed to take a millennium. Amidst calls, whistles, shouts, the flurry of Team Sydney choreography around us - it was a sea of sights and sounds. What a rush being amongst it all, the attention of it all!! Cameras flashed, we lurched on and the night reached its crescendo as we passed Taylor Square - all hot and dripping with gold sweat!
I won't go into detail about the aftermath once we reached parade end, nor the aching feet or the gold paint in eyes - the elation of the evening was more than enough to keep me going for hours to come :)
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