Embodying the spirit of the Games

With regard to volunteer etiquette, Jiang created a checklist that outlines the necessary requirements, from hair to clothing, asking questions such as: "Do I look neat and tidy? Do I look sleepy or tired? Did I bring my work clothes (the volunteer's blue vest) and my ID card?"

"We were also trained on posture, gestures, English and most importantly, to always wear a smile," Jiang adds.

"A professional volunteer should display all-around talent and accumulate techniques as they build on their experience," she says.

Beside the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, she served as a volunteer at the China International Fair for Trade in Services in 2021 and 2022, which also took place at the Shougang park, and she took hundreds of pictures for tourists.

"So you may also call me a photographer," Jiang says, laughing.

As a member of Beijing Charity Volunteer Federation, she organizes trips to visit the elderly and orphans, as well as being trained and certified in first aid by the Red Cross Society. She has also improved her English and served as a volunteer guide when diplomats visited the Shougang Park.

Jiang recalls her fondest memories while serving for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

"Months of high-intensity work had been a challenge for all of us volunteers. I didn't know that they secretly ordered a cake, and then threw me a surprise party on my birthday!" says Jiang.

"People say volunteering is about giving, but I've gained a lot, too, through being a volunteer — the honor and the praise, the growing personal capability and the sense of community among our Shougang Group Winter Olympics Youth Service Team," she says. "I was so moved. The volunteering experience made it the most special and unforgettable New Year period in my life."