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Weirdest Jobs at the Olympics You Didn’t Know Existed

Olympics Day 7 - Athletics

Weirdest Jobs at the Olympics You Didn’t Know Existed

Whenever the Olympics takes place, thousands of jobs are created. Folks who were previously unemployed finally snag opportunities that they’ve been waiting for with the help of the hype surrounding the Olympics. For the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, it’s been estimated that 150,000 jobs were created to flawlessly bring the event together. Some of these jobs are totally organizational while others are more tourism based. Regardless of what kind of job a person is looking for, there’s a chance they’ll be able to land a position with a healthy paycheck connected to the Olympics if they’re truly dedicated to making that happen.

Interestingly enough, some jobs are weirder than others. People who truly desire to earn money to take care of themselves and their loved ones will generally agree to take on job titles, regardless of how bizarre they might sound on the surface. One example of an odd job at the Olympics is the person in charge of holding cyclists up before they’re about to start their races. Another example is the tennis towel runner who’s in charge of making sure there are always fresh towels on deck at any given moment. Another more hilarious Olympic jobs that exist today is the lifeguard on duty during dives and swim races.

Of course, a lifeguard would definitely come in handy in certain instances like an underwater heart attack, but for the most part, Olympian swimmers know exactly what they’re doing in an Olympic-sized pool. Ultimately, the world knows exactly why Olympians snag their coveted positions in the Olympics. They’re talented enough enough to compete at such a high level. Their athleticism and determination is why they’ll all go down in history.

But, what about all the average employees who bring the Olympic games together behind the scenes by making sure the event is pulled off like a well-oiled machine? These are some of the strangest and most unexpected job titles a person can land for themself if they want to be connected to the Olympic games without actually participating as an athlete. While we’re on the topic of the Olympics, click here to find out more about the biggest wins in summer Olympic history.

To uncover the weirdest jobs at the Olympics you’ve probably never heard of, 24/7 consulted several job-related sources, including Olympics.com.

Cyclist holders

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Cyclist holders are necessary at the start of a race.

The cyclist holders at the Olympics have a job that’s pretty self-explanatory based on the title. Still, seeing them in action is a little awkward and bizarre. When an Olympic cyclist is ready to take off on their race, they need to be properly held up by a worker who stands behind them in a way that doesn’t impede the bicycle wheels in any way.

Every cyclist must start in what’s called “pole position” in order to get going at a fast pace. If they were forced to start by balancing with one foot on the ground, it would certainly slow down their starting times. The cyclist holder who stands behind them makes a difference when it comes to how rapidly each cyclist can zoom off when the moment comes.

Tennis towel runners

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Tennis towel runners are so crucial at the Olympics.

The entire purpose of a tennis towel runner is to make sure tennis players don’t have sweat dripping down their faces while competing in the Olympics. Sweat can be super pesky and annoying, especially when it drips in your eyes. As an athlete, if you’re playing a sport like tennis at an Olympic level, the last thing you’d want to deal with is a sweat drops landing in your eyes.

That type of inconvenience would undoubtedly cause some major discomfort. Tennis runners must sprint back-and-forth to swap out sweaty towels for fresh towels after every use. That being said, tennis towel runners should be in decent shape to pull this job off successfully.

Manifestation coaches

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Manifestation coaches can be game-changers.

Some Olympians tap into the power of manifestation to achieve their goals. When using manifestation, actions like repeating positive affirmations, journaling out their dream outcomes, and visualizing their bright futures are smart things to do. Some Olympians lean on help from manifestation coaches to help them achieve their greatest aspirations.

Silver medalist Nicola Olyslagers revealed that she got help from her personal coach, Matt Horsell, regarding manifestation when she was ready to compete. Horsell guided her through the process of journaling her hopes and desires so that she could use her emotional energy to manifest an Olympic win.

Lifeguards

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Lifeguards are still needed at the Olympics, even though the athletes are skilled.

As previously mentioned, it might seem that lifeguards are totally unnecessary at the Olympics. That’s because Olympic swimmers are highly skilled and trained in their craft. Olympic swimmers have been swimming laps for years by the time they’re talented enough to participate in the Olympics.

Still, lifeguards are hired and placed around Olympic-sized pools to make sure all swimmers are completely safe. In the case of an emergency like a heart attack, stroke, or something of that nature, it makes all the sense in the world to have a lifeguard on duty who’d be able to jump in and rescue the person in need.

Sweat moppers

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Sweat moppers are necessary at the Olympics.

There are special folks hired at the Olympics with one specific job in mind: To mop up all the sweat puddles. When Olympians are in the middle of participating in their respective games, there’s no doubt that they’ll get a bit hot with rising body temperatures and adrenaline rushes.

Everyone’s natural body response to heat is to start dripping sweat, which means sweat puddles on the floor at the Olympics is totally unavoidable. It becomes a serious problem if sweat puddles stay in place and turns into risky slip zones. Sweat moppers make sure no one will accidentally slip and fall by dragging their widespread mops along the floors whenever they can.

Condom deliverers

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Condom deliverers are on staff at the Olympics.

It might not sound realistic that there are condom deliverers all over the place at the Olympics, but it’s actually true. Staff members at the Olympic games are known to hand out condoms to Olympians as a way of encouraging them to practice safe sex. When Olympians travel to different countries to participate in their respective sports, they cross paths with a variety of different people who catch their attention.

In the heat of the moment, anything can happen. Unfortunately, unprotected sex doesn’t often come without consequences in the real world. Unprotected sex can lead to the spread of diseases or unplanned pregnancies. Condom deliverers on staff at the Olympics are solely there to keep those undesirable outcomes from becoming a reality.

Stuff luggers

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It’s essential for a special person to carry an Olympian’s belongings.

Who’s in charge of carrying stuff around for athletes when they are participating in their games? The athletes themselves are busy focused on winning. Their coaches are busy focused on guiding them to gold. Their family members and friends are busy rooting them on. That being said, stuff luggers come in handy with making sure all the belongings of an Olympian stays safe.

This includes their phones, their jackets, their keys, handwritten notes with motivational messages, and anything else they might be holding onto. Some Olympians who wear contact lenses carry contact solution with them in case their contacts start to get dry. A typical stuff lugger would be in charge of holding onto that as well.

Velodrome cleaners

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Velodrome cleaners are needed at the Olympics.

The Velodrome is the arena used for track cycling at the Olympics. The massive dome is nearly impossible to miss based on its eye-opening shape and size. It doesn’t stay perfectly clean at all hours of the day, though. There are folks in charge of making sure it’s sparkling before crowds start gathering.

Velodrome cleaners have somewhat of a risky job because they have to climb super tall ladders to make sure all inches of the arena are perfectly presentable. Velodrome are made of concrete, synthetic material, and timber. Velodrome cleaners need to know exactly what products can be safely used on each different surface as they’re getting their job done.

Earring divers

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Earring divers find missing items often.

Earring divers are available on staff at the Olympics to dive into Olympic-sized pools and track down any lost earrings or other pieces of jewelry. They might be most well-known for finding pieces of jewelry, but also capable of finding anything and everything that might fall to the bottom of an Olympic-sizedd pool. Plenty of Olympic swimmers would rather take off all their jewelry before diving in a pool, but there are some who insist on wearing their wedding rings or a lucky pair of earrings to ensure their win.

Other items earring divers might find include dead bugs, Band-Aids, small pieces of garbage, leaves, and more. Anything that’s fallen into the bottom of an Olympic pool can serve as a distraction to swimmers, and that’s the last thing professional swimmers need to deal with when they’re in the middle of racing each other for gold medals.

Arrow people

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Arrow people are the “backbone” of the events.

If you come across an arrow person at the Olympics, just know that they’re there for good reason. An arrow person is someone who helps guide you in the right direction to make sure you don’t get lost at the Olympic events. One of the worst things that could happen while traveling to watch the Olympics is getting lost and losing the chance to lay eyes on your favorite event.

Fortunately, arrow people make sure guests know exactly where to be and when to be there. Some might even call people the “backbone” of the Olympics since they are so superb at keeping everything in line and in order. Arrow people might be dressed up in a way that makes onlookers want to laugh at them, but the seriousness of their role isn’t anything to deny or argue about.

Instagram caption writers

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Instagram caption writers are necessary for creating excitement.

A quick scroll through the official Olympics Instagram page proves that their social media team knows how to get people riled up, engaged, and excited. Someone from their social media team was hired as an Instagram caption writer to make sure that folks are well informed about everything that’s about to go down at the Olympic games in 2024.

The caption writer uses language that keeps readers pulled in along with that help the Instagram posts go viral. In this modern era, it’s difficult for any post to make it very far without the right number of hashtags added to the caption. This type of job only works for someone who is witty and aware when it comes to social media and content creation.

Olympic groomers

Close up of african hands of a qualified manicurist filing the nails of a young woman. Hands during manicure care session. Detail of a girl in a nail salon receiving manicure.
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Olympic groomers are important for confidence reasons.

An official salon has been built in honor of the Olympic games, which means there are groomers on staff to keep Olympians feeling good about their appearances. It’s called the Beauty & Grooming Salon, and it’s full of workers who know what they’re doing when it comes to hair care, facial beauty, nail treatments, and more.

Olympic groomers must know how to style Olympians’ hair in the right ways, and they also have to know how to complete flawless nail appointments. If an Olympian comes in asking for white gel tip nails, for example, Olympic groomers have to understand exactly what that means to get the job done.

Uniform fitters

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Uniform fitters are also known as stylists.

Uniform fitters are hired to make sure every Olympian is properly styled for their events. Every athlete enters fitting rooms where they find their opening ceremony outfits laid out for them by stylists. The opening ceremony outfits have all been designed by Ralph Lauren, and that includes their shoes. The uniform fitter, also known as Olympic stylists, sticks around to help the athletes figure out how exactly they’re supposed to put their uniform on.

They help Olympians properly tie their knots, correctly lace their shoes, and more. Confidence is crucial when it comes to competition. The way you look has an impact on the way you feel for athletes who are about to compete in front of millions of people. For this reason, uniform fitters are actually super important, even though many people might overlook this job title or find it weird.

Water testers

PFAS Contamination - Alertness about dangerous PFAS per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances into the sea waters - They are now everywhere, so much so that they have even been found in marine aerosol
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Water testers are important at the Olympics.

How clean and safe is the water that Olympians are going to drink while competing in the Olympic games? This is a question only official water testers can answer. In Paris last year, some swimming events were forced to be canceled based on low water quality. It was all due to wild rainstorms that led to a massive inflow of sewage.

For the Olympics, water testers must stay on top of things to make sure that all water being used in the Olympic games is completely safe. If the water is loaded with bacteria, that will pose a huge problem. Official water testers know exactly what they’re looking for in terms of safety numbers based on their protocols.

Ball retrievers

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Ball retrievers are crucial at the Olympics.

There are several different Olympic sports that include balls. Volleyball, water polo, lacrosse, and tennis are just a few of them. Olympians can’t be expected to run after every single ball that they hit when they’re in the middle of playing. They have to keep their energy up for competition, which means tracking down stray balls isn’t a worthy use of their time. That being said, ball retrievers are crucial, even though their job title might sound a little weird.

Ball retrievers are in charge of running after stray balls and replacing them with brand new ones when the time calls for it. They’re also supposed to wipe down balls that have already been used to put them back into rotation for the game at a later moment. We’ve covered some of the weirdest jobs that people can land at the Olympics, but there’s still a lot to uncover about this massively significant sporting event that goes down every four years. Click here for details on the greatest comeback stories in summer Olympics history.

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