In May last year, Zhang Yan joined the Executive Commission of the 7th CISM World Games and was assigned to the competition department. Recently, she laughed and said in an interview with reporters: in one year, she has changed from a sports “novice” to an expert of competition who can freely talk about anything about the Games to others once it is referred, “I really feel that I become a part of 7th CISM World Games.”
She ended her assignment without more ado after receiving the call.
Zhang Yan, 35 years old, worked at the School of International Education in Jianghan University (JHUN), being responsible for general affairs. Due to her outstanding performance, she was selected by the School in February last year to study abroad for four months. Unexpectedly, after just two months of study, her life was completely altered by a phone call.
Zhang Yan said: “One day at the end of April, the leader called me and said that there was a task for me, namely, joining in the Executive Committee of the World Military Games.” Zhang Yan immediately agreed before the leader went on. On the same day, she ended the study course and took a late flight to rush back to Wuhan.
Zhang Yan said frankly that she was a completely “layman” to sports. Together with all the newly recruited colleagues, she was assigned to various positions after a week of short training. “I thought I would definitely be assigned to a position related to colleges and universities, just being responsible for volunteers, activities, etc. But God knows that how did they assign me to the competition department.”
Zhang Yan didn’t know that bigger challenges were coming one after another. When she participated in the internal meeting of the competition department for the first time, the leader handed over the drafting of the overall plan of competitions for the 7th CISM World Games to her and another colleague. “In order to live up to this trust, I sorted out and studied within a week the relevant materials of various large-scale international comprehensive competitions undertaken so far in China. With the help of the seniors, after two weeks of repeated deliberation, we completed the first draft of the overall plan.”
Great responsibility requires me to have “no errors and no mistakes”
Zhang Yan recalled that at that time, there were not enough in our department. So, one person often had to undertake the jobs used to be shared by many people. She alone had been in charge of 6 positions as the competition planning staff, the publicity agent of the party branch, the information liaison between departments, etc.
Under such huge pressure, Zhang Yan began to feel how significant the responsibility of the competitions is: “This requires me to make no errors and no mistakes. I can hardly remember how many reports were written, how many times the texts were revised, how many times the materials were submitted, and how much information was communicated.”
After doing so many things, are you tired? Zhang Yan said frankly: “A little bit, but the 7th CISM World Games is the most important international event in Wuhan for recent years. This is such an honor that must be done well, and it is worthwhile no matter how hard and tired.”
At the end of last year, Zhang Yan was appraised by the Executive Commission of the 7th World Games as the Outstanding Individual who well performed the duties and strived to catch up with. She said in the summing-up meeting with pride: “The sky leaves no trail of mine, but I have already flown by.”
A colleague familiar with Zhang Yan said with a smile that as long as you heard the random little steps of the high heels at the corridor, you would know that it’s Zhang Yan who was rushing to submit the materials.
In less than a year, Zhang Yan experienced the change from whom watch the fun to whom learn the ropes. Today, whether at home or at a friend’s party, Zhang Yan always cannot help telling to others about the honor of participating in the 7th CISM World Games. “I like this atmosphere. In 2018, my colleagues from the competition department and I will continue our job. With the ‘Olympic standards, soldiers’ style, and craftsmanship’, I will do my best to prepare for the competitions for the 7th World Games in order to obtain the ‘first class of competition organization and the first class of competition results’. Just do whatever you need to do without any questions.”
