Every two years hundreds of volunteer gather to help that the event is organized professionally and by highest standards. Out of them, hundreds come from other countries and some of them keep returning. Today we present you real veterans, for some of them EUG 2018 is their third or fourth competition.

Anna Edes and Eszter Gulyas are here for their fourth time. Since Cordoba they were in Rotterdam, Zagreb-Rijeka and now in Coimbra. For them EUG became part of life.

„I heard in my University that there is an opportunity to volunteer in Cordoba. It was something new to me and I was not that involved in University sport before. So many people all around Europe made the experience amazing and I choosed to apply for Rotterdam as well. Because I wanted to get more involved, I took the opportunity to be a part of EUSA Office doing my EVS internship. After I became part of student commission.“ Says the chair of student commission Anna Edes.

„For me first EUG was a challenge, a first plane ride, first volunteer experience abroad, but it became the part of my life. The experience was different from what I experienced in the past. Although now I have a job I still try to be a part of this once in a lifetime experience.“ – Adds her Hungarian colleague Eszter Gulyas.

Niels Nurnberger, Fanni Dezsenyi and Anxhela Halilaj are „two years younger“ because their first EUSA experience was in Rotterdam in 2014.

„Sport has always been part of my life, because I play basketball and working in an international context was a really good opportunity. It was a starting point for my volunteer career and I keep coming back“ – says Fanni, while Niels has completely different experience.

„My first volunteering experience was three years before Rotterdam and when I heard about European Universities Games I decided to try. That was my first university sport competition and it was really fun because the experience was different from what I experienced in the past.“

Anxhela had the most interesting story because she found out about EUG 2014 only days after her application.

„and I saw the application only days before the event and I wanted to be a part of it, because before I only volunteered in Albania. I was very surprised when I received the email that I am accepted. Now, I fell thankful for it and I keep returning, first to Zagreb-Rijeka and now in Coimbra.“

When asked what is the reason why they keep returning the answer is practically the same. The atmosphere which is one of a kind, people doing sports and having time in the same time as well as gaining a lot of practical skills. If you read this as a volunteer you can confirm and perhaps add something to the list.

Once University sports goes under your skin it is really difficult to forget it.