A backpacker from Radlett, travelling around Australia, has landed a job helping to make the official film documentary of the 2000 Olympic games in Sydney.
Suzanne Jones, 22, of Homefield Road, started work this week as a camera assistant in a 120-strong film crew to cover the whole event, with access to the athletes' villages and sporting venues.
Ms Jones, a former pupil of Queens' School in Aldenham Road, Bushey, obtained a degree in Film Studies from Surrey University before travelling for a year.
She has spent the past eight months travelling around Australia before arriving back in Sydney, almost broke. She tried to get jobs in the Australian film industry but only managed to get a few days work at a time.
She was then asked to an interview with the producers of the official film of the 2000 Olympic games, and was given a three-week contract to work on the film as a camera assistant.
Ms Jones said: "The atmosphere here in Sydney is electric. It's been building up for the past few weeks but now you can feel it everywhere.
"I'm really excited to be present at the biggest sporting event in the world. I can't believe how lucky I am because the filming experience will be fantastic.
"I'll actually be at all the top events down on the track, or on the pitch, trying to catch the magic and tragic moments. To make it even better, I'm being paid to do this."
[Posted online at the Watford Observer website on September 15, 2000]
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