WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO

NELA POPOVIC, EVENTS MANAGER

ILEFT Sarajevo when I was 15. That was 1992 and right before the siege of Sarajevo began. We thought we were only leaving for a couple of weeks until things settled. I left with my mum on the last bus before the city was besieged.

My dad stayed behind and remained in Sarajevo all through the siege [which lasted almost four years]. My sister was on a university trip and we met her from the airport in Belgrade. We spent the next few years moving around the former Yugoslavia staying with family.

I had only a small rucksack and packed very little clothes because we didn’t know then we were leaving for good. I was a big Pink Floyd fan and took all my tapes. As a teenager that was what felt most important to me.

Arriving in London was a big shock. By then I was almost 18. London is a big machine and it swallows you up. Eventually you settle down and find a community, but initially it felt so fast-moving and like people didn’t care. It taught me a lot about life. It was difficult for the first few years.

I did my secondary school education in three countries. I started in Bosnia, did a bit in Slovenia and finished it in the UK. I went to university and did a degree in psychology. After graduating, I spent 15 years as an operations manager in museums and galleries.

When I heard the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games were coming to London, I knew I couldn’t miss out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It was a short-term contract but told myself: be brave and go for it. I worked at the ExCeL London, which hosted 13 sports including fencing, weightlifting, boxing, table tennis, judo and wrestling. It was described as the most complex venue in the history of the Olympics and welcomed 1.6 million people. I had a team of 2,500 people to manage.

One venue I managed was for the sitting volleyball. The Bosnian men’s team won gold and that was a poignant moment. Many of the athletes had been injured or lost limbs during the Bosnian War. I have never seen pure heart like that before. It was incredible.

I moved to Scotland to work on the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and managed venues including the SEC complex. Glasgow felt similar to Sarajevo. The humour and openness of

the people reminded me of where I grew up. I decided to stay in Glasgow after the Games. I was offered a job as head of events for Kiltwalk helping organise mass participation sponsored walks to raise money for charity. Last year it attracted more than 14,000 walkers and raised £2.7 million for charity.

The Hunter Foundation tops up whatever a walker raises by 40 per cent – so for every £100 raised, £140 will go to the charity of their choice. It is a feelgood event and I would encourage anyone to give it a go.

The Royal Bank of Scotland Kiltwalk in Glasgow takes place on April 29 with events following in Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh. Visit thekiltwalk.co.uk

PICTURE: KIRSTY ANDERSON