The athletes may be the stars of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, but behind the scenes there are another group of heroes at work: the volunteers. For Cesar Cielo, a three-time Olympic swimming medallist, they play a crucial role. Not only do they ensure that everything runs smoothly during the Games, but the volunteers can also make a crucial difference to the performance of athletes.

“For the athletes, the volunteer can also be a hero,” said Cielo. “When the time comes for an important competition, like the Olympic Games, we athletes are sensitive to everything and even something small can have a huge influence. So, anything positive brings us great energy. We always rely on the volunteers for everything.”

Cielo is one of the top athletes who are supporting the Rio 2016 volunteers campaign: “Be your heroes’ hero”. (Want to be a volunteer at the Rio 2016 Games? Register here.)

Like all Olympians, Cielo has personal experience of how crucial volunteers can be for athletes during the Games. He will never forget the motivational message that he received from a volunteer at the Beijing 2008 Games, moments before he won the 50m freestyle gold medal (see the video below).

The Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be staged with the help of 70,000 volunteers. This huge workforce is, for Cielo, crucial for the success of the event.

“The volunteers are the guys who make the whole thing work,” he said. “Nobody sees them, at least not all the time, but they are behind the curtains helping everything go to plan. They may not be the stars of the event, but they are extremely important for the delivery of everything that goes on there and they always want to leave their mark.”

Along with his 50m freestyle gold medal from Beijing, Cielo also claimed 100m freestyle bronze in China and the 50m freestyle bronze at London 2012, in addition to being a seven-time world champion. Now he is preparing for his third Olympic Games with the added incentive of competing at home. He knows that for everyone involved the Games will be an unforgettable experience.

“The Olympic Games are a unique moment in everybody’s life,” he said. “They only happen every four years and represent the coming together of peoples, races, everything that you can imagine. This is an opportunity that few will have in life.

“We are very lucky to host the Olympic Games and we don’t know if we will be alive to see the next Games in Brazil. For whoever is going to take part, whether an athlete or a volunteer, our time is now.”

Do you want to be a part of the Rio volunteers team? Registration is already open and you can sign up for the selection process here. To participate, you must be at least 18 years old by February 2016 and available to work during the Games.