In volleyball, the setter must put the ball on the right trajectory for the hitters to score. Volunteers in the Olympic and Paralympic Games play a similar role: they must get everything just right so that athletes can perform at their best. One man who knows this only too well is Brazilian volleyball legend Giba, who won three Olympic medals (one gold, two silver) before retiring from playing this August.

“The coolest things is when a volunteer comes to ask us if everything is OK… always with a smile on their face, always thinking about us,” he said. “It helps a lot because we’re so nervous to be there, representing our country.”

Helping athletes prepare and stay calm will be just one of more than 500 roles performed by the 70,000 volunteers who will help stage the biggest sporting event on the planet. (If you want to be part of this team then apply here).

“Volunteers are motivated by a love of sport, a love of what the Olympics represent. That’s really beautiful. That is being a hero,” said Giba, who is supporting the Rio 2016 Volunteer Programme. In the video below he remembers one volunteer in particular at the Athens 2004 Games who accompanied the team – helping them in every little way possible – on their way to the gold medal.

Giba’s fellow Brazilian Olympic and Paralympic heroes César Cielo, Terezinha Guilhermina, Daiane dos Santos and Daniel Dias have already passed on their messages. If you have been inspired, apply to join the team today.

To be a volunteer, you need to be 18 years old by February 2016 and available to work during the Games: 5 to 21 August  for the Olympic Games, 7 to 18 September for the Paralympic Games.