MINGLING among the top athletes, these two phlebotomists are set to take on an important role at the Olympics.

Jane Minchin, 54, and Juliet Hines, 41, will be responsible for collecting blood samples from competitors taking part in events at the athletics stadium, velodrome and within the Olympic village.

Between them, the pair have more than 20 years’ experience at the Heath Road trust and regularly volunteer their services, putting their skills to good use.

Following a rigorous selection process, they discovered before Christmas they had been selected as two of the 70,000-strong team of volunteers working across all areas of the Olympics.

Ms Hines said: “It’s going to be an honour.

“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am really excited.”

The pair volunteered their services after responding to an appeal by the National Association of Phlebotomists for skilled members to help at the Games.

Mrs Minchin, a trainer phlebotomist, who will be volunteering at the Paralympics in September, said: “I can’t get over the scale of the whole thing. Everything was a lot bigger than I imagined.

“It’s such a big thing – it is really exciting.”