On a crisp Wednesday afternoon, 30th of July 2025, the students and teachers from Aquinas College rolled through The Summit gates, buzzing with excitement and ready to kick off an unforgettable adventure! After settling into their accommodations, everyone gathered in the Lodge for a warm welcome from Coach Spinks (Steph) and the amazing coaching team.
Coach Cam introduced The Summit’s recipe for the best camp ever, the Five Keys:
The Five Keys
- Have Fun
- Play All In
- Make Lots of Mistakes
- Get Uncomfortable
- Don’t Go Home Wondering ‘What If’
With the energy set high, the group headed to the Stage for a Helmet & Harness briefing with Cam and Lucy, followed by an epic goal-setting session with Coach Sam on Target, Stretch, Super Stretch , a mindset that helped students conquer challenges and step outside their comfort zones.
Activities & Tribe Names
The camp adventure kicked off with two action-packed activity rotations, giving everyone a taste of The Summit’s most thrilling challenges:
- Abseil
- Scavenger Hunt
- Flying Fox
- Bush Challenge
- Snake & Nails
- Laser Skirmish
- Sky Bridge
- Orienteering
Teams then created their Tribe Names and were introduced to the GMICs (Great Moments in Camp) tradition, celebrating courage, laughter, and awesome moments throughout the journey.
Day Two — Intention & Monster Course
Thursday morning began with a morning intention session, where students reflected on the power of influence, how they could lift themselves and others to get the most out of the day. After a fun game of Heads or Tails, the group leapt into three epic activity rotations, powering through even as the weather threw a few challenges their way.
After lunch, one more activity rotation led straight into the legendary Monster Course, a muddy, team-focused obstacle challenge testing strength, resilience, and teamwork.
The teams completed their first lap, only to discover the real twist, the winner isn’t the fastest team but the one that improves the most on the second lap! With Target, Stretch, and Super Stretch goals in mind, every team dug deep to finish stronger than they started.
Final Day — Gratitude & Tank Time
Friday morning began with a gratitude session led by Coach Sam, where students reflected on the people and moments they were thankful for. They shared GMICs, watched the heartfelt “Give and Get a Compliment” video, and then played Jockeys to get moving before the final two activity rotations of camp.
As camp drew to a close, each tribe voted for a Values Winner, the teammate who best lived out the Five Keys. These legends earned a hot lap in The Summit’s Army Tank, cheered on by the entire group!
Values Winners
- IDK Icycalls , Riley
- The Wesley’s , Ben T.
- Triple Threat , Josh
- Sparkely Giglets , Bailey
- Fourious Five , Isla
- 6,7 , Hudson
- Green Bean , Cooper
- Mango Mustards 67 , Milla
Competition Results
Bush Challenge:
- 19:49 , Green Bean
- 22:06 , Mango Mustards 67
- 22:34 , The Wesley’s
- 22:56 , Fourious Five
- 24:12 , IDK Icycalls
- 25:01 , 6,7
- 25:07 , Sparkely Giglets
- 26:02 , Triple Threat
Scavenger Hunt:
- 760 , 6,7
- 750 , Triple Threat
- 680 , Sparkely Giglets
- 670 , Mango Mustards 67
- 620 , IDK Icycalls
- 560 , Green Bean
- 530 , Fourious Five
- 350 , The Wesley’s
Monster Course Improvement Times:
- +14:20 , IDK Icycalls
- +14:11 , Triple Threat
- +7:41 , Mango Mustards 67
- +6:53 , Green Bean
- +4:33 , The Wesley’s
- +4:20 , 6,7
- +3:09 , Fourious Five
- +2:30 , Sparkely Giglets
Thank You, Aquinas College!
On behalf of Spinks (Steph), Sam, Lucy, Simon, Lawrie, Chris, Poppy, Chelsea, and Timmay, thank you for showing up with energy, courage, and heart.
We loved seeing you play all in, celebrate each other, and make memories that will last a lifetime. Have an amazing rest of the year, and remember… don’t go home wondering “What If!”
Planning a school camp in Victoria? Download the School Information Pack or enquire for available dates.
