On Monday the 15th of June, the Year 7 students and teachers from Keilor Downs Secondary College arrived at The Summit ready to embrace three days of adventure, challenge, and fun. After settling into their accommodation and enjoying lunch, the group gathered together to kick off an unforgettable camp experience filled with teamwork, courage, and plenty of laughs.
Team Leader Spinks welcomed everyone before introducing the incredible coaching team: Simon, Christopher, Mim, Summer, Stevie, Canada, Monty, Lucy, and Jeff. The students were then introduced to The Summit's secret recipe for an amazing camp experience, the Five Keys.
The Five Keys
- Have Fun
- Play All In
- Make Lots of Mistakes
- Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable
- Don't Go Home Wondering 'What If'
Day One: Adventure Begins
After learning about helmet and harness safety, students were introduced to The Summit's powerful goal-setting framework: Target, Stretch, and Super Stretch. This strategy encourages campers to step outside their comfort zones and discover what they are truly capable of achieving.
A large group game helped everyone build energy before launching into the first activities of camp.
Activities & Tribe Names
Throughout camp, students tackled a huge range of activities, including:
- Jump Free
- Laser Skirmish
- Summit Window
- Cave
- Leap of Faith
- Inflatables
- Giant Swing
- Snowy River Challenge
- High Wire
- Flying Fox
After an initiative challenge designed to uncover team strengths, each group created their tribe name and officially became a team. The students also discovered one of The Summit's favourite traditions: GMICs (Great Moments In Camp), where campers celebrate the positive moments, courageous efforts, and memorable highlights they see throughout camp.
The afternoon was packed with activity rotations before everyone came together for dinner, GMICs, and an evening activity to round out a fantastic first day.
Day Two: Intentions, Challenges & Monster Energy
The second day began with a Morning Intentions and Gratitude session, encouraging students to focus on what they could control and to set a positive intention for the day ahead. A large group game got everyone moving before they launched into a full day of exciting activity rotations.
Despite a little less sleep than usual, the Year 7s brought incredible energy and determination, continuing to challenge themselves, support their teammates, and live out the Five Keys across every activity.
The Monster Course
After lunch, it was time for one of The Summit's most iconic experiences, the Monster Course.
Each tribe tackled a massive first lap, giving it everything they had. But just when they thought they were finished, the coaches revealed the twist: the winning team wouldn't be the fastest team, but the team that improved the most on their second lap.
Armed with their Target, Stretch, and Super Stretch goals, every tribe dug deep and pushed themselves beyond what they thought was possible. The effort, determination, and teamwork on display were outstanding, with every team finding another gear when it mattered most.
The day wrapped up with dinner, more GMICs, and another evening full of fun and connection.
Final Day: Gratitude & Celebration
As camp entered its final day, students gathered for one last gratitude session, reflecting on the people and experiences they were thankful for. They were challenged to "check back in" and make the most of every remaining moment at camp.
The final activity rotations gave everyone one last opportunity to step up, support their tribe, and finish camp strong.
Tribe Reflections & Tank Time
Before camp came to a close, every tribe voted for the teammate who best embodied The Summit's Five Keys throughout the three days.
These students demonstrated courage, commitment, positivity, and a willingness to play all in from beginning to end. As a reward, they were treated to a hot lap in The Summit's famous Army Tank while their peers cheered them on.
Values Winners
- Elite One: Evelyn
- Coconut Cake: Ethan
- Dorito Burrito Mosquitoes: Harrison
- The Spud: Marcus
- Elite Spongebob: Annabel
- Spuds: Aiden G
- Dang is the Best: Amy
- The World Cup: Imogen
- Rahmis on the Floor: Alyssa
- McSmart Meals: Grace
Competition Results
Snowy River Challenge (fastest times)
- 19:54 The Spud
- 20:08 Dorito Burrito Mosquitoes
- 20:32 Coconut Cake
- 20:34 Elite Spongebob
- 26:35 Elite One
- 28:47 McSmart Meals
- 36:33 The World Cup
- 48:54 Rahmis on the Floor
Monster Course — Improved by
- 12:37 Elite Spongebob
- 11:24 Rahmis on the Floor
- 9:46 McSmart Meals
- 9:05 Dorito Burrito Mosquitoes
- 7:52 The Spud
- 7:26 Coconut Cake
- 6:54 Dang is the Best
- 6:54 The World Cup
- 6:41 Spuds
- 6:40 Elite One
Thank You, Keilor Downs Secondary College!
What an incredible three days of growth, laughter, teamwork, and adventure. From stepping onto high elements and tackling muddy challenges to celebrating each other's successes through GMICs, the Year 7 students embraced every opportunity to grow.
On behalf of Coaches Simon, Christopher, Mim, Summer, Stevie, Canada, Monty, Lucy, Jeff, Team Leader Spinks, and the entire Summit team, thank you for bringing such fantastic energy to camp. We loved watching you challenge yourselves, support your teammates, and live out the Five Keys every step of the way.
We wish you all the very best for the rest of the year. Keep having fun, keep playing all in, and never go home wondering, "What if?"
The Summit Coaching Team
Planning a school camp in Victoria? Download the School Information Pack or enquire for available dates.
