Al-Taqwa College Year 9 Boys Camp Blog

On a sunny Wednesday afternoon, the school of Al-Taqwa College came through the gates of The Summit for a second time. Quickly settled into their accommodation they were welcomed into the room where the coaches Timmy and Sam explained the Five Keys to a successful camp (Have Fun, Play All In, Make Lots of Mistakes, Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable and Don’t Go Home Wondering ‘What If?’). From there we made our way down to the BBQ shelter where the students were divided into 2 groups: the Team of Faith and the Elite 10 (and Subs). The two activities that ran during the day were Leap of Faith and Snowy River Challenge, with the boys from footy joining along the tail end of those rotations. Ending the day with information regarding free time areas as well as GMICs, which stands for Great Moments in Camp.

Day two rolled around, and despite how tired everyone was initially, the students were eager to get going once we started our day with an intentions session run by Timmy (where we focused on choosing to be brave, confident, supportive et, learning the value of setting an intention, setting yourself up for the day), and a game of Jockeys down at the BBQ shelter to get our bodies moving. The first two rotations completed were the Cave: choosing to embrace the dark and the unknown, using their senses to feel their way forward, and Summit Window: getting from A to B focusing on nothing but the next step up the tower. Just before lunch, a new rotation started, consisting of Laser Skirmish and Highwire. For Laser Skirmish playing all in and finding the fun stood out the most, although we recognized that asking for help is important too. For Highwire trust in the team became vital as the students were now in charge of their teammates' ropes. After lunch they got changed for the Monster Course, ready to get wet and muddy head to toe. After completing one more rotation it was time to start the run.

The first lap of the Monster was a head-to-head battle between The Elite 10 and The Team of Faith, with both finishing meters apart from each other. Little did they know that they would be going for a round two. This course was all about resilience, how you show up when you're pushed to your limit, and someone asks more of you. Despite a large amount of resistance, both teams had members to thank, members who, when all hope seemed lost, still pushed through, and came out the other side more united than ever, and still with times of improvement, having finished faster than the original lap. Eventually, everyone received their well-deserved shower and dinner.

Day three, our final day started our day with a gratitude session with Sam and Timmy. Remembering what and who we are grateful for, from beds and showers post mud run, to our teachers and families at home. Then it was time to complete our two final rotations of Rock Wall and Giant Swing, and students were asked to vote for someone in their team who embodied the Five Keys the most consistently throughout camp.

It's safe to say it has been a crazy three days. On behalf of Timmy, myself (Sam), and The Summit, we would like to thank you for coming and playing hard and having all the fun. We look forward to seeing your school again next time. Best of luck with all future endeavours.☺️

Team of Faith

Snowy River Challenge: 27mins, 34secs

Monster Course improvement time: 8mins, 16 secs

Values Winners: Adam & Bashir

Elite 10

Snowy River Challenge: 35mins, 46secs

Monster Course improvement time: 8mins, 06secs

Values Winner: Abdulrahman