Being told I was going on a camp the first week of joining IFS, I was really apprehensive. The thought of sleeping in the bush with creepy crawlies and not being able to shower for a few days was really outside my comfort zone. But I must admit, once I was there, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be.
Meeting all the Year 7 and 8 students was a great icebreaker for me and an opportunity to get to know them. The group of boys I was assigned to look after for the week got me through my fears of camping. There was a real togetherness and team spirit which I noticed from all of the boys. There were a few new students to the college too and everyone got along.
For me, what defined the meaning of ‘team’ was when we had to get to the summit of Mount Jellore. Within our group a number of people had been given different roles. These included carrying the pack, guiding the group and orientating. The camp staff gave minimal direction and placed the responsibility on the students to get us to the peak and back. Although this made me a little anxious, I had faith that the boys would lead us in the right direction. We all had to work together to make it to the summit. It is during times like this that you see different sides of students; the leaders slowly emerge and those who are often loud and over confident tend to be a little unsure of themselves.
Reaching the summit involved a three hour hike which took us through some dense bushland – attracting friends along the way, (leeches). As we got closer to the peak the route became steeper and the bushland became more dense, and this is where the team needed to band together. The boys stayed together and worked their way up the very steep cliff. We pulled each other up, held branches out of each other’s way and waited for those at the end. Once we reached the peak there was a huge sense of accomplishment within the group. As a team we had made it; it took the effort of everyone in the group to ensure we made it to the top without losing anyone and without anyone getting injured. I honestly think that if I asked each of the boys to do it individually, some wouldn’t have even started, some would have given up half way and most would have required a helping hand to stop them sliding downhill. Without our teammates we are nothing; we rely on each other in every situation, good and bad, through wins and losses. When we are united as a team we are destined to achieve more.
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