Our action-packed Winter School Holiday program continued into Week 2, as we aimed to craft an unforgettable experience for our adventurous crew of participants!! This week provided an opportunity for every athlete to participate in activities and sports at their own levels while they extend their limits, and see what they are truly capable of in an inclusive and supportive environment.
The Sports Team’s motto is “Fun, friends, and fitness through sports.” I do my best to instil these values, with an emphasis on inner-strength, self-belief, and confidence. When you have a supportive coach who believes in you and is confident in your ability you can achieve so much more than you may think.
Monday 15/07 – Tuff Nutterz Inflatable Obstacle Course & Ian Potter Wild Play Garden
Australia’s biggest inflatable obstacle course at a whopping 300m long. The course was conquered by every athlete, with a smile on their face, feeling accomplished, and exhausted after bouncing, climbing and laughing their way through. We then spent the afternoon exploring the magical Ian Potter’s Wild Play Garden, climbing through the trees to get to the slide, balancing on logs, and discovering all the hidden nooks on offer.
Tuesday 16/07 – Manly Dam Adventure
With a question mark on the weather, we started the day with sports at Allambie and as always it was both friendly and competitive!! Once the weather faired, we made our way to Manly Dam and started with a short hike leading us to a beautiful waterfall that was flowing rapidly; one plus side of the recent rain! We headed back to base camp for lunch then bike riding. The option of kayaking was taken up by those who dared to brave the chilly water in the afternoon sun.
Wednesday 17/07 – Blue Mountains Adventure
The Blue Mountains always proves to be spectacular, even in the freezing winter months. The sun was shining as our MTB Riders headed down the Oaks Trail from Woodford to Glenbrook – a true test of fitness, endurance, and self-belief, pushing through some gruelling uphill battles to enjoy the long winding downhills with the wind in their hair. A big congratulations to those that completed this unforgettable experience. The MTB Riders headed for Wentworth Falls to test their own endurance, balance and determination on the hiking trails. They tackled stepping stones, stairs, and droves of other hikers but had a beautiful view to admire the entire time. They came up with a mantra to get them through:
“We are Confident. We are Capable. We are Kind.” 😊
They then visited the famous Three-Sisters in Katoomba. We count our lucky stars that this is part of our ‘backyard’ and so accessible to us.
Thursday 18/07 – Central Coast Treetops Adventure & Networld
High among the treetops, everyone navigated their way through rope bridges and along ziplines. The adrenaline was pumping, fears of heights were conquered, and everyone learnt they can achieve what they set their minds to especially with a strong support network and team around them. We then headed over to Networld for the afternoon to explore the web of bouncy nets intertwined amongst the trees – suspended 10m in the air it gave everyone a new sense of gravity to explore.
Friday 19/07 – Junior Race Running & Bike Riding Day
Our Junior Race Runners and Bike Riders headed down to John Fisher Netball Courts for some offsite fun for the final day of the School Holiday Program. The Curl Curl Park Run is held here, so to be able to show our athletes around the area and experience this is special and we hope they went home inspired. We came back to Allambie for more frame running, bike riding and some ball sports!
We are grateful for the never-ending energy, encouragement, and comradery of all our athletes who participate in these exciting sports and activities. Week two saw our athletes step out of their comfort zones to learn new skills, try new things, and pushed the limits on what they are capable of! We hope the moments from this Winter Program we hope provides our young athletes with inspiration, self-belief, and a smile that lasts until we return for more School Holiday fun, friends and fitness in Spring!!
