VS Sports Day 2009

(Pictures Courtesy of Quin Lum)
Friday was VS Sports Day 2009.
After much effort and calculating and anticipating, it looked like Whampoa house would finally beat Glam house in the VS Sports Day.
But alas if was not to be. *sigh*
But all hope for Whampoa was not lost!
In the final race of the day, the staff race--team of Whampoa teachers overcame all odds to emerge champion. With Mr Ron Tan, leading us as our first runner, we sailed ahead. Next runner, was Zhongyi an NIE trainee teacher, our last minute inductee into Whampoa- Thanks, Zhongyi for being so sporting, hope the Victorian Spirit inspires you in your journey of education.
Our third runner, was our awesome Mr David Lee who helped us to close the gap and enable me to cross the finish line first as our anchor/last runner.

We saw some fantastic records being broken and check out the amazing photos by Quin


Honestly, this is the only Gold medal I have ever won in an athletic competition (Wushu doesn't count).
I'm the PE Teacher that can't run, can't jump and doesn't play soccer.
But I do remember that when I started my life in VS, a certain wise, old teacher would encourage me to go running with him in MacRitchie.
He even brought me along with him to Chiang Mai to accompany our X-Country boys for their training trip!

I remember that whenever I used to be slow in running in secondary school, college or in the army; I used to get teased or scolded or insulted. It just put me off running and I did everything I could to avoid it.
Imagine coming from a Sec School that had you wearing shorts up to Sec 4, trying to blend in with a new crowd, desperately trying to belong and not trying to look like a complete fool in front of the girls.
Hoping to find inspiration amongst your college teachers, your most vivid memory of PE ends up being "Hey, you there, how come you run slower than the girls"
Not exactly the most inspiring thing to hear from your college teacher back then.
Strange.

So it was kinda strange that I became a PE teacher in the end, but that is another story....

But fate is strange
More than 10 years later, as I;m plodding along at a dreadful pace in Chiang Mai, it was our VS boys that came up to me and said "Sir, it's ok- we know you trying. At least you tried."
Where my college PE teachers made ridculed my lack of ability, now it was my students who were the ones encouraging me and telling me that as long as I did my best it was all right. Damn, they stole my line.

How not to love running after that?
And what did the wise, old PE teacher say as he passed me by while easily outpacing me, a young punk 30 years his junior?
All he said was, "Keep going. Time will tell"

To the VS X-Country boys of 2003/2004:
You guys were my first taste of what it means to be a Victorian and what it meant to be something more.
You gave me hope that I too, in my small little way, could make a difference.
You all believed in me.
You believed that slow as I was, you had faith that I would go the distance, no matter how slow.
Heck, if you tell any one of my schoolmates that I successfully completed 12K run at all, they would laugh until their eyeballs pop out.

It is because of this that I can now tell my students "Boys, do your best. Reach higher- The outcome doesn't matter because I believe in you"


To the VS X-Country boys of 2003/2004, thank you for believing in me and giving me the strength to make a difference in this school.

To the wise old PE teacher, thank you for showing me what education is all about and what education should be about.



To Uncle and the Chiang Mai boys, this medal is for you.
You are the ones that made me a champion.