A Trip Of Special Moments
Training Camp To Perth, Australia
Written By
Mitchell Ang Li
Extended IBDP
When the team heard that we would have the opportunity to set off for an overseas training camp in Perth, Australia, we were thrilled! It was the first time since COVID-19 hit that we could travel together with some of our friends from the Swimming Academy. As the pandemic has taught us to be thankful for what we have, I felt incredibly thankful for the effort that was put in to give us a good overseas experience.
We are privileged to have so much support from the School, our coaches, and our academic teachers. Each one of them played a vital role in making this camp possible. They also ensured the camp was effective and most importantly, enjoyable. From finding a meal caterer to finding the perfect accommodation, the School made the trip a reality. I am sure our coach has spent many hours crafting the training sets and working out the schedule to maximize performance and enable sufficient recovery. Lastly, even our teachers supported us by recording their lectures and managing academic deferment, and giving us consultations, to make sure we could cope well with our studies while we were away.
To be frank, the first few days were very tough. Our training times were longer and different from what we are used to in Singapore. We had to wake up at about 4.30am on some mornings. What was most challenging was that we were getting much less rest between the morning and afternoon sessions. We were back from morning practice at about 9am and we had to leave the hotel for afternoon practice at 1pm. We had about 4 hours in between sessions, compared to the 7 to 8 hours in Singapore. However, as the days passed, we slowly got used to it. We also had to get used to the colder weather in Perth. It is a very important skill to adapt to various conditions, especially when applied to an overseas competition context, where conditions can be out of our comfort compared to home.
It was a wonderful experience to be able to bond with our teammates and friends and gain interesting experiences.
Written By
Mitchell Ang Li
Extended IBDP
When the team heard that we would have the opportunity to set off for an overseas training camp in Perth, Australia, we were thrilled! It was the first time since COVID-19 hit that we could travel together with some of our friends from the Swimming Academy. As the pandemic has taught us to be thankful for what we have, I felt incredibly thankful for the effort that was put in to give us a good overseas experience.
We are privileged to have so much support from the School, our coaches, and our academic teachers. Each one of them played a vital role in making this camp possible. They also ensured the camp was effective and most importantly, enjoyable. From finding a meal caterer to finding the perfect accommodation, the School made the trip a reality. I am sure our coach has spent many hours crafting the training sets and working out the schedule to maximize performance and enable sufficient recovery. Lastly, even our teachers supported us by recording their lectures and managing academic deferment, and giving us consultations, to make sure we could cope well with our studies while we were away.
To be frank, the first few days were very tough. Our training times were longer and different from what we are used to in Singapore. We had to wake up at about 4.30am on some mornings. What was most challenging was that we were getting much less rest between the morning and afternoon sessions. We were back from morning practice at about 9am and we had to leave the hotel for afternoon practice at 1pm. We had about 4 hours in between sessions, compared to the 7 to 8 hours in Singapore. However, as the days passed, we slowly got used to it. We also had to get used to the colder weather in Perth. It is a very important skill to adapt to various conditions, especially when applied to an overseas competition context, where conditions can be out of our comfort compared to home.
It was a wonderful experience to be able to bond with our teammates and friends and gain interesting experiences.
