Students participating in the Geography Field Trip to Borneo later this year chose to complete a sponsored rowing event to highlight the plight of orangutans in the country. The 15 students set themselves an impressive target of rowing 80,000m during the college today with each metre rowed reflecting an orangutan lost because of habitat loss linked to deforestation in the country in the last few years.
The event was kicked off by Warrant Officer (WO1) 'Tiny' Nash who arranged for the loan of the rowing machines and popped in to the college today to give the students some top tips. WO1 Nash is a member of the Royal Navy's Physical Training specialisation who regularly represents the RN at indoor rowing competitions around the world. In the end the event attracted a great deal of interest across the college with other students and even members of staff all keen to contribute to its success. As a a result the original target was quickly surpassed and, thanks to the efforts of a few stalwarts, the final tally was an absolutely massive 200,000m!
Geography teacher and organiser of the field trip, Miss Hawkins, said, "Living and working in the rainforests of Borneo will present its own challenges but the work the students will be doing will contribute to scientific reports on a vulnerable but incredibly important ecosystem that is presently being taken for granted. The 'row'athon brought the Borneo team together and showed how resilient they can be when faced with a challenge. Across the college we also learnt much about the benefits of working together as a team, it was a very proud moment watching them taking part and encouraging each other during the day."
A big thank you also goes to parent Mrs Emma Gueterbock for volunteering her time to coach and encourage students throughout the day.
