A team of 22 students in Thames High School’s senior fitness class pushed the limits of their training to prepare for the Tough Guy & Gal Challenge, a 12-km obstacle course mud run in Auckland on 26 June.
Their preparation paid off. Louise Hinds-Haye brought home the bronze medal, a remarkable accomplishment in a race with more than 1,000 competitors. All 22 members of the Thames team completed the course and made a strong showing. Five students earned excellence credits for their time, and two more earned merit credits.
The muddy challenge is just one way the fitness class engages students so they “enjoy getting exercise every day” said teacher David Harrison. It’s part of an effort across Thames High School PE classes to build a culture of fitness and help students develop the skills to stay active throughout their lives.
In the weeks leading up to the race, the class took their preparation into the Firth of Thames for a practice mud run.
“Thames is perfect for training — we’re really lucky to live here” because the students have such ready access to the firth and running tracks in the hills, said Mr. Harrison. The students have community support, too — a representative of the local fire department turned up with a fire hose after the Firth run to blast away all that mud.
Congratulations to the Tough Guys and Gals of Thames High School!