In a five day long battle of mental toughness, physical fitness, and teamwork, Thames High School triumphed in the highly competitive 2015 Hillary Challenge.
It’s the first time Thames High School has won the event, which saw our eight competitors battle it out as one of New Zealand and Australia’s dozen best school adventure racing teams.
The event was held over five days at the Outdoor Pursuits Centre in Tongariro.
It involved two days of problem solving challenges, and a 2-day rogaine style wilderness expedition – which started half way up Mount Ruapehu and included an overnight camp in the wild.
To top it all off, there was a 50K multisport race on the final day.
It’s certainly not for the faint-hearted and organisers describe the event as “undoubtedly the toughest adventure competition for high school students.”
As well as the huge pride they take away for winning the event, the team’s won $6,000 worth of outdoor equipment for our school.
“5 days. 12 challenges. 80k+ rogaine. 50k adventure race later and we came out on top! “Best in Oceania”. Couldn’t have done it with a better bunch of talented athletes and amazing coaches. #1.’ Team Captain Mitchell Herbert.
