Don’t be afraid to fail, be afraid not to try.

As the bells jingled in the distance and the Christmas break approached, Sha Tin College’s athletes, dancers, gymnasts, and climbers gathered together to celebrate their sporting achievements in the Senior School Centre prior to breaking up for the holidays.

This term’s Above and Beyond award ceremony welcomed a special guest, Janine Canham, who had taken part in the ‘4 Race Desert Series’ in 2014. During her concise and engaging presentation, she shared her stories of running through extreme climate conditions from the freezing dry tundra of Antarctica to the windy desert of the Sahara. It was clear that although her expeditions were physically and mentally demanding, she enjoyed their challenging yet rewarding nature. One key takeaway from her speech is that there are 5 key qualities you must have to reach your goal: motivation, training, preparation, resilience and, of course, determination. She emphasised that it is important for students to try to step out of their comfort zone and not to be afraid to set themselves tough challenges, concluding with an inspirational quote: “Don’t be afraid to fail, be afraid not to try.”

Janine Canham speaks to students in the Above and Beyond awards ceremony.

The event, organised by Mrs May and other leaders in the middle school and senior school department, is one of the few large scale celebrations which gave sportspeople in our school recognition for their work. One student in particular, Rachel Sung, expressed that she really appreciated this experience, saying that, “I feel that those who contribute towards sports and action in our school don’t get enough credit for what we do, so this event is really meaningful for all of us.”

Mr Morris, who also attended the ceremony, weighed in on why being active is essential for students to grow as individuals as well. “I think it’s very important to promote the idea that students should have both a healthy body and healthy mind,” our principal commented, “a balanced lifestyle is crucial for us to strive and improve continually.”

Of all the students who were nominated for the award, several were given special recognition for their unique contributions towards the STC sports community. Congratulations to Owen Ford, Krish Tenjani, Jenna Muston, Cara Tse, and Willis Tung for their outstanding achievements!

Krish receives his award for his outstanding achievements during the year.

The Above and Beyond awards will continue with a new theme, a new group of nominees, and more exciting rewards for students towards the end of this academic term.

Laura Chan, 11X1 and Martha Chow, 11X1