By Elaine Quah (18S03N), Girls’ Captain and Abhijit Chadalavada (18S06F), Boys’ Captain
Cross Country is a sport that’s not for the faint-hearted, no cardio-exercise pun intended. Many might think us crazy, having voluntarily joined a CCA consisting almost entirely of running under the hot sun drenched in sweat not talking to each other. Frequent questions asked include, “Isn’t your CCA just PT all the time?”, “Isn’t running non-stop boring?”, and the ever-popular “So… what do you guys do other than run?”. It’s true, Cross Country is not an easy sport. But as it goes, good things never come easy.
While running pushes each of us to our mental and physical limits at times, it is a gateway to a kind of enlightenment, a path to finding the reservoir of strength that lies dormant in all of us. Each laboured breath and tired step takes us on a journey that is as fulfilling as it is painful, if not more so. As we triumph over our small victories and develop our ability to weather through tough times, we are made aware of what we are capable of and of our limitless potential for self-improvement.
Throughout this journey, we discover a second family within our team, formed through bonds forged over the ache of tough trainings and satisfaction of well-done trainings alike. The support from our teammates, as well as teachers (Ms June Tan and Mr Teo Hui Koon) and our coach (Mr Lim Kien Mau), keeps us going even in the toughest of times. The family we find in our team is one in which every member understands each other, having been through the same experiences. Aside from trainings, we share good times through team outings and lunches.
We train thrice a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, with extra self-training on Thursdays to aid your recovery (which is super important) and is done in your own time. Weekday training is usually in school whereas Saturday training will be in other venues such as MacRitchie and Bedok Reservoir.
Cross Country is truly a CCA where you form friendships that will last a lifetime, learn skills and exercises which keep you healthy but most importantly, teach you values that will shape you to become a better person!
