TRACK CHALLENGE

It was with much anticipation that Springfielders headed out to the Sports and Recreation Centre of the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) on the morning of 9th March 2023.  The air was abuzz with the excited chattering of the students as they looked forward to a physical sports event post-pandemic.  For a large number of the students, in fact about three quarters of the student body, this would be their inaugural Track Challenge Day, due to the social distancing measures put in place by our health authorities.

The heats had been held earlier on 28 February and 2 March, with 7 March being the reserve date in case of inclement weather.  Thus, on D-Day, the crowd were primed to cheer the best teams on.

The highlights of the day were the various relays:  Student CCA, Class and the crowd’s favourite, the Staff Department race.  For the class relay, the students were required to include either a form teacher or one of their subject teachers.  Sec 4E had a VIP in their corner, our very own Principal, Ms Eleanor Chia.

This is what our students had to say about the Track Challenge:

“I participated in the 8x100 run and I got 1st place. I’m so proud of myself that I did my best in the running and I am so happy that I won 1st place.”

• Usamah Alzaid Bin Azman, Secondary 1D

“I took part in the 200m race and the 4x100 and 8x100. I got 1st place in the 200m race and we did not win any medals for 4x100 but for 8x100 we won 3rd place. I feel happy about the effort we put in.”

• Muhd Razyn Muhd Sofyan, Secondary 1D

“As a non-participant, I felt like it was special as I've never experienced a track challenge in person so it was surely a memorable event. I spent my day there cheering for the participants in my class, drinking soft drinks, eating snacks and hanging out with my friends. “ 

• Ember Tan, Secondary 1B

“I enjoyed myself at the track challenge. I participated in the team relay event, and it was great to see my classmates cheering me on while we were racing to the finish line. As the environment rep for my class, I felt happy to be able to help keep the place tidy and neat after the event. “

• Ethan Tan Rui Ming , Secondary 2B

“It was fun playing kin-ball at the track challenge. Initially, my teammates and I were confused about the rules of the game, but we managed to understand how to play the game, it became more fun. Although my team did not win, we enjoyed ourselves and I look forward to playing it again.”

• Muhammad Shuaib Anshary Bin Muhammad Shahidin, Secondary 2B

“It was the first time ever that we are having our track challenge at an actual stadium ever since we joined Springfield. I was quite excited. Honestly, I am not a sporty person and I am afraid of taking part in sports contests. But being encouraged by my friends, I still represented my class in two events, 100m individual and 4X100m relay race. I did my best in the race and managed to get third place for 100m. I was totally not expecting to get a medal. I enjoyed the race very much and felt so grateful and delighted when I heard my teachers and friends cheering for me. Our team also worked together very well and attained second place in the relay. Through this track challenge, I realised the importance of sports. Not only does it benefit our body, it also strengthens the bonds formed between each other. The sense of achievement I felt when winning the race is also amazing and indescribable. 

It was quite a memorable experience, I am certain that it will be one of the best memories I will ever recall when I think of my secondary life in the future, and I look forward to taking part in the track challenge next year.”

– Hao Chenyi,  Secondary 3G

“Sports Day, an event usually held once per year, loved by many while also hated by many. Not many events can truly match the essence of Sports Day, from the feeling of finally not having to go to the depressing prison known as school, to the excitement of watching your friends compete against the other classes. Some people view Sports Day as a break from class, while others see it as a waste of time. For me, I see sports day as a fun chore. On one hand, I got to witness my buddies race each other to see who emerged victorious. I also got to see the teachers and departments, even the principal took part! It was really entertaining to see. On the other hand, the sun was not entertaining to see. The sun scorched down on us, basically nowhere was safe from its rays other than the second level, to make matters worse, no one had umbrellas to shelter from the sheer heat. Basically, everyone got a free sun-tan session, in fact, my arm still has the same tanned mark on it from the sun and I have no clue how to remove it. All in all, my feelings are a mixture, while sports day was really enjoyable, I would rethink about going there if the audience stand was not mostly covered by shade.”

– Keith Ng Zen Kai, Secondary 3G

“The highlight for me during the Track Challenge at SUTD was definitely the HODs , Teachers , Staff , Principal and Vice Principal running . It was the highlight as it was the first and last time we got to see them running! 

I feel sad knowing that this is my last Track Challenge but first one post Covid as we never got the chance to run at SUTD the past 3 years however I am glad that the Secondary 4s got the chance to run and bond with our classmates before we leave the school after our N's/O's.”

– Siti Zulaiha Binte Ahmad Daniel, Secondary 4C

“I found the Track Challenge event at SUTD exciting as it is my first time having the actual Track Challenge that is not held in Springfield. This is especially so as this is also my first time representing my class for the Track Challenge. However, it is quite tiring as I had 2 races back to back and I was exhausted at the end of both

The highlight for me was definitely our principal Ms Chia running for us in the inter-class race. As both of our teachers were unavailable to participate in the relay race with us, we had to find a substitute teacher and we managed to convince Ms Chia to run with us. This was definitely the highlight and the most memorable experience for me during the Track Challenge as this is something that we do not experience often.

I feel that it is fortunate finally being able to participate in the whole Track Challenge without the Covid restraint but quite a pity that this would be my last Track Challenge at the same time. However, I still do feel delighted for my juniors as they are able to enjoy the Track Challenge in their subsequent years. Even though this is my last Track Challenge, I was still able to make the most of it, taking my mind off studying for a while and being able to bond with my classmates and friends.”

– Brandon Tan, Secondary 4E

And so we have the verdict from some of our students, and if you’re wondering who won the races, here are the results: