Hard work, resilience, and a little help from Harrow Hong Kong coach Mr Green has seen Year 5 pupil Christopher break through a scary childhood incident to complete the Gold Coast swim over the Chinese New Year holiday.
Christopher (Horse) experienced a near drowning incident when in Singapore five years ago, but has undertaken swimming lessons at the School every week under the expert tutelage of Mr Green, which helped him regain his confidence to the point of being able to join the swimming team in Year 4.
His Chinese New Year challenge was a 500m swim off the Gold Coast’s Golden Beach. Armed with some last minute tips from Mr Green, Christopher set off into the cold waters.
“As I submerged my body into the freezing waters, I felt like I was a giant ice block that had eaten a few hundred tubs of ice cream,” Christopher described.
But he persevered in spite of the cold and fatigue setting in during the swim, even managing to find a final burst of energy to help him across the finish line.
Congratulations to Christopher for his bravery, both in overcoming his initial fears and in facing this challenge over the holiday. We hope he will continue the excellent progress he has seen under Mr Green at Harrow Hong Kong.