Charli’s School Athletics 2009

This is the first time Charli has participated in school athletics and it’s all a little different to how I remember it in my school days. For starters there’s high-jump and long-jump, which I didn’t even hear of till I was around ten year’s old and in senior school in the UK. They start them young here and the children certainly proved they were up to the challenge. Alas, (I say with partial relief) there were no Mum’s pram races or Dad’s competitive sprints to the finish line (though I read in the Guardian that this tradition is a historical one in some UK schools today due to Parents ‘ruining school sports day’). But there were some good old-fashioned obstacle races, including one of my favs – the sack race. There were no signs of pushy parents on the side-lines at this school athletics. Parents made the most of the good weather to follow their child’s class round from one event to the next, moving their picnic hamper along with them. It was a lovely, sociable and warm atmosphere, with much encouragement to ‘do your best’ and ‘have fun’.

The event lasted all morning, with a stop for morning tea mid-way. All the children were marvellous, especially considering many had stayed up late the previous night to watch fireworks for Guy Fawke’s night. Charli’s sister took the morning off Kindi so she could support her big sis and was a real trooper. She can’t wait to get to school herself, but that’s a whole year and a bit away, when she turns five. By lunch time Charli was ready for a big feed and was keen to come home with Sophie and I. So, we headed off to the beach for a quick ice-cream before heading to the pools, where the girls amazed me with their endless energy and swam for over two hour’s!

Here’s a little video of Charli in action to ‘Mighty Wings’ by Cheap Trick – well known from the film ‘Top Gun‘, which Charli likes. She sings along to the sound-track quite a bit!