From the Head of Junior School

Over the weekend, we had the immense pleasure of having Dawn Fraser in attendance at Calrossy. It is incredibly fortunate of our regional school, to have such and inspiring and acclaimed Olympian visit us. Dawn has left an imprint on many of the students who were privileged to meet her.

Our Year 6 House Captains of Cuthbert and our four Junior School Captains had an audience with Dawn Fraser and during this time she shared memories of the people who were part of her journey, the mindset that made it all possible and the thankfulness she has. Dawn Fraser was very good friends with Betty Cuthbert, hence our Cuthbert Captains being afforded this wonderful opportunity. Dawn was able to share stories of Betty Cuthbert, having passed away now. It was lovely to hear of a great woman of courage and athleticism. These stories Dawn shared with us of Betty Cuthbert were a lovely anecdote to ‘bring to life’ what can seemingly just be a House name.

Each time Dawn spoke, she mentioned these things as significant parts of her life:

-  Enjoyment. We should always enjoy what we choose to do for our hobbies and

work.

-  Challenge. There will always be challenges in everything we do. These are good for

us and help us to grow stronger.

-  Determination. We can accomplish so much and tackle challenges if we are

determined.

Dawn wasn’t a person of great privilege when she was young, she was one of eight children from a working-class family and she said life at times was tough, but there were many people behind her success, she wouldn’t attribute it to herself alone.

We don’t have to give our children the world, but helping them to understand the joy, the challenges and the role of determination can go a long way.

Have a wonderful week.

Claire Smith

Head of Junior School