Calrossy Secondary

One of the hallmarks of Calrossy is our School's value of resilience. Over the holidays, a great example of resilience during the Tour de France was when Simon Clarke won stage five of the tour, following an exhausting trek through the cobblestone roads of northern France.

Clarke smashed through the notorious 150km run from Lille to Arenberg and emerged victorious after a nail-biting photo finish alongside Taco van der Hoorn.

The achievement marked a massive milestone for Simon, who told the ABC: "I moved to Europe when I was 16, and I turn 36 on the second rest day. That's 20 years in Europe and the dream finally came true!"

This story was shared with our 7-9 students in week 1. And the reason for sharing the story is that his ride and the ultimate result stood out because it speaks to who we are at Calrossy.

Clarke’s passion for riding was developed when he was a school student on a bicycle excursion.

The organiser, a professional cyclist said to Simon Clarke, “You really should join a club. You have lasted longer than the other kids.”

Those few words set Clarke off on a lifetime of elite sport. Of training night and day. Of dedication, passion, consistency, effort. Developing great habits.

The training and resilience required highlight that it is NOT how you start but how you finish.

When Simon went past the finish line, the swarm of photographers and TV camera crews surrounded the other rider, indicating he'd won, but they were wrong.

Further down the road, Clarke found a spot to sit, burying his head into his arms as one of his team carers consoled him.

"I was pretty sure I didn't win actually," Clarke said.

What makes this even more impressive is the fact that just 6 months ago he didn’t have a team to ride with and yet he was training as though he had a contract but didn't have a contract.

After a period of uncertainty, Clarke finally found a team to keep his career alive.

The vital lesson for us is that it is not about how you start but what you do to keep going and ensure you are there until the end. 

For elite athletes like Simon Clarke, it is the day in day out, week in week out training.

Is it always fun? of course not. But he keeps on going and pushing through. 

All Secondary students in 7-11 received a report over the holidays from semester 1.

It is crucial now, following that, to look for small areas of improvement.

To look for the feedback and what can they do to be better. Look for small areas to improve and succeed.

We ask the students to consider, What can I do to improve? 

To form good habits. To push on. To have resilience through the good and the bad.

It is not about how you start, but about how you finish and having the resilience to get through the tough times. Simon Clarke persevered to win the prize on cycling's grand stage.

It reminds us of the even greater work of Jesus, as he endured the immense suffering on the cross in order that all of us could have the greatest prize of all. Eternal life with God.

May our students discover this same ability to be resilient through adversity. 

Stephen Price                            Julia Boland

Calrossy 7-9                               Senior Secondary