British Schools Orienteering Championships

Today we were at Temple Newsam to help on the Finish for the British Schools Orienteering Championships. It felt strange not to be competing but it was wonderful to see children from Year 5 & 6 Primary through to Sixth Form Students competing side by side and cheering each other as they ran into the finish.

It was good to see children I have helped coach do well and stopping to share their experiences with me. One very shy and quiet girl I coached this Summer rushed up to tell me she was third in her age group. It was lovely to see her enthusiasm and delight.

I took time out to wander in to the competition area and watching how all the different abilities coped with the challenge. This young man, along with many others, was running from kite to kite in the hope it was his control rather than looking carefully at the map.

This pose really summed up how it must have felt.