Athletics Day 2023

The main focus of this year’s Athletics Day was participation. It was also a day for all students to shine bright, showing off their gifts and talents while representing their whānau houses. It was also a chance for the Sports Department to select those students who showed athletic prowess to be selected to represent the college at the upcoming Auckland Athletics’ Championships. Due to Covid restrictions, this was the first year that the college has been able to hold an Athletics Day in a long time. It proved to be a really amazing event and was so inspiring seeing how everyone came together supporting their whānau by getting dressed up in their colors and contributing to every actitivy and every challenge, it made the day so much fun.

It also built on the college’s culture and an opportunity to expand upon that by the students’ having as much involvement as possible. The Athletics Day was such a huge success with so much participation by not only the athletic students but also by students that are not as athletic joining in the fun. Tawa Whānau’s Mr Davies and one of the organisers who had put so much time and effort into the day commented, “Just the number of people joining in and enjoying the day, for me was the best moments of my life,” he added, “The best part of the Athletics Day was just seeing the students taking the opportunity to have fun and do something that was not schoolwork. It was another way to refresh their minds and just enjoy the OTHC environment with their friends and whānau classes.  

There was plenty of great feedback from both teachers and students that this day was a really successful day enhancing the whānau spirit and leaving all with such amazing memories. A big thanks to Mr. Faunt and his team for organizing this athletics day and putting in so much effort to make the day happen for our students. Congratulations to Miro Whānau for winning the Athletics Day competition from Tawa by the merest of margins.

RACHEL DAUNOCO, DIYA NEGI & SALWA KAMBL - NEWS MEDIA TEAM