Christchurch’s Cashmere High wins Get2Go 2012 final

Christchurch’s Cashmere High wins Get2Go 2012 final

Almost one hundred gutsy school students spent a week on Great Barrier Island last week competing in the biggest challenge of their lives: competing for the title of New Zealand’s most adventurous young teens with Christchurch’s Cashmere High yesterday emerging the victorious team.

Twelve teams of Year 9 and 10 students, representing each corner of the country, pitted themselves against nature – and each other – for five days to decide the title of OPC’s Get2Go’s 2012 challenge winner.

“We like to think of it as a mixture of the Amazing Race, Survivor and Treasure Island,” says Darren Ashmore, events manager for the Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Centre of New Zealand (OPC), who organised the challenge, with supporter Youthtown.

“We threw wilderness challenges at the teams for five days. We helped the students push themselves to excel in activities they might never have tackled before. And at the end of the week the team that displayed the most courage, tenacity and skill will took out this hard-fought-for title – this year it was Cashmere High from Christchurch.

Each of the eight-person mixed-gender teams (mostly 14 and 15 year olds) qualified for the final by winning their one-day regional Get2Go challenge earlier in the year. They had to tackle a range of fun but testing challenges, including orienteering, kayaking, rock climbing and mountain biking.

“Every team deserves to be congratulated for the effort they put in this week,” says Darren Ashmore.

“This year was the both the toughest and most competitive Get2Go final in the event’s seven year history. All 96 students rose to the occasion and pushed themselves to their very limits giving it everything they could right to the very end of the week.

“At the top end of the leader board it was the teams from Cashmere High, Whangarei Boys/Girls, Waimea College, Taradale High and Trident High that pushed each other all week long.

“The final order wasn’t decided until the end of the expedition race on the last day of the competition.”

Ashmore says it is wonderful to see how the students look inside themselves to draw out new and existing strengths in teamwork, leadership, problem solving, physical activity and the outdoors.

“When they’re putting in their very best efforts you can see it on their faces. That expression of drive and pride is priceless.”
OPC Get2Go, now in its seventh year, is the junior equivalent to the Genesis Energy Hillary Challenge for senior secondary students.

ENDS

Participating schools

• Whangarei Boys’ High School/Whangarei Girls’ High School (combined team)
• Takapuna Grammar School
• Mt Albert Grammar School
• Thames High School
• Trident High School
• Taradale High School
• New Plymouth Boys’ High School/New Plymouth Girls’ High School (combined team)
• Wanganui High School
• Wellington College and Wellington Girls’ College
• Waimea College
• Cashmere High School
• Dunstan High School

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