Outward-Bound Student-Athletes Conquer Camps

2019 Level Camps

The Level Camps at Singapore Sports School is an annual affair for Secondary 1 to 3 student-athletes. Customised camps, designed in collaboration with Outward Bound Singapore, aim to develop the Champion’s Mindset – a superior mental state that fortifies thoughts, habits and behaviour – to help student-athletes push their boundaries to become a champion. Over three years, student-athletes will be imbued with the school Values of Respect, Integrity, Responsibility, Excellence and Resilience as they overcome the physical and mental challenges encountered in the great outdoors.

On 4 September 2019, more than 250 student-athletes departed the comfort of their beds, clean walkways and scrumptious food, to enter an environment surrounded by grime, grit and trials.

The Secondary 1s and 2s were in Outward Bound Singapore’s Pulau Ubin site for 3- and 5-day camps respectively. The younger batch of student-athletes went through high-element obstacle courses and kayaking expeditions to inculcate the values of Respect, Responsibility and Integrity. The Secondary 2s had an additional jungle trekking activity woven into their programme to reinforce the importance of Excellence in completing their tasks.

Meanwhile, Secondary 3 student-athletes were thrown into the wild at Outward Bound Lumut in Malaysia, and spent their days navigating the great unknown before returning to Singapore on 13 September. They were stretched out of their comfort zones and had to endure mental and physical challenges during their various expeditions on foot, and in kayak and whaler.

Most of the time, the situation looked hazy for them – literally and figuratively – especially as the winds blew polluted air from Sumatra into the Lumut-Pangkor area. Despite the less-than-favourable conditions, student-athletes remained resilient to complete their challenges which included trekking up three hills, paddling in open seas, enduring long hours of physical exertion before pitching their own tents to rest in for the night.

Student-athletes also put their teamwork and navigation ability to the test when they had to plan and map their course before setting off for Pangkor Island in the whaler.