By Marcus Uhe
A group of VCAL Students and Teachers from Narre Warren South P-12 College completed a walking marathon on Wednesday 7 September, trekking from their Amberley Park Drive campus all the way into Flinders Street Station.
In pristine early-Spring sunshine, 11 students were joined by seven staff members for the entire 42-kilometre journey, and another four who participated for half of the challenge, raising $1300 for children’s cancer charity, Camp Quality.
Their route took them from the school grounds, up Hallam Road to the Princes Highway, left onto the Highway until Williams Road in Prahran, before snaking through South Yarra and Richmond to Birrarung Marr.
The walk was part of the Personal Development Skills curriculum, according to VCAL Teacher and participant Flynn Wilkinson.
“Personal Development Skills allows them to achieve practical outcomes through running projects like sporting activities and fundraisers,” Mr Wilkinson said.
“The premise of Year 11 VCAL is ‘pay it forward’. Identify, ‘Who needs help?’
“The students decided to pay it forward to Camp Quality.”
The day begun at the C block at 8am and wrapped up in the City at 7.30, with a picturesque Melbourne sunset along the Yarra River accompanying them in the final stages of their journey.
In the lead-up to the event, the participants studied appropriate footwear, food, supplements and equipment necessary for their 60,000 step journey, which has become an annual event until Covid-19 prevented it in previous years.
The acknowledgment of the sense of accomplishment was evident, Mr Wilkinson said.
“The kids were exhausted but the pride of the achievement, the smiles on their faces, it was incredible to see the teamwork and camaraderie,” Mr Wilkinson said.
“When the kids turn the corner and see the stairs they have to climb (at Federation Square), their faces drop. Some kids were offered the lift but this year they all climbed the stairs.
When going got tough, they were encouraged to think of the spirit of Camp Quality and their operations, and found other motivations along the way.
“In Dandenong they passed a man on crutches who didn’t have lower legs and they used that as inspiration,” Mr Wilkinson said.
“It was a mental battle: eventually, you will hit the wall, but you just have to keep going.
“A journey of 42 kilometres starts with a single step.”
