On Friday 1 November, students from Class 1-6 took part in the Annual Dyatmika Swimming Carnival. The students have been working hard all term to improve their skills in preparation for this event and were excited to show friends and family what they have learned.
For Class 1 and 2, the Swimming Programme focused on the importance of body position and correct kicking. By encouraging children to keep their face in the water and look down, this allows their feet to rise to the surface and a much more streamlined and efficient position. When kicking, students should keep their legs long and toes pointed. The action should NOT look like cycling a bike, as legs should remain straight. We hope that students will continue to work on this in preparation for the programme next year.
In Class 3, 4, 5 and 6, students learned to refine their technique in Freestyle, Breaststroke and Backstroke with a large emphasis on beating their personal best over 25m in each stroke. They also spent time completing a distance challenge, where students swam freestyle for as many lengths as possible. Certificates for this challenge were presented in class this week.
At the carnival, all students were swimming to earn points for their house. They showed excellent team spirit throughout and the final results show how close it was between the houses. Congratulations to Sandat, who led both the junior and senior events to take the overall win.
It was exciting to see ten new Dyatmika Swimming Records set at the Swimming Carnival this year. A special mention should go to Devendra (Class 3), Freyjah (Class 5) and Adrian (Class 6) who each set an amazing two new records at the event.
On Monday afternoon, we welcomed a special guest to help us celebrate all of our successes throughout the Swimming Programme. Andrew Keily is a professional triathlete from America, and was in Bali to defend his title at the Bali International Triathlon on Sunday 10 November. This year, Andrew achieved an impressive 2nd place at the event. As well as presenting the Swimming Record Holder certificates Andrew also talked to the students about his life as a professional athlete. This was an amazing opportunity for the students to meet an athlete who has made his passion into a career and the students asked Andrew some very perceptive questions. We hope it will inspire some of them to achieve their dreams in the future!