Killington Mountain School student-athletes participate in all-school team building challenge
KILLINGTON — The winter-term students have arrived at Killington Mountain School and joined their full-term classmates on campus. On Monday, Nov. 3, the entire school headed to Spartan Race headquarters in Pittsfield, Vt., for a KMS Spartan Challenge, hosted by several Spartan Race organizers. The KMS student-athletes worked hard, pushed themselves, tested their boundaries, accomplished a great deal, and most importantly, cheered for and supported one another in what was an afternoon to remember.
The group first completed a series of timed physical challenges, keeping track of how many push ups, sit ups, burpees, mountain climbers, and jumping jacks they could do in two minutes, with one minute rest in between. In addition, they also held a five minute plank and completed a crab walk race.
Next, the group hiked to the top of the mountain, with each House team responsible for safely carrying a watermelon and an egg to the top. Once at the top, they had to memorize a quotation, get back to the bottom of the mountain, and get their egg, watermelon, and three sandbags across the street. Once at the checkpoint, they had to recite the quote perfectly, and then complete an obstacle course that involved massive tires, rocks, and metal poles.
All tasks completed, the exhausted but smiling crew gathered around a bonfire to warm up, and the sense of accomplishment was overwhelmingly evident. While the group may have complained a bit at the start of the day, expressing some desire for past orientations that involved an afternoon spent bowling for example, the takeaway was overwhelmingly positive. The students felt proud, happy, and bonded by successfully navigating a challenging day together as a group.
