Written by and reproduced with permission from Cleo Ling

I bet, the first thing you will be thinking about when you read the title, must be: “Oh cool, how did you place in the championship?” NOPE. One, K is short for “Kids”. Two, I’m there not as a participant, but a volunteer. 🙂

So… How did I get to know about this volunteering event? Ever the opportunist, I wanted to look for activities that involved both rock-climbing and volunteering. Just as I was about to give up… TADAH! I found this event on Facebook, and signed up through Rockerfellas.

The first day, which was the qualifying rounds, was REALLY PACKED. Packed in both ways – action packed and people-packed. There were competitors from at least six different countries, such as Thailand and India. On top of the competitors, there were parents and coaches leading the teams. At the beginning, everyone was politely clapping and audibly cheering for their teammates. However, as time passed, the excitement rose to a fever pitch. Screams were the norm, especially from enthusiastic parents. It was a wonder that the volunteers did not go deaf.

The competitors themselves were racing, racing against time, racing against height. The sheer grit and determination shown by the competitors were enough to motivate anyone not to give up for a very long time. It was also very inspiring to see how some of them overcame their disadvantages, such as having a shorter stature compared to the others.

The second day was slightly less packed. But definitely emotional. Emotions from both ends of the spectrum surfaced on this day. The jubilant – from the clear winners of the different disciplines. The disappointed – from the ones who did not finish the route, or slipped off the wall. Despite the differing outcomes, it was obvious that every single competitor had worked really hard for the championship, and that each and every one of them was hoping to win.

After these two days, I felt that I’ve gained many things from volunteering at this championship. One, was the running of a competition. The running of a competition involved more than just logistics – it also involved the communication between the groups in charge of different roles, so that the event could run smoothly. Two, was the handling of disappointment. While you may ask, what has that got to do with my role as a volunteer, I’ll say that it was an important lesson observed when I was on duty. I’ve noticed that those who did not let their disappointment affect them did okay in the end, while those who got affected suffered a drop in their performance. From this, I learnt that we should take disappointment in our stride, learn from the mistakes made, and move on. This will be a valuable lesson applicable to everyone in their daily lives as well.

Before I end off… I’d like to wish these competitors good luck, and hopefully see them compete again in future events. Last but not least, thank YOU for reading this blog. Good day!

Photo Credits: Rockerfellas Facebook Page