The Inside Story
By Hlengiwe Malan, Grade 12
For every athlete on the track on 15 March, there is someone you will hardly notice making sure the race happens on time. The Athletics Challenge needs more than 60 helpers, and most of them have been planning since the start of the term.
The officials meet at 12:45 for their briefing. Starters, timekeepers and the photo-finish team work at the track finish, while field judges run the eleven stations, from the long jump pits to the javelin areas. Each station captures results on a phone, and the results go straight onto the programme, so parents in the stands see them almost as fast as the athletes do.
The Grade 11 parents run the food stalls next to the pavilion: boerewors rolls, toasted sandwiches, pancakes and coffee, and you can pay by card or with the learner wallet. Our media club will stream the track finishes and post the best photos on the Click Pack the same evening.
If you would like to help on the day, ask at the sports office. There is always a job for one more pair of hands, and the view from the finish line is the best in the stadium.
