This was the second time Wellington has travelled to Hong Kong for one of the most competitive swim meets in Asia. We were all hugely excited to finally get to go on a trip together again. Even though it was only a two-hour flight, by the time we arrived at the hotel, it was already 8:00PM, so after a quick dinner, we headed to bed because the next day we had to get up at 6:30AM and go directly to the racing pool where Hong Kong’s national swim team usually train. This was the first time that the Wellington Swim Squad participated in such a big event, with more than 800 swimmers drawn from 30 clubs and schools from all over Asia. Included in our team were our youngest swimmers: Carol and Audrey, who were travelling abroad for the first time. The day’s events turned out to be extremely tough, since every swimmer needed to compete in more than eight events. It was doubly demanding for the younger ones who had barely raced at all in the 50-metre swimming pool. Even though some may have started with a tear in their eye, they all finished their races with a huge smile on their face, knowing that their team and parents were cheering them on from the pool side. The Hong Kong Mantas Swim Meet offered our swimmers a great opportunity to compete with some of the best swimmers in Asia in such a prestigious venue. All of our swimmers demonstrated their determination and courage with achievements of many personal bests, showing that their hard work throughout the year had paid off. It was also great to witness the Wellington team spirit, as everyone cheered for their team mates and helped one another. Finally, it was extremely encouraging to witness the growing independence from the younger swimmers, who were away from their parents for the first time as they took part in an international competition. After two-day period of fiercely competitive racing, the final results were: Damian: 50m free 6th, 50m fly 7th and 100m fly 7th. Tommaso: 50m breast 2nd, 100m breast 2nd and 200 IM 8th. Agnes: 50m breast 5th, 100m breast 5th and 50m free 3rd. Additionally, all the swimmers achieved a lot of their personal bests! I have to say a massive congrats to everybody in the team who participated: Carol, Thomas, Jason, Tommaso, Julian, Audrey, Hermes, Alex, Grace, Aimee, Anna, Damian, Jason, Sabrina and Agnes. Also a huge thank you must go to the school and coaches who made it possible; we all had a fantastic time in Hong Kong. Tommaso, Year 7 (Combermere)