Sitting on top of Island Peak
Eight students and three teachers from ITE College East went to scale Island Peak (6160m) in Nepal this April. It was a memorable experience for everyone even as Deepak and I were stationed in Singapore tracking their progress everyday. Six of them eventually reached the peak and we were really proud and happy for the students who made it despite the cold and weariness in the long trek.
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ITE Newsletter : InfinITE Issue 93 , April – May 08
Conquering Island Peak in the Himalaya
Dream Big, Dream Bold
by Hajijah Korning
PANCHIR Sherpa kept urging me: ‘Just a little bit more, a little bit more…’ I felt my energies draining away, but I told myself that this was my once-in-a-lifetime chance and I have just got to do it! Picking up whatever little strength I had left, I trudged on…” recalled Mohd Firdaus Mohd Rashid, a second-year Higher Nitec in Business Studies (Sport Management) student at ITE College.
Mohd Firdaus was part of an 11-member ITE team comprising eight students and three staff, who set off on an expedition to the Himalayan Everest Base Camp and Island Peak on 18 March 2008 as part of ITE’s Global Education Programme.
Test of Mind Over Matter
On 30 March 2008, four students and a staff member left Base Camp at 0300 hours to attempt the 6, 189-metre Himalayan Island Peak at freezing temperatures. An arduous 10-hour climb later, 20-year-old Mohd Firdaus, accompanied by Mr Darrel Kon, Deputy Director/School of Business & Services (Operations & Projects), ITE College East, successfully made it to the summit.
Three other members of the team – Leroy Peh Jing Jie and Ho Zi Jie, both Nitec in Electronics Engineering students, and Yong Kai Xiang, a Higher Nitec in Business Studies (Sport Management) student, managed 6,160 metres, but their final push had to be aborted due to harsh wind conditions.
A beaming Mohd Firdaus shared: “When I reached Island Peak, I was overjoyed and could not help crying uncontrollably. It was really a test of mind over body. I was very tired, but I refused to stop. I was fortunate to climb when the dangerous weather conditions had not yet set in. The experience was exhilarating, and the lessons learnt will stay with me through life.”
Valuable Lessons Learnt
Mr Trevor Ian Lim, a Sport Management lecturer at ITE College East and Leader of the expedition team, said: “Through this expedition, students learnt what cannot be learnt in the classroom: Values such as commitment, resilience, perseverance, discipline and teamwork. The students dared to dream big and bold, and I am sure with this experience, they have developed a wider perspective of life and gained confidence and independence.”
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