St Catz received the very special honour of hosting the Inter-campus Olympics on its sports fields on Sunday. Having met some of their ORA counterparts on other campuses at the mid-session party on Friday, they were eager and excited to see their new friends again, and to prove to them what they had said that night and knew in their hearts to be true: that St Catz is the best ORA campus around. And indeed, whilst our valiant Catherine Wheels were not ultimately victorious in the sporting events―they graciously allowed the visitors from Yarnton Manor to take gold―they did a tremendous job of making other students feel welcome, and showing them the many wonders of Arne Jacobsen’s creation.

As for the events, there was something for absolutely everybody: the traditional 100 and 200 metre sprints were fiercely contested by the speedier students; for those of strength, the welly wanging proved a fitting challenge for any pitching arm; and for those who enjoy a bit of whimsy, space hopper races were just the thing. When students had done their best and run their last race, it was the turn of the campus staff to take to the track. 4x100m relay was the challenge, and staff rose to it valiantly, keen to prove to the students that they were not themselves quite over the hill yet.

Congratulations to everyone who took part―it was a great day full of impressive athleticism and true sportspersonship. When the final medal had been awarded, and the last prize (of the jumbo-bag-of-sweets variety) dropped into eager hands, it was off to the glass classroom for some well-deserved relaxation with popcorn, hot chocolate, and a movie.