“After quite a whirlwind start to the year, with SACs flying in left and right, the Year 12 cohort was privileged enough to have our retreat on Tuesday 9 March. Arriving at the destination, it was a sight to behold. A wonderful facility, accompanied with lush views of forest, it was truly a getaway.
Over the day, we were treated to an exploration into a mind who has overcome more challenges than we could’ve imagined: Sam Clear. Sam explained his life story; from being drafted into the Collingwood reserves, to his tractor accident leaving him with a permanent spinal injury, to him being attacked by two men in the streets of Russia. These events, whilst they paint quite a portrait, do not explain the true extent of his vision.
Sam decided to travel through South America, Central America and North America, through the cold of Siberia through train, all the way towards the most western point in Spain. 15,600km total. Stopping in each church to ask ministers to pray for unity of all religions. What we learnt on that day, the adversity he had to face, it spoke a lot to myself and a lot of the boys in our year level; the most pressing idea being to “not punch the pig.” This being Sam’s way of telling us to always consider if there is a much more peaceful alternative to take.”
– Dylan Suarez, 12B