Following the preceding years of 2007 and 2008, the Anglo-Chinese Junior College Swimming team has risen back into the game. The girls’ team had sustained their streak of withholding the 1st runners-up position, while the boys’ team, much like a phoenix from the ashes, edged out tough competition to ascend back to the 1st runners-up position from a dip into 2nd runners-up in previous years.

One of the many clichés sports teams face would be the arduous run-up periods into their seasons that seem perpetual and wearying to every athlete. Every single training session, there would be someone there to tell us: Do you want to make the finals? Do you want to win a medal? Do you boys want the silver?

Andy Loo, 100metres Freestyle

Due to the fact that our season has always been in July, the sudden shift this year to April was unsettling to many of us. On many levels, there were the pros and cons both as a student and as an athlete. We would have more time to study for our A levels. We would have less time to train new swimmers for the nationals. We would have less time to anticipate what events our rival athletes would be swimming and how well they might perform. We would have less time to train for our events.

However, the arrival of the swimming season allayed our fears and put our worries at bay. Where we saw 47 entries into the finals and a medal haul of 11 silvers and 7 bronzes in 2008 from both the girls and boys teams, we had 54 finalists this year with 2 golds, 9 silvers and 10 bronzes.

All these accomplishments are, however, merely physical. The greater victory lay in the bonds forged between members of the swimming team, and our camaraderie made us the true winners in spirit. It would have been indisputable that the ethos of the almost palpable ACSian spirit was felt by every single person present at the Singapore Sports School pool.

ACJC Swimming Team 2009

The ACJC Swimming Team would like to extend our gratitude to our principals Mrs Kelvyna Chan and Mrs Jenny Ng as well as Mr Mark Ng, Mrs Rosalind Tan and the CF for their steadfast and unremitting support and for keeping us in their prayers, our teachers-in-charge Mr Lau Chee Kheong, Mr Kwok Ying Liang and Mrs Teri Chia, our coach Mr Guo and seniors Lynette Wong and Leon Lee for their guidance and commitment to our team in lifting us to this result, as well as everyone else who has lent their support in one way or another. To God be the glory, The Best Is Yet To Be.

By Russell Chan