Fam trip to Australia!

Hi, I'm Stephanie von Aswegen, Program Manager in the Cologne office for the High School Program. I  had the wonderful opportunity of going on a fam trip to Australia from March 21st to April 5th. The first week was organized by Education Queensland and I was on my own, visiting various schools on the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast as well as schools near Brisbane. I was shown around by the lovely Education Queensland staff. The second week I spent in New South Wales. This was a tour organized by a group of agents from five countries. Here as well, I received a warm welcome and we were shown the most beautiful spots in and around Sydney.

Gold Coast

Townesville

Visiting the schools in person gave me a chance to see the setting, to get a feeling for the location, to see teachers in action, to find out what subjects are on offer and to see the many facilities. Students have a huge variety of subects they can choose from, be it academic subjects, vocational training, marine studies, art and drama, music, and above all sports. Most students think of the beach when they think of Australia. So, to really get us into the mode, the New South Wales staff booked us a lesson at a surf school on Bondi Beach. This was an unforgettable experience and it showed all of us who hadn´t done a workout for a while that this is indeed hard work!

What is most appealing for the students coming from Germany is the opportunity to find out what their talent is. I met one young man from Germany at a school in Queensland, who had joined the boy´s choir at his school and who told me that he didn´t know he could sing. He was always afraid to try, but in Australia he felt enoucraged to go for it. He has been enjoying singing in front of an audience which would have been daunting to him before. Others have discovered a talent for art, industrial design, textiles, hospitality, film making and theatre. The Australian school system aims not only to educate students, but to build personality. Students learn for life and the goal is to turn them into responsible young adults.

Music lesson at a High School

What impressed me also was the hospitality I encountered almost everywhere, as well as the relaxed, easy going way of dealing with things (I guess the good weather helps). This is definitely a worthwhile travel destination and spending 1,2,3 or 4 terms in Australia is a wonderful opportunity for the students to encounter many new things and to discover themselves.  

Our Marathon Man!

Here at Xplore we are super proud of our colleague Zak Shaw who recently completed the London Marathon.  Here is his story...

                                                                                       

'Hello,

My name is Zak Shaw, I am 23 years old, I am the Sales Ledger  in the UK head office and I completed the 2014 London Marathon for the British Lung Foundation. I ran the marathon in memory of my 61 year old Nan, Susan Smith, who passed away in July 2013.

I chose to run for the British Lung Foundation because my Nan had battled with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis for over 5 years and had fought this condition each and every day. IPF is basically scarring of the lungs and is an incurable condition at the moment. There is no cure for IPF because it is a relatively new condition with not enough knowledge surrounding it at the moment. I hope with people like me raising awareness and fundraising, more research will be done into this fatal condition to help future patients and their families.

I thought what could I do to make my Nan proud and raise awareness for IPF? So in September last year I applied to run the 2014 London marathon and the BLF confirmed towards the end of October that I had got a place in their team. I and another 122 people made up Team Breathe for the BLF. I was extremely proud to be able to run for my Nan, my family, myself and the British Lung Foundation.

Training

Training, what can I say? It was extremely tough! I started out by having a nutrition plan and saying I was going to run a certain amount of miles each week but that actually only lasted around a week. I thought I’m not going to go on some strict nutrition plan and make sure I run a certain amount of miles each week if my training is not going to be fun! I wanted to enjoy my training so I made sure I did enjoy it and embrace it. I started running 11, 12, 13 miles at weekends and running 3 to 8 miles each day during the week.

Now for someone who has always been a fit young guy, but never actually ran that much on the road, you notice how running on the road takes a toll on your body which I was about to find out!

I started suffering niggling injuries here and there, tight hamstrings, tight calves, and tight thighs and then by middle of February I got a case of Plantar Fasciitis (which I’m told is very common in runners). Plantar Fasciitis is inflammation of the thick tissue on the sole of your foot. As a result of picking up this injury (after doing a 50 mile week just gone) by doing too much too soon - I was unable to run. I had around 5 weeks of no running which was very frustrating. Those 5 weeks seemed to go on forever. I had to keep fit by swimming, rowing and biking at the gym. From the middle of February until end of March I couldn’t run and was paying to see a physiotherapist each week.

My family and I had doubts about my participation when there were 4 weeks to go until marathon day and I couldn’t run. I thought maybe I should see if I can defer my place until 2015? Thank heavens that I managed to get back up and running again by resting, not doing any exercise on my feet and doing certain exercises that the physiotherapist recommended.

I started running again and participated in the Stowmarket Half Marathon on the 23^rd March. This was my first half marathon, I was supposed to have competed in the Adidas Half Marathon at Silverstone on the 2^nd March but due to my Plantar Fasciitis at the time, I was unable to compete. I didn’t think I was going to find the Half Marathon tough or nerve racking but I actually found it to be both. I had a rubbish start but a strong end and completed it in 1hr 40mins 13secs.

I found this half marathon tough and it gave me added doubt that during the 26.2 miles in London I would have some foot problems but I didn’t really think about it in the 3 weeks leading up to the Marathon. I just thought to myself, I’m going to do it, I’ve got to do it, I’ve got lots of people counting on me and in 3 weeks, I’m going to run the London Marathon! There was no going back.

In the 3 weeks between Stowmarket Half Marathon and the 2014 London Marathon I basically became sedentary! I didn’t do anything apart from the odd 1 mile run and the odd swim at the gym. I just wanted to get to the race feeling good.

Race Day

I started in the 3^rd gate. I was excited and buzzing with anticipation about what was going to happen.  Mo and all the other professionals started in the 1^st gate, so there was no way I could sprint off from the start and say I lead the London Marathon for 20 seconds or so – I really, really wanted to do that. 

It took me 2 minutes to get to the starting line and I started running next to a guy in a Scooby Doo outfit and a guy with a giant sunflower around his head! I thought by running next to people in costumes I might get on TV, but that wasn’t the case. I wanted to get to mile 11 because I knew that’s where the British Lung Foundation charity people were standing. Likewise, I couldn’t wait to get to mile 17 to see my family cheering me on. I knew as long as I got to mile 17, I could get to the end.

I ran the first 11 miles well, I was completing each mile in just under 8 minutes and I was running with the 3hr 20minute official marathon pacers. I thought as long as I stick with these 2 pacers, I’ll be on for a good time. I soaked up the atmosphere in those first 11 miles, I’ve never experience an atmosphere as electric and intense as the London Marathon’s. There were people singing, dancing, cheering, and not just from the side of the road either, but from high rise flats and on top of vehicles. I’ll always remember after a couple of miles there was this couple who had a karaoke machine on their flat balcony and the music was blaring out, and they were cheering people on, it was brilliant. I got to mile 11 and saw the British Lung Foundation supporters and they shouted me name and gave me inspiration, it really touched me emotionally and mentally.

After 11 and a bit miles, I had my first mini “hit the wall” but thankfully that only lasted a couple of minutes, then I started to feel good again. I completed the next 3 miles in about 21 minutes, therefore I hit mile 14 and I was on for about a 3hr 15 minute time.

I continued past mile 14 and found myself going under this bridge and out of nowhere, there was an orchestra band playing jazz. I still think it was one of the most incredible things I’ve ever seen, I really didn’t expect it. I was running under this very dark bridge, minding my own business and I see this huge orchestra band, WOW, amazing, part of me wanted to stop and just listen to them play.

Once I had gone past the Orchestra band, I exited the bridge where daylight hit me and I had an energetic spring in my step. I knew I was going too quickly and it was silly of me to go even quicker, but I felt really good and the atmosphere got the better of me, so I sped up because I felt I could go even quicker till the end – WHAT A SCHOOLBOY ERROR!!! About 30 seconds after I made the decision to go even quicker, I got cramp in both my hamstrings and both my thighs, I was in agony. Unfortunately I had to stop in a really awkward position, right by a drinks station. So there was me trying to relieve my cramp and there were people trying to dodge me and get some water. It was a nightmare! I stopped for about 5 minutes, relieved enough of the cramp and soldiered on. I was like 3 more miles and I’ll see my family. (Bearing in mind the most I had ran before the marathon was 13.1 miles, I still felt I was doing well). 

I hobbled on to mile 17 and was looking out for my family. From mile 14 onwards the crowd played a huge part, they could see I was struggling a little bit and I kept hearing from all corners and people around me… GO ON ZAK! YOU CAN DO IT ZAK! GO ON ZAKKY! Every single person that cheered me, I tried to acknowledge. It’s mad, how a simple cheer gives you that extra motivation to keep on going and battle and fight on.

I got to Mile 17, saw my family, gave my mum a hug, shook my uncles hand and gave Charlotte (my partner) a kiss, I said I couldn’t stop because I’d cramp up if I did! Again in mile 18 I cramped up and had to stop for a couple of minutes, but the crowd, the fellow runners and my Nan gave me that inspiration to carry on. I managed to build up some momentum to mile 21. I remember getting to mile 21 and the time being 3 hours and 3 minutes. I hobble on to mile 22, it took me 10 minutes to get from mile 21 to mile 22 - I was paying for going way too quickly in the early stages.

The End

I hobbled on, I was at a near walking pace when I got to Mile 24 and once I had passed mile 24, I hit the “BIG WALL”. I was like “CMON, 2 MILES TO GO, I CAN DO THIS?!!!!” The crowd were cheering me on, endless amounts of individuals screaming and shouting my name from the side of the road, from bridges, balconies, everywhere! It seemed like everyone was just shouting and cheering me on from all directions. If it wasn’t for the crowd in those last 4 miles, I’d have found it near impossible to finish. The crowd really did get me through it and I thank every single last person who went to the London Marathon to cheer the runners on. It gives me a humble feeling in my chest just thinking about the crowd and there endless motivation.

After mile 25, I was walking, I was wanting to run but my legs wouldn’t let me. I had never experienced when your mind and your body want to run, but your legs just simply don’t let you. I felt fine, I wasn’t out of breath, mentally I wanted to run, but my legs had no fuel left, it was a very strange feeling.

Four or five different runners stopped and said “come on, run with me until the end”, I replied “I want to run but I can’t. You carry on, I’ll be fine.” I hobbled on and I’m pleased to say I ran, (well hobbled) the last 50 metres and when I crossed that line… RELIEF!!! I DID IT!!!

To sum my race up – I enjoyed the first 14 miles, endured the next 3 miles, soldiered to 22 miles and sheer utter determination got me to the end.

After the race, I said I’d never do anything so stupid like running 26.2 miles again! But, I sit here, writing this now, knowing 100% that I would do it again.

I’m ever so humble and thankful that I made my family and most of all my Nan proud by completing the marathon and raising over £3,500 for the British Lung Foundation.

I can imagine my Nan sitting at home, in here chair, watching the London Marathon and seeing me running, in memory of her, with a huge grin on her face and feeling proud of her grandson, and I’m happy with that, because I know she is proud of me for what I have done.'

The joys of international education

Operating in the UK, USA and now Malta, our MyChoice High School placements allow students from all over the world the opportunity to decide their future education in another country. 


We are always excited about this programme and the opportunities it can give to students. Here in the UK, we have had a small name change from Xplore UK to Xplore MyChoice UK in line with our operations in the USA. We are pleased to have a new member of staff in the UK head office which now completes the MyChoice UK team! We also have a new website for our students and agents www.xploremychoice.com. It's been a busy few weeks and will continue to be as we receive more applications for the next academic year. 

Xplore will be at the Suffolk Show on 28th and 29th May and the team will be on hand to answer any questions that you might have about our programme, the students and the opportunity of being a host family. Of course if you are not local to the wonderful county of Suffolk we are contactable any time by phone or email from anywhere in the world! 

Here is an insight into one student's experience of their time in the UK. 


Before I came to the UK I was nervous about what my host family would be like and host sister. I also worried about not making friends. However, my host family bought things for my bedroom to make it feel homely and they are very kind to me. When I return to Norway, I will miss my host mum, she is like a mum to me now. I have a big bedroom with a double bed and a television.  Every other week on a Wednesday I cook for my host family.  I miss some of the Norwegian food too but my family has been sending me food parcels! In Norway we eat a lot more meat and potatoes! I do miss my Norwegian friends but I Skype them every week when I can fit it in with homework.  

'I live in Norway, in a forest but near a big city with my dad, step mum and step brother. It is an option in Norway to study abroad and is quite normal, not everyone does it though. I wanted to try something new and experience other things. My parents were excited for me; I am the first person in my family to study abroad. My dad was very supportive about me doing it. 

On the first day at my new school the teachers were very friendly and kind and then along with some other international students we slowly made friends with our classmates. The teachers lecture in Norway, they don’t teach the same way as English teachers do. Here the teachers want you to be more involved and active in your learning whereas at home they will just talk. It is more innovative here. You also do more subjects in Norway rather than just 3 or 4 A-levels and there are a lot more essays here but more tests in Norway.

I am used to being near a big city with excellent transport and good shops so it is different for me to be out in the countryside with few buses and I would like to see more of England while I am here.  I am surprised that I could adjust to the language and accents so quickly.

I would think about going to university in the UK or USA if money would allow, but university is free in Norway and I have already been away for this year.

I would encourage anyone to come to England to study, it improves your English and you learn about the culture of England not just seeing it as a tourist. Everyone has something positive come out of studying abroad, you also gain independence and it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. It also makes you appreciate what you like about your own country and makes you understand your own country more.'