After an amazing week spent in Coventry in the United Kingdom, Team Rhino have returned to Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High School proud of having given of their best and excited that they could experience so much.
Team Rhino are immensely proud of their results. Despite having never been to the competition before, they were placed 14th out of 22 international teams from 15 countries and, just ahead of our friendly South African rivals the Insomniacs from Gauteng. The team were also nominated for two of the awards; the Sustainability Award and the Team Identity Award.
“When we left Durban, we were heading into the unknown, preparing for an adventure; and what an adventure it was,” said Josef Moffett, GHS robotics society mentor.
He explained that the feeling of unity and common purpose at the competition was amazing. “We found ourselves communicating with Spanish, Portuguese, German, Malaysian and Chinese students using Google Translate on our phones.
“It was like the world had shrunk in the space of a few hours from this big place where South America is far away to the West, and Malaysia is far away to the East – down to chatting and laughing and co-operating all in the same room,” he said.
Moffett added that teamwork and cooperation was commendable across the board from each team. “When somebody needed a soldering iron, three teams rushed to their aid with theirs. When we needed a small step-ladder, in two seconds the Malaysians lent us theirs.
“It was simply awesome to realise how much we can all work together and work towards a common goal. This was simply a breathtaking experience, and we have all grown and experienced so much that it will take us a while to comprehend the extent.”
– Supplied