By Hailey Lee

On Wednesday, October 2nd, Renaissance College hosted their annual ‘Swim Gala’ event at the Ma On Shan public pool. The weather had taken a turn for the better, with cool breezes indicating the arrival of autumn and boosting everyone’s morale as the secondary students took their fifteen-minute seaside walk to the pool and filed into the stands where they would spend all day basking in house spirit and cheering for the swimmers. 

With the Open 100 Freestyle and the Open 300m relay (where one swimmer from each age and gender category was chosen to represent the house as a 50m leg) as newly introduced events, this year’s swim gala provided some variety and unpredictability as swimmers and spectators alike scrambled to watch their friends swim the dreaded 50 fly. 

The House Captains kept spirits high with a carefully articulated playlist that included one-hit wonders like ‘Call Me Maybe’, ‘I Want It That Way’, and, much to everyone’s delight, ‘FE!N’ by Travis Scott, which had everyone out of their seats screaming along to the electrifying lyrics. 

As for the races themselves, Ming stayed in the lead for a majority of the events, coming out on top for the Junior, Intermediate, and Relay categories. Tang followed closely behind, winning the Senior, Open, and Butterfly categories. Qing and Song were not far behind, with Qing being a mere 6 points behind Tang in the Junior category, and Song tying with Tang for second place in the Relay category. 

However, in the end, Ming, reigning champion for the second year in a row, emerged victorious, surpassing Tang by only 15 points at 1155 points and 1140 points, respectively. 

Qing and Song came closely behind, with Qing achieving the satisfying score of 999, and Song securing 829 points.  

The Novelty Races provided great entertainment and amusement for the spectators and participants. The mascot, boogie board, and kayaking races were all opportunities for the less competitive swimmers to cool off and have fun in the pool while also earning points for their house. Tang had a strong team for the novelty races, winning both the kayaking and mascot competitions. A perfect way to wrap up the event, participants of the novelty races were seen leaving the pool grinning from ear to ear, their faces red from the excitement and adrenaline of competition. “‘That was probably the most fun event of the day”’, said Ellie Blackman in Y10, a competitive swimmer who participated in both the boogie boarding and kayak races.  

‘It wasn’t even about the competition anymore: ; even though we (Qing) didn’t win, the vibes and the energy that everyone had was so amazing”’. 

RCHK Swim Gala 2024 was not just a showcase of athletic talent but a vibrant celebration of community and school spirit. As swimmers raced fiercely and cheered each other on, the atmosphere was charged with excitement and camaraderie. Ming's hard-fought victory and Tang's close second highlighted the competitiveness of the event, while the Novelty Races brought joy and laughter to all involved, reminding everyone that it’s not just about winning but about enjoying the experience together.