Tanglin Alumni 2020

TANGLIN ALUMNI

2020

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WELCOME Craig Considine, CEO One of the notable things about a Tanglin education is the broad range of activities students can be involved in.

These are often extensions of the Academic programme or components of the Co-Curriculum. Either way, these opportunities ignite passions and begin to shape each student’s life journey.

To achieve these opportunities, we often ask our Alumni and members of our broader community to engage with our students; sharing their knowledge and experience can help form ideas and possibilities. Have you ever thought about how you might give back to the Tanglin community?

It may be acting as an intern, explaining the challenges of university life, talking about your professional experiences, or inspiring young people through your passions and achievements.

In giving back, there are also opportunities for you. We want to help Tanglin Alumni thrive.

We can offer you several grants, awards and programmes that are generously funded by the TTS Foundation, and we hope you will consider how these might enhance your life journey.

Connectedness has been a feature of the “how to” and self-help articles that have populated the social media space during the pandemic.

Meaningful associations with institutions have always been a key part of one’s wellbeing. The Tanglin Alumni association is ever more active, and we hope you will help us to grow by staying connected.

Best wishes for the year ahead.

Shakila Samuel, Alumni Manager This publication looks back at some of the highlights of 2020. When I think over the events of that year, the wartime catchphrase “keep calm and carry on” springs to mind.

“Have you ever thought about how you might give back to the Tanglin community?”

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The continual shifts of day-to-day living during the escalation of the pandemic forced us all to rethink, relook and make tough choices so that life could, and continue to, “carry on”. For many Tanglin Alumni, separation and even formal isolation periods during this time proved challenging, in addition to worries over health, finances and careers.

Despite this, Tanglin Alumni have shown a community spirit that continues to encourage us all.

Whether supporting nervous Year 13 graduates as they set out on their university careers, encouraging our younger students on campus, leading by example with charity initiatives, or working on the frontlines, Tanglin Alumni featured in this publication have demonstrated the capacity to give back to both the school and their communities beyond expectations.They have also shown resourcefulness and adaptability; forging alternative career pathways and seeking out fresh new adventures with the generous support of the TTS Foundation.

I hope that reading about the support and opportunities available to you as Tanglin Alumni will inspire you to look further and reach higher this year, and encourage you to give back, too.

As always, we are here at alumni@tts.edu.sg.

In the meantime, stay well – and stay safe.

CONTENTS 04 Connect 04 Alumni of the Year 06 Inside the Alumni Committee 07 Share Your Expertise 08 Toast to Tanglin 95 09 Giving Back 10 The TTS Foundation

Internship Programme 12 Become a Uni Rep 13 Alumni Pair Steps Up for Charity 14 UK Support in the Pandemic 15 Opportunities 16 Career Development Grant 17 NEW: Adventurous Expedition Award 18 Alumni Grant 19 Trip Reports 2020

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ALUMNI OF THE YEAR

In 2020, we celebrated our second Alumni of the Year awards, virtually handing out three honours for excellence to Tanglin Alumni who have made an impact in their respective professions and in the community. Here, we proudly introduce the 2020 awardees.

Sean Hudspeth (2012 cohort) Winner: Award for Excellence in Sport

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Sean, 27, is a professional racing driver who has been competing for more than 10 years. Last year, he took the 2020 Italian GT Endurance ProAm Championship as part of Ferrari Team EasyRace, making him a back-to-back champion in the National series. Alongside his racing career, Sean – a certified Ferrari instructor – attends brand launches and roadshows around the world. He also owns his own business, Sean Hudspeth Motorsports, specialising in bespoke driving experiences. Says Sean, “Tanglin has always been a special place for me. I loved my time at the school and was always grateful for the support given to those that wanted to pursue a less ‘conventional’ career path. To be recognised for my achievements is quite emotional for me!”

Sophia McCall (2016 cohort) Winner: Award for Professional Excellence Sophia, a Security Consultant at information assurance firm NCC Group, was recognised for her achievements in the cyber security industry.

The 22-year old, who graduated from Bournemouth University last year with an MSc in Cyber Security Management, undertakes “penetration testing” of clients’ infrastructure and websites. Besides her role, Sophie has also led Team UK in the European Cyber Security Challenge, appeared as a cyber “Hunter” on UK TV series Hunted, acted as a mentor in a UK schools programme, CyberFirst, and set up an industry blog with friends: Security Queens.

In addition to her Alumni of the Year 2020 award, Sophia has received numerous industry accolades, most recently taking the gong for Cybersecurity Student of the Year at the SC Magazine awards.

Says Sophie, “Tanglin played a huge part in my childhood and education; it provided the foundation that allowed me to specialise in cyber security. It’s amazing to have my efforts recognised by the school.”

Healthcare workers and other Frontline Workers Winners: Excellence in Community Engagement This year’s award for Excellence in Community Engagement was given in recognition of Tanglin Alumni who have been on the frontlines in the fight against COVID-19. We thank you all for the dedication, hard work and sacrifice you have shown throughout the pandemic, and that has been demanded of you in your respective roles.

You are all heroes to Tanglin!

Pictured above: Former Head Girl Varnika Kauschik (2013 cohort) is a final-year medical student who has supported the UK helpline NHS Direct throughout the pandemic. She recently launched a fundraiser to supply oxygen concentrators to critically unwell patients in India.

“Why I Nominate”

by Stephen Coughlan, Assistant Head of Arts (Media Technology), Tanglin Senior School “For teachers, the Alumni of the Year awards present a wonderful opportunity to both share with our community how graduating students have grown and succeeded, and show our Alumni that the community is proud of their achievements.

I nominated Javid Rezai (2010 cohort) for the Excellence in Arts award in 2019. I was really impressed by the way he reached out to the school, volunteering to deliver workshops to students in his field of expertise: screenwriting for film and television. Since leaving Tanglin, he has had an exciting and varied career: he is a BAFTA-award winner who has written for the fashion magazine Esquire and the TV soap Hollyoaks – and he communicates well to our young people about the challenges and setbacks he has faced, while remaining enthusiastic, passionate and determined.

He is an excellent role model for Tanglin students.”

If you would like to nominate a member of the Tanglin Alumni for the Alumni of the Year 2021 awards, contact us at alumni@tts.edu.sg.

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CONNECT

GATHER ROUND One way you can make your voice heard is through the Alumni Committee Formed in 2019, the Alumni Committee meets once each term to give feedback on proposed Tanglin Alumni events and projects, and rally support for upcoming events. Tanglin Alumni are joined by Craig Considine, CEO, as well as members of the Senior School Leadership Team, the Director of Development and the Alumni Team.

Currently, there are nine Tanglin Alumni on the committee, each representing a number of different cohorts and living in different countries.

Meetings typically take place for around an hour on a weekday; for our UK members, this often means breakfast time, with our US members not long for bed!

Here, UK member Patrick tells us more about his time on the committee. If you are interested in joining, please contact us at alumni@tts.edu.sg.

“It’s important for Tanglin Alumni to know they have a community ready and willing to support them” – Patrick McConnell (2008 cohort) 6

Alumni Committee member Patrick McConnell (2008 cohort) “I joined the Alumni Committee when it was first set up, in June 2019. I wanted to give something back to Tanglin; to help strengthen the Tanglin Alumni community, and support students on their way to university or a new career.

At Alumni Committee meetings, I contribute to agenda items by giving the perspective of Tanglin Alumni in my cohort range, i.e. around 2008, as well as providing a UK/London view on matters.

As part of my role, I also participate in panel assessments for the TTS Foundation’s Career Development Grant; this is a great initiative that supports Tanglin Alumni to train (or re-train) for their desired career. The panel assesses each application, then conducts interviews with the applicants to determine whether or not to allocate funds to their projects. It is great to see people pursuing diverse, meaningful careers, and to help Tanglin Alumni compete in what is an increasingly competitive graduate market, especially given the impact of COVID-19.

My experience of being on the Alumni Committee has been a very positive one. It’s important for students and Tanglin Alumni to know they have a community ready and willing to support them.”

SHARE YOUR EXPERTISE Tanglin Alumni Vlogs In 2020, the world became an uncertain place, particularly for students preparing to leave school for higher education or the workplace.

To alleviate the worry, Tanglin Alumni shared their study experiences, advice and expertise via video. Their vlogs were shared with Year 10-13 students on campus and via social media.

SPORT Ben Stevens (2004 cohort) is Head of Performance and Recruitment Analysis at Crystal Palace FC. His vlog explained how he got started in this competitive field.

We thank Tanglin Alumni who gave their precious time to share their study and career journeys with our community.

Don’t see your industry here?

AVIATION Matt Troth (2016 cohort) shared his passion for flying, talking us through the hours of study and cockpit training he completed, to the moment he received his commercial pilot’s licence.

FASHION Sarah Divyanathan (2016 cohort) graduated last year with a BA (Hons) in Fashion Design.

She discussed her internship with Saint Laurent and shared what she’s learned about her industry.

LAW Hana Shono (2016 cohort) shared her experiences as Vice-Chair of the United Nations Association (UNA) Scotland, as well as details of her studies at St Andrew’s University.

You can find all our videos at alumni.tts.edu.sg/#shareexpertise.

Or, better yet, share your own story with us via alumni@tts.edu.sg.

NSmen Online Each year, Tanglin Alumni return to campus to share their experiences of National Service with our Sixth Form. In 2020, we were pleased to continue this important tradition online. Our thanks go to Marcus Chung (2017 cohort), Niccoloe Doe (2016 cohort) and Sean Nolan (2015 cohort), above, who made themselves available to field questions from our students.

Have you completed National Service? Tell us about your experience via alumni@tts.edu.sg.

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OUR TOAST TO TANGLIN Like many occasions in 2020, our London-based Tanglin Alumni events were unable to take place.

The popular programme would have seen more than 400 Tanglin Alumni come together to catch up and share memories of the school in its very special 95th year. So instead, we decided to hold an online gathering open to the world!

On Saturday, 14 November, Tanglin Alumni – both former students and staff – raised a glass to Tanglin Trust School as a way to celebrate our milestone anniversary, and shared photos and messages on Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag #toasttotanglin95.

Above: the Senior School’s Maths Faculty celebrate the milestone moment with a birthday cake.

It’s thumbs up from Sport!

Left and above: Tanglin Alumna Taja Barber (2016 cohort) shared this post of her own virtual reunion. Cheers!

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GIVING BACK

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FUNDED BY THE TTS FOUNDATION

GIVING BACK

TTS FOUNDATION INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME If you’re aged 18-25, this annual programme is a win-win; it’s the perfect way of giving back to Tanglin while completing valuable work experience.

In 2020, Tanglin Alumni interns worked with faculty staff both inside and beyond the classroom to enrich the education of our students, and impart valuable advice and guidance. Beyond this, they also completed a variety of projects within the school, from kitting out Nursery children with Tanglin-made face shields, to auditioning Senior School dramatists for a musical, and even leading their own A Level Politics classes.

We thank all our interns for their efforts in 2020 despite the year’s obvious challenges, and we wish them the very best as they head off to university – whether that’s in person or remotely – or new roles.

If you are, or you know of, Tanglin Alumni who are keen to complete the TTS Foundation Internship Programme, keep an eye on our website for the latest information.

The 2020 Programme in Numbers

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Tanglin Alumni Interns

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Length of Internship: From 4 weeks to 1 full term

What our 2020 interns said…

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“I attended Tanglin for 15 years as a student – from Reception through to Year 13 – so you can imagine how strange it must have felt to be in a teaching role!

Being able to work with some of my former teachers in the PE department and catch up with others around the wider school made this internship a truly enjoyable experience. As a Tanglin Alumnus, I believe that I have been able to contribute a more holistic approach to teaching, giving supportive feedback on how lessons are conducted. I hope I have made the most out of the experience.” – Marcus Chung (2017 cohort)

“The TTS Foundation Internship Programme was one of the most professional and fun teaching experiences I have ever had! I worked one-to-one with students on their singing for the school musical Grease, not only teaching proper vocal technique, but also how to act through. As a vocal coach, there is nothing more wonderful than your students discovering they can sing something they never thought they could. Many thanks to the amazing Drama department for making this experience so wonderful.” – Stephania Yiannouka (2016 cohort)

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GIVING BACK

LEAD ON! Choosing a pathway beyond Tanglin can be daunting. But with your support, it need not be.

Thanks to our Uni Reps, Year 13 students facing difficult choices can call upon the sage advice of Tanglin Alumni already studying their first-choice subject, or at their first-choice university.

Currently, there are more than 20 UK universities with a Uni Rep – Tanglin Alumni who offer their advice and guidance to our Year 13 students.

Throughout the course of the year, the Alumni Team

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in Singapore reaches out to these volunteers to assist students looking to study a similar course or at that same university. The insight of a Uni Rep, many of whom are in their second or third year of study, is invaluable in helping many of our Year 13s make the leap.

Our deepest thanks go to all our Uni Reps who have made themselves available for our young students, particularly in what has been a challenging year for school leavers.

If you would like to give back by joining them, please contact the team at alumni@tts.edu.sg.

“Why I’m a Uni Rep”

by Blair Allan (2018 cohort) “I signed up as a Uni Rep so current students would be able to message me in regards to studying Neuroscience or about the University of Leeds (opposite), where I am currently. I remember when I was at Tanglin, it felt difficult to differentiate between the courses universities offer and I thought with the bit of experience I have, I could help make someone’s decision a little easier.

While my role is mainly answering questions about courses at Leeds and its student life, I have also visited Tanglin as an official representative of the university alongside my tutor. I spoke to current students and gave my honest insights; again, to help students make a more informed choice about their next steps.

The experience has been great; hopefully, my advice has made an impact and helped students feel more

Above: Blair visits Tanglin to talk next steps. comfortable in making what can be difficult choices about life after Tanglin.

I hope to continue helping students out and giving back to Tanglin – it gave so much to me!”

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Says Roisin, “Many people have struggled with their mental health [this year], so raising money for a charity like the Samaritans of Singapore [SOS] seemed very appropriate. Although some days were harder and more painful than others, the feeling of accomplishment after each day was incredible, and knowing that the money was going to such a vital cause made it even better.”

Step Change

We congratulate Roisin and Huw for their inspiring efforts. To read the full story on their achievement, or to watch a time-lapse video of its completion, scan the QR code below.

How can you be more active in your community?

The answer isn’t simple when you consider the social distancing measures and travel restrictions that may be in place where you live.

For two members of the 2020 cohort, Roisin Dunne and Huw Jones, the solution was found inside the box. Proving there are no limits on fundraising possibilities, the pair raised SGD1650 for a local charity, the Samaritans of Singapore, from the confines of quarantine. Roisin and Huw each walked 150km over their 13-day stretch in a Singapore hotel, completing more than 1500 laps of their seven-metre-long room each day to make up the distance.

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GIVING BACK

UK SUPPORT DURING THE PANDEMIC The transition from Tanglin to university was especially challenging in 2020.

Many of our families were unable to travel to the UK with their university-bound sons and daughters, leaving those Tanglin Alumni to settle into a new country – and a new life – with sometimes little support.

MUM’S THE WORD Backed by the coordinating efforts of the Alumni Team, Friends of Tanglin banded together to form an informal network of support for these graduates.

Spread out across the UK, the group called and spoke with Alumni, offering open invitations to join for a meal or visit – and even their spare rooms.

We asked them to reflect on the experience.

Above left: Rachel and family at Bath. Above right: Fraser and friend Matthew McPhee (2020 cohort).

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Rachael Campbell Parent of Fraser Campbell (2020 cohort) “I have two sons at university in the UK – one at the University of Bath and the other at the University of Worcester. The universities, and Birmingham Airport, are all a short drive away.

We have a spare room and I am happy to help any Tanglin Alumni enrolled at either institution who needs support! Last year, one of my sons’ friends flew in from Singapore and stayed with us until it was time for them both to start at Bath. One day,

we went shopping to buy all the gear they would need and I suggested they pick out two sets of bedding each. They asked, ‘Why two?’ I explained, ‘You’ll need one for the bed while the other is in the washing machine.’ They laughed, ‘That’s not going to happen!’ We had a similar conversation when I hinted they might want to take an iron…”

Angela Wheaton Parent of Grace Wheaton (2020 cohort) “Last year, I supported Tanglin Alumni via email and offered to cook a few Sunday lunches. To this day, however, I haven’t had any takers on that; I am a dreadful cook, so perhaps word got out!”

Lisa Mowle Parent of Louis Mowle (2020 cohort) “We had several Tanglin Alumni staying with us in 2020, mainly friends of my son. We’re happy to help anyone who might need it again this year – we’re close to Heathrow and have a spare room.”

Do you need support overseas? Are you willing to offer it to others? Friends of Tanglin is an amazing resource for our Alumni. To find out more, contact us at alumni@tts.edu.sg.

“We’re happy to help anyone who might need it”

OPPORTUNITIES

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OPPORTUNITIES

FUNDED BY THE TTS FOUNDATION

CAREER DEVELOPMENT GRANT Ready to take the next step, but not sure how?

Delivering funds up to SGD3,000, the TTS Foundation’s Career Development Grant is available to Tanglin Alumni aged 24+ who need support to embark on a course or personal project that will help advance their careers or contribute to their personal development.

In 2020, we were delighted to have granted nine such applications to the following Tanglin Alumni, who are pursuing further development in their chosen field of work: MUSIC Oscar Allison-Dogar (2013 cohort) Twenty-week course that will further his music career.

MARKETING Holly Leadbitter (2013 cohort) Market research course to support her role in marketing.

LAW Leila Parry (2014 cohort) Support for her Legal Practice course in London.

HEALTH & WELLNESS Rory Beardsell (2013 cohort) Nutrition course to supplement his work as a personal trainer.

EDUCATION Khimtalie Ahuja (2013 cohort) Support towards attaining her teaching qualifications.

Nathaniel Wallis (2014 cohort) Support to attain Levels 2 & 3 cycling coaching qualifications.

REAL ESTATE Druv Duggal (2014 cohort) Support in setting up his own property consultancy business in New York.

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What our other recipients said:

Emma Gray (2014 cohort) is based in Germany, working for the multinational Ganter Group. She applied for funding to complete an Intercultural Psychology course that would help her better facilitate intercultural training for her mainly non-English speaking colleagues.

“The TTS Foundation Career Development Grant supports Tanglin Alumni far beyond their time at the school. Thanks to the grant, I am now working towards a further education diploma in Intercultural Psychology through distance learning that is enabling me to carry out intercultural training for my colleagues. The grant is the ideal opportunity to follow your personal or professional passion.”

Lily McConnell (2010 cohort) is Head of Spanish at Blenheim High School, UK. She applied for the Career Development Grant to fund a translation course that would boost her linguistic qualifications.

“I applied for the grant after fellow Tanglin Alumni flagged up the opportunity to me. As a teacher of languages, I had always wanted to undertake a master’s degree in Translation to further my subject knowledge and open up potential career opportunities. The grant provided me with the funds and motivation I needed to make the leap.”

To apply for the Career Development Grant, go to alumni.tts.edu.sg. Each application should be accompanied by a written proposal as to why and how the grant will benefit you. Successful applicants will be asked to attend a panel review.

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FUNDED BY THE TTS FOUNDATION

ADVENTUROUS EXPEDITION AWARD We are excited to introduce the first ever recipient of the TTS Foundation Adventurous Expedition Award: Charlotte Harris (2009 cohort).

The TTS Foundation Adventurous Expedition Award was launched to support Alumni in audacious projects that require teamwork, endurance, resilience and tenacity. Awardees may be pioneers in a particular activity or following a road less travelled. The support of the award can help both fund an endeavour and enable Alumni to become “Inspirational Speakers” at Tanglin, so as to share their experiences with our student and Alumni communities.

NEW HORIZONS Charlotte Harris (2009 cohort) Charlotte (above, in foreground) is currently preparing for the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Rowing Challenge, an annual rowing event that sees participants traverse the 3,000 miles between San Sebastian, Canary Islands and Nelson’s Dockyard, Antigua. The challenge has been dubbed the World’s Toughest Row, and Charlotte – along with her rowing partner Jess – expects to complete

it in December 2021, with the aim of raising more than SGD180,000 for charity.

Says Charlotte, “Both my teammate and I are complete novices to rowing. We entered the event just two weeks before the UK’s first national lockdown, and this heavily impacted both our training and fundraising processes. We had to wait a year before being able to get out on the water and experienced a lot of rejection from corporate sponsors who were struggling due to the pandemic.

Receiving the TTS Foundation Adventurous Expedition Award meant we could start investing in our journey and it was a huge mental win: getting that ‘yes’ was invaluable. Plus, it hasn’t only been funding that Tanglin has provided: we’ve also received guidance on our fundraising campaign, and connections that have helped us enormously.

We are hoping to raise funds for Shelter and Women’s Aid; both organisations have been under enormous strain since the beginning of the pandemic. While we haven’t yet completed the row itself, just being involved with the event has been an unbelievable experience. It’s going to be life changing.”

If you have a challenge in mind and would like to find out more about how the TTS Foundation Adventurous Expedition Award can support you, contact the Alumni Team at alumni@tts.edu.sg.

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OPPORTUNITIES

FUNDED BY THE TTS FOUNDATION

ALUMNI GRANT The Alumni Grant is available to all our Year 13 students and Alumni aged 18+. Supported by the TTS Foundation, it can be used to match funding for any activities related to CAS (Creativity, Action, Service), up to SGD1,000.

CAS-related activities could involve: • Learning or improving a skill • Engaging with your community • Giving back to those less fortunate • Being a positive role model for current students.

To read previous year’s trip reports, or to find out more applying for the Alumni Grant, visit alumni.tts.edu.sg.

TRIP REPORTS 2019/20 19 A Walk on the Wild Side

by Emma Hall (2019 cohort) 20 Conquering the “Mountain of Death”

by Sophie Tottman (2016 cohort) 22 In the Land of Giants

by Loane Bobillier (2019 cohort) 24 Peak Performance

by Lara Weiland (2019 cohort) 26 The Deep Blue Sea

by Daniel Shailer (2018 cohort)

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ALUMNI GRANT TRIP REPORTS 2019/20

A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE When Emma Hall (2019 cohort) found her Gap Year project cancelled due to COVID-19, she signed up to a volunteer programme in Zimbabwe helping to protect endangered black rhinos; a plan made possible with support of the TTS Foundation’s Alumni Grant.

“This year has been a bit of a strange one, to say the least. I had originally organised to do a two-week intensive Chalet Cooks course in the UK during my Gap Year, to set me up for a winter season in the Alps working as a chef. I applied for the TTS Foundation’s Alumni Grant to help me fulfil this plan, knowing many Tanglin Alumni who had already taken up this incredible opportunity. Unfortunately, during the very first week of the course, an outbreak of COVID-19 was discovered at the cookery school, forcing the cancellation of the remaining days.

One of my great friends is Zimbabwean, and I had always heard from him about how amazing and unique the country is. After the disappointment of being unable to complete the cookery course, I decided to fly from London to Victoria Falls, in the north-west of the country, and complete two weeks of volunteer work with the Nakavango Conservation Programme (NCP).

The NCP is an affiliate of travel company International Volunteer HQ, and is based on the Victoria Falls private game reserve. It is an amazing initiative that takes in volunteers from across the world and all year round to assist in the conservation of the game reserve. Perhaps most importantly, the programme helps to protect the endangered black rhinos that live on the reserve.

During my two weeks with the NCP, myself and my fellow volunteers worked on a variety of projects.

First, we helped remove an invasive non-native, or ‘alien’ plant species called lantana; it can be extremely harmful to the animals if ingested.

It was tough work, however necessary in order to prevent the plant from overgrowing. We were also lucky enough to be able to visit a local primary school and spend the morning helping the children clear a field for agricultural purposes.

In addition to the volunteering work, we were able to experience the amazing animals within the reserve during daily game drives. I was fortunate enough to see three of the ‘Big Five’ – elephants, buffalos and rhinos – alongside giraffes, zebras and elands (antelopes). Seeing these animals interacting in their natural habitat brought home the importance of the work of the NCP. The Alumni Grant provided me with a life-changing opportunity to embark on an incredible and educational experience. Planning the trip improved my independence skills, and the volunteering work allowed me to build upon my resilience and work ethic. I know that all these skills, along with many others I acquired, will be extremely important for the rest of my life.

I would recommend applying for the Alumni Grant to anyone who is looking for an adventure that allows them to grow as a person and learn something new.”

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ALUMNI GRANT TRIP REPORTS 2019/20

CONQUERING THE “MOUNTAIN OF DEATH” In 2020, Sophie Tottman (2016 cohort) successfully summited Argentina’s treacherous Mount Aconcagua, an achievement made possible by a TTS Foundation-funded Alumni Grant. Here, in her own words, Sophie explains what she learnt atop the perilous peak.

“It is 11.30am on February 9, 2020, and I am pulling myself up onto the highest point in the Southern Hemisphere. The air, deprived of oxygen, glints with flecks of snow and ice.

A large white cloud whips around the rocky ledge like liquid nitrogen around the rim of a bucket. The sky is dark blue. I sit down to catch my breath; I am the first of my teammates to reach the summit today. When the rest begin to emerge over the ledge, I crack them a bloody smile: my gums are bleeding from windchill and the pressure of altitude. I have not slept in a little over 26 hours. But, no matter – I have made it.

Aconcagua is the tallest mountain outside the Himalayas, and one of the highest of the Seven Summits – the highest peaks of each continent; it is dwarfed only by Mount Everest. It is a little under 7000m high (6962m). For context, the death zone – an area of high altitude in which there is not enough available oxygen for humans to breathe – begins at 7500m. At 8000m, one starts to lose one’s brain cells.

While not a technical peak, Aconcagua should not be underestimated; its nickname is the ‘Mountain of Death’. The high altitude alone presents its own set of risks, but it is the weather on Aconcagua that makes it such a volatile climb. Prior to our summit push, we had been grounded at base camp for six days due to poor weather around the summit that would have made the traverse impassable.

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In essence, the traverse is an exposed trail of ice clinging to the mountain that must be crossed in order to make the summit. Even during our perfect weather window, we had to walk sections of it backwards so as not to face the wind directly.

If we had attempted this during the 120kph winds that had previously been reported at base camp, we would have been blown clean off the mountainside. Aconcagua is all about mental willpower, acclimatisation, and timing your summit push for the best weather. It’s necessary to knuckle down and simply keep putting one foot in front of the other until you moment you reach the top.

The last 200-or-so metres before the summit is a famously challenging vertical scramble – it’s the hardest part, at an altitude containing the least oxygen. It’s the point at which many people choose to turn back despite being

Head in the clouds: Sophie (fourth from right) says her exhilarating summit will be the first of many. agonisingly close to the ‘finish line’. Two men in my expedition team shed tears during this section. Having pushed throughout the night, all anyone wants at this stage is sleep – but of course, sleep is not an option: at this altitude, a nap might kill you. It is a short section that feels endless, and it can take hours if you move particularly slowly.

The summit itself comes and goes in 10 blissful minutes. After that, it’s time to start the descent; a Sherpa digs his nails into my otherwise numb fingers to make sure I can still feel something.

While I’m alright, it seems a teammate of mine has developed frostbite in his big toe.

so you can still answer the call of nature and not freeze to death. And once you are back down to sea level, all you think about is when you will return.

I’m so excited by the thought of the next challenge, I can barely sit still. It is the excitement only a free person can feel; one at the beginning of a journey with no fixed destination. I hope I make it to the summit, and that the sky is as blue as I remember.

Thank you, TTS Foundation, for supporting this dream of mine.”

So, you might ask: why would anyone do this?

Can those 10 minutes on the top really be worth everything that comes before (and after)?

For me, climbing a mountain is not really about making the summit; in fact, one hardly remembers it. The journey there is what one remembers – the days spent at base camp; supporting your teammates through long acclimatisation hikes; huddling together with your tent buddy at night; marvelling at the Milky Way; figuring out how to use the ‘buttocks flap’ on your summit suit

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ALUMNI GRANT TRIP REPORTS 2019/20

IN THE LAND OF GIANTS Loane Bobillier (2019 cohort) received an Alumni Grant funded by the TTS Foundation to spend two weeks with the organisation Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand supporting staff helping animals to heal from abuse.

“My two weeks as a volunteer at Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) began with a three-hour journey from Bangkok to the rescue grounds together with two other volunteers from Denmark. Upon our arrival at the sanctuary, we were greeted by two large elephant statues on either side of the road. What a great welcome!

There are more than 600 rescued animals at WFFT; they stay within the boundaries of a large section of land that was once donated by a local temple.

Arriving at the centre was extremely overwhelming to say the least: the space was enormous, and it took a short trek to get from the entrance to where my accomodation was. I was assigned a spacious room with a beautiful view of an enclosure housing three elephants. The sun would set right behind their enclosure, which ensured every day ended somewhat magically!

During my first week at WFFT I worked with the wildlife group, dabbling in different roles to help animals such as gibbons, macaques, bears, iguanas, turtles and rabbits. I particularly loved working with the primates, helping to chop up fruit for their meals; together, we helped staff to make approximately 300 bowls of food per day!

The sweet smell of fruit always made this a very enjoyable task. Working with the bears meant covering a good deal of ground; sweeping enclosures, cleaning pools and scrubbing walls.

In my second week, I worked at the elephant

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Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand is located in Phetchaburi, which is on the north end of the Malay peninsula. enclosures where each team was given between one and three elephants to look after.

As volunteers, the only times we touch the animals were during feeding.

The absence of human interaction is to help the animals maintain their wild instinct; many of them were rescued from abusive environments in which they were used for human entertainment, such as in begging (bears), trekking (elephants) and the circus.

Each morning, I would hand-feed the elephants their bananas and at lunch time, I would feed them ripped up bananas, bran and special pellets. It was an amazing experience to have such close contact with these majestic creatures. Obviously, the larger the animal, the larger the mess: our duties also included cleaning up the elephants’ enclosures and collecting their manure for composting!

At WFFT, Loane helped to feed, bathe and entertain elephants, many of whom were recovering from abuse. Below: the sanctuary also houses a variety of primates, all of which need feeding twice daily.

Another task involving the elephants was helping to carry out ‘enrichment activities’ that were designed to aid their cognitive development: we would chop up fruit and tie it using plant strings to create a sort of ‘prize’ they would need to compete to get.

“I found the experience to be extremely enriching and humbling... It really opened up my eyes to the world!”

Overall, I found the experience to be extremely enriching and humbling; I saw first-hand how hard the staff work to create a beautiful life for the animals living in the centre. While the days could be long and tiring – starting as early as 6am – I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

I am thankful to have had the opportunity to learn more about these wild animals and the work done at the centre, and also to meet volunteers from so many different backgrounds and cultures; it really opened my eyes up to the world!

I hope to have contributed positively in some way to this amazing organisation and I am grateful to the TTS Foundation for making this life-changing experience possible.”

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ALUMNI GRANT TRIP REPORTS 2019/20

PEAK PERFORMANCE Lara Weiland (2019 cohort) received an Alumni Grant from the TTS Foundation to help fund her training to become a ski instructor in Niseko.

She explains the highs and lows of mountain life – and how the experience helped shape her passion for the slopes.

“From November 2019 to March 2020, I worked as a ski instructor in Niseko, Japan. It’s one of the best things I’ve ever done and has definitely made me want to complete another season at other resorts in the future! I fell in love with all things Japan – the amazing snow, the culture and its food, to name just a few! I hope I will be able to return one day.

I travelled with a company called Educating Adventures; they provided me with ski training for three weeks in preparation for the New Zealand Ski Instructors Alliance (NZSIA) Ski Level One (instructors) examination I would take in December 2019. The trainers improved my skiing massively in such a short amount of time, and I would not have been able to pass the exam without their help. The exam itself was five days long and consisted of two parts: personal skiing ability, and the ability to teach beginners and intermediates to ski. I hope to be able to complete my Ski Level Two qualification soon as it will allow me to teach higher-level clients and make it easier to find roles in other ski schools.

Once the training and exam period had passed, I started work at Niseko Village Snow School.

Niseko Village is the second-largest ski school on the mountain, employing around 130 ski and snowboard instructors. I really enjoyed my

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Alumna Lara (right) hopes to continue ski instructing once it’s possible to do so safely. role as a ski instructor, especially teaching the children. It was so fun and rewarding.

A typical day started at 8am, when I would receive an hour of instructor/ski training from Ski Level Three instructors, although if there had been a significant dump of powder the night before, we would be free to have fun rather than train.

Lessons began promptly at 10am. Generally, my clients were complete beginners, although sometimes I would be assigned higher-level skiers who I could take up the chair lifts or on the gondola; that was always super fun.

For lunch, I would either be taken to a restaurant by a client or eat in the staff canteen. If I was taking part in a children’s group lesson – a personal favourite – I was able to eat at the nearby five-star

Lara fell in love with Japan during her time in the country, travelling whenever possible on her days off.

Below right: socialising with her friends in their accommodation block; leading a children’s ski lesson. hotel with the kids. The food was some of the best, but it was often a chaotic, albeit fun, experience!

Over busy periods such as Christmas and New Year, I could work for 20 days straight without a single day off. Outside that, though, I usually had around two days off each week. I generally spent my rest days skiing, especially if the snow was good; sometimes I would venture into the backcountry with friends to find fresh powder.

More than 500 instructors, lift operators and hotel staff lived in the same accommodation block, so there was always someone I could hang out with or something going on. Everybody knew each other; there was a really nice community vibe.

Unfortunately, due to the Coronavirus pandemic, my season was cut slightly short, and the plans I had made to travel across Japan in the Spring were cancelled. While I didn’t want to leave, I tried to focus on all the good times I had enjoyed and the amazing friends I had made.

Overall, my season in Japan was incredible, and has only increased my passion for skiing.

I would highly recommend this experience who is interested, especially with the support of the TTS Foundation’s Alumni Grant. The additional money enabled me to complete the ski instructor course and for that I am extremely grateful. It is a great idea and made my Gap Year all the better. A big thank you to the TTS Foundation and the Tanglin Alumni team!”

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ALUMNI GRANT TRIP REPORTS 2019/20

THE DEEP BLUE SEA Daniel Shailer (2018 cohort) received an Alumni Grant funded by the TTS Foundation to swim 33 miles across the English Channel, raising SGD10,000 for the Marine Conservation Society in the process. Here, Daniel takes us through the blood, sweat and stings of preparing to swim across the world’s busiest shipping lane.

“I began preparing for an English Channel swim in April 2019. I did not have a coach, so I sought out the advice of other Channel swimmers who had been successful in the past. The swim’s growing popularity meant April was too late to book a slot for the 2020 season. I rang round all 12 boats and Masterpiece was able to squeeze me into fourth position on a tide window in August 2020 (each boat books four swimmers to take out in order should the weather allow, for each neap tide between June and September).

Come January, I bought a pool membership and began training more concertedly and focusing on speed, with shorter interval swims of 2-5km, broken into repetitions of 100-800m. At that time, I also began training for the cold water in Parliament Hill Lido, London. Winter swimming also served as my first introduction to a large and welcoming community of wild swimmers.

My plan was to continue with speed work in the pool and short cold swims in open water until May 2020, only one plan of many across the globe that would be interrupted by COVID-19. I paused training in April, believing my big swim would not go ahead. I was lucky enough to spend lockdown

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in Dorset, close to the UK’s South Coast, and so in May I resumed training in the sea. I began with 20-minute swims and built up to five hours in Poole Harbour, with my dad escorting me in a kayak.

By the start of July, I was facing a difficult decision. I was coming off a bad week of training after travelling to Cornwall for my first seven-hour swim, and needing to leave the water shivering after two hours; battered by waves and tides, and spooked by jellyfish. That week, Channel swims became possible again and I was offered a slot just three weeks later. I took the slot and booked a last-minute training camp in Dover for one final burst of swimming to set me straight.

When my tide window arrived on Monday, July 27, I packed my kit for the big swim and waited for a call from my captain. Conditions would be too windy until Thursday, when the first wave of swimmers eventually went out, and would worsen once again. The following Monday, my captain called me at noon with a quandry: the wind on Tuesday would be calm enough for the swim, but there would be a stronger, Spring tide. While all swimmers travel 21 miles across the Channel, stronger tides make landing on the French coast more difficult and so the distance travelling up and down the Channel increases. Also, to catch the tides at the right time, I would need to start swimming at midnight. I had never swum in the dark before, but I was too excited to pass up the opportunity I’d been preparing for, for 14 months.

Daniel’s swim took more than 15 hours and involved crossing both English and French shipping lanes.

I arrived in Folkestone Harbour with my crew (Mum, Dad and my girlfriend) and our kit for the swim. We found the boat at 11pm and began the journey to a small beach between Dover and Folkestone, on the English coast.

I had my crew cover me in suncream and Vaseline on the way over, and I attached lights to my goggles and the back of my trunks so the boat could see me in the water. Once the captain had positioned the boat as close to the shore as possible, I jumped in the water and swam back to England.

A spotlight from the boat found me, and then the captain sounded a horn. I waded back in.

I was swimming for 15 hours, 15 minutes, and covered a little over 61km (33 nautical miles) before I finally walked onto a beach along the coast from Calais, France.

“I would need to start swimming at midnight. I had never swum in the dark before, but I was too excited to pass up the opportunity” I stuck to my feeding plan for the whole journey: swimming for two hours before stopping to tread water and take a drink; I would stop to refuel hourly after that. The first two hours were some of the worst; swimming in the dark was very disorienting and at one point I lost the boat in the dark and the swell. The following hours felt comfortable in comparison; the sunrise five hours in was a highlight. After six hours, my goggles broke and I swapped to a tinted pair. The seventh hour saw me enter the separation zone (between French and English shipping lanes) and swim into several

jellyfish. I had been stung on my forearms earlier in the swim, but this time I was stung on my face, including an especially painful sting on my lip.

Another challenge arose after 10 hours. I noticed a sandbank just beneath my hands so, at the next feed, I asked whether we had entered shallow waters. The crew looked concerned: as it turned out, we were in the middle of nowhere. I continued swimming and dipped my head to touch the sand, but my hand went straight through it. I suddenly realised it was a hallucination. There were others too: in the following hours I saw birds that weren’t there and at one point fancied my mum, standing on the boat, was holding a gun (it was a mobile phone).

Throughout hours 12-14, I swam against tides that were pushing away from France. The captains found a sheltered cove and we swam in for the last hour. I had convinced myself I would never make it, so when I saw the captain moving the dinghy in readiness for the final stretch to shore, I felt a very intense rush of emotion.

I walked out of the water and took a moment to take in my surroundings. I picked up a pebble as a talisman and returned to the dinghy, ready to be rowed back to the big boat.

One aim of this project was to raise money for the Marine Conservation Society. I was very proud to reach my fundraising target of £10,000 the day after the swim. During my fundraising period, Westminster School had invited me to talk about my swim and later held a mufti day that raised another £700. I am so grateful to the TTS Foundation and the Tanglin Alumni team for making it possible for me to complete the swim.”

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Tanglin Trust School Ltd 95 Portsdown Road Singapore 139299 Tel: (65) 67780771 Fax: (65) 67775862 alumni.tts.edu.sg

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Tanglin Trust School Ltd 196100114C Reg. period: 7 June 2017 to 6 June 2023