The team from a yet-to-be-named comprehensive school in south London is all set to break new ground! They’re preparing to enter the First Global Challenge, an exhilarating, “Olympics-style” robotics competition. This year, the event is moving to Panama City and as usual will be welcoming a record number of teams – over 190 different countries will be represented. The successful south London outfit have made history by becoming the first ever full-comprehensive school to form Team GB. They are pioneering at this renowned global gathering.
The three team members—Adrian, Kieran, and Teddy—designed and built their very own robot to take on this year’s challenge. The theme of the competition is creating more sustainable food networks, challenging competitors to think creatively about how to best contribute to global sustainability efforts. It was two years ago that the students began this exciting adventure. They took part in the new FIRST robotics club opened by their math teacher, Matt Fry.
“None of us really understood the depth of the competition,” Kieran said. But even though it was their first competition, it was a great experience that provided valuable education and insights. They lost that first match. But then we came back and went 100 percent all in and then we crushed it. All that dedication and practice truly paid off when they were named UK champions, securing their place on the global stage!
Mr. Fry was proud of his students’ advancement and decision-making ability, telling TSN “I want them to be making decisions. His mentorship has been incredibly important for our team. Kieran acknowledged Mr. Fry’s impact on their success: “Mr. Fry is like a god in our eyes. He’s just taken this program, given it to us, and look where we are now—we’re going to Panama.” He added, “Without him, none of this would have ever happened. We can only say ‘thank you.’”
Reflecting on their rapid progress over the past two years, Adrian shared, “In two years, we’ve come so far. None of us thought when we started that we would become the UK champions and represent our country in a global competition.” This feeling is shared by all of the team members going as they look forward to taking this great adventure together.
Though the competition is sure to be fierce, the team is looking forward to the challenge. They’re particularly excited to connect with new friends from across the world and share ideas! They have deceptively provisioned their robot under the name “Steve.” The anticipation around the event is palpable. Students are filled with the pride of their hard work and eager to show the world what they’ve done on an international stage.