How Two Year 12 Boys Leapt to New Heights in Aerobics at HVGS

Published on November 29, 2024

What happens when two Year 12 best friends, Alex D and Thomas C, decide to try something new and spend more time together? Spoiler! They form new friendships, develop new skills, and walk away with a second-place title at a National Aerobics Championship! HVGS has a long, proud history of outstanding success in Aerobics, but for the first time in 2024, we entered a Senior Boy’s Squad into the National Championships. 

Reflecting on their decision to jump into aerobics, Thomas explained, “We just wanted to try something different—something we could do together as best mates—and we wanted to compete on a national level.” For Alex, the highlight of Aerobics above all else, was the people he met. “I made lots of new friendships from Aerobics. A great thing about Hunter Valley Grammar School is the wide range of co-curricular activities. You can try anything you want here – and there’s always something for everyone.”  

Balancing a demanding sport like Aerobics with Year 12 studies is no small feat, but with the support of their coach, Mrs Amanda King, they made it work. “Mrs King organised our schedule so that training was always after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and she was mindful of our study commitments, keeping our training as short and as efficient as possible. When training was done for the day, we would go home and study. Once we mastered our routine we didn’t have to train as much as the HSC was our main priority,” said Thomas. 

Their Rugby League State of Origin inspired performance—featuring Alex in his Queensland jersey and Thomas in his NSW colours—was a personal touch inspired by their coach, Georgia King (Class of 2022), who wanted the routine to reflect their personalities and their interests. While the State of Origin may claim to pit ‘mate against mate,’ Alex and Thomas were a true team, always having each other’s backs as they mastered a series of new and energetic moves together, which they unleashed onto the national stage. “It’s definitely something we will remember forever,” said Thomas “I think it’s important to try new things and experience it all. I feel we each took a lot away from this experience.”  

Going into a majority female-led sport was a bit intimidating for the duo at first, both admitting they felt a bit out of place. “Once people saw we were committed, everyone supported us, and we had such a great time. We highly recommend other Senior Boys give it a go. As the first Senior Boys Squad we like to think we have opened the door for other Senior boys, we really hope we’re not the last!”  Aerobics convenor Mrs King believes that Aerobics fosters a unique sense of community here at HVGS.    

“Aerobics creates a special bond between students across all year levels, from Kindergarten to Year 12. The younger students look up to the older ones, and the older students gain so much from mentoring them. It’s about more than just the sport—it’s about building connections, a sense of belonging, and teamwork. Our secondary students have service focused opportunities to give back by helping train the younger ones, and in doing so, they strengthen their own skills while contributing to a positive, inclusive environment.”  

Team: Fairy Flower Power 

Gold at Super Series, Gold at NSW State Championships and Bronze at National Championships 

Team: Disco Divas  

Gold at Super series, Gold at the Winter Open, Gold at the NSW State Championships and Bronze at National Championships. 

Year 9: Matilda F   

Gold at Super series, Gold at the Winter Open, Gold at NSW State Championships and Gold at National Championships.  

Year 12: Alex D & Tom C  

Gold at NSW State Championships and Silver at National Championships 

Team: Rio  

Gold at Super series, Gold at the Winter Open, Gold at NSW State Championships and Gold at National Championships