Meet Team Mighty Montessori!
We are all so excited to have a team of fleet-footed staff members represent Montessori By The Sea at the Cayman Islands Marathon!
Ms. Lydia (School Office Manager), Ms. Natalie (LED), Ms. Nicky (Casa Two) and Ms. Sian (LEU) have formed the Team Mighty Montessori, and will be competing in the Four-Person Relay Race at the Cayman Islands Marathon on Sunday, Dec. 6th. These rapid runners are representing the school in celebration and commemoration of MBTS’s 20th Anniversary this school year:
“Team Mighty Montessori is running to mark the 20th Anniversary of the school. We think it shows community spirit, which is something that we feel is very evident at MBTS. It also sets an example to our children that we can all work together as a team at any age, and that if you set your mind to something, it can be achieved.”
Meet the members of Team Mighty Montessori:
Ms. Lydia: I am an experienced runner but I am on the rusty side. I have completed a full marathon and a few half-marathons. I haven’t trained for something in 3 years and I am very happy to be training now and to be a part of MBTS’s 20th Anniversary team. I try and get on the road first thing in the morning about 4 times during the week and save my longer runs for Sunday morning. The MBTS community is my second family; all three of my children attended MBTS starting in the fall of 2006 and then I had the privilege of joining administration in January 2009. I feel very blessed that I was able to work where my children attended school. Montessori By The Sea will always be so special to our whole family and there is no other school like it.
Ms. Natalie: Over coffee one morning, Ms. Sian casually mentioned that we should put a school team together. Happy to have some motivation for exercise, I said “YES!” before she could change her mind! (Maybe she was just making small talk? Too late now!) I’m the group newbie! I started running in April during lockdown to clear my head; I was surprised how much I enjoyed it (usually I’m a yoga girl). I try to run 3 times per week – it’s all I can squeeze in! Two evening runs and a longer run on the weekend. A good playlist is essential to training! I was so happy when I made it to 10km last week for the first time ever – at least I know it’s possible! The staff members at MBTS are very tightly-knit; over the last 8 months, I’ve relied heavily on so many people at work for a laugh (and/or a cry) – corny, but true! I feel so lucky to work with a group of people I respect and also enjoy spending time with.
Ms. Nicky: This will be my nth time taking part in the CI Marathon as I often do the half-marathon, but this is my first as a team member! Ms. Natalie had said in passing that she was thinking of doing the half-marathon this year and I thought maybe I should too, as I regretted not doing it the year before, as I stood on the sidelines cheering the runners on with Ms. Lydia. A few days later, Ms. Natalie asked if I was interested in doing the relay instead and I thought, Why not? I have 4 marathons under my belt but I truly “jog.” When training for a marathon or half-marathon I have always followed a strict schedule, but this time I have honestly gone into panic mode! I run when I can: I aim to run at least 3 times a week and if I do more it is a bonus! You are likely to see me running along the school road after work or at Camana Bay after watching my child’s football match. I am not a morning person, which isn’t to my advantage as I have the first leg starting at 4:30am! As I head into my 11th year of teaching at MBTS, I am still awestruck at the joy of watching a child transform from a first-year Casa child to a Kindergartner and continue to progress through the Elementary grades. It is so lovely to have seen children who I taught at 3 years old graduate at 12 years old. It feels like one big extended family at MBTS and with so many staff having been around for years, it is a great support system for me.
Ms. Sian: The 4-person relay race event is one of my favourites! I haven’t done it for a few years so when Ms. Natalie and I were chatting about running, I mentioned it and she jumped at the chance. She then went on to invite Ms. Lydia and Ms. Nicky, knowing that they were runners. No going back now! I can’t say I’m an experienced marathon runner but I love the team running events on-island, like the triathlon, Cross Island Relay and Off the Beaten Track (I wonder if I could persuade the team to do those too). I do a couple of other sports so I’ve only been running a couple of times a week and am up to running 8 km during my training runs, so I have a bit of work to do with two weeks to go! I have been running with my sister-in-law in the early morning. She is training for the half-marathon, and running with someone makes it more fun, makes me run faster and the time go much quicker. I feel very lucky that in the year that I have been at MBTS I have gotten to know so many great people. I am so happy that I made the move to this school and that my daughters get to experience it all too.