Hajja Salesjana Jan-Mar 2019

H AJJA S ALESJANA 32 activities are filled with fun and games in the Salesian spirit, helping children and youths grow while having fun and learning in a loving and caring environment. Such experiences gave me some valuable life lessons. I’ve learnt how to be a good leader. When and how to take the necessary action and adapt to given circumstances. How to overcome differences. How to work in a team and many more. All of which I nowadays use in both Athletics and my personal life. Jake, you started athletics at the age of 13. Since then, I don‘t recall any absences from training except for some injuries where you had to stop for a while in order to do rehab. You did O levels and you fared well. You are now sitting for a course in Marine Engineering at MCAST. How is it going? I know that MCAST is walking distance from home so you avoid wasting time and energy in catching buses. Are you coping well with proper time management vis-à-vis school, exams and training. There is an abysmal difference between Savio College and MCAST. One is very small and the students are visible; MCAST is on a different level. Was it difficult for you to swap from a spoon-fed school to one with less individual attention? What do you miss most from Savio and what are you gaining more from MCAST? Currently I’m about to start the second year of my course in Marine Engineering at MCAST. I’ve never been one to say that I put my life on hold to prepare for my O levels as I always kept the right balance between school and sports. Some people might think that it’s difficult to study, train and socialize at the same time. In my case, the training was my break after a tough day at school and more time spent studying at home. I would go to the track and put all my pent up tension and frustration into my sessions. The trick for me was always being productive with the time available. As you correctly said, Savio College and MCAST are two completely different worlds. From a school where the student is central and provided with a holistic education to another which is more oriented towards giving you the skills and experiences required to achieve the career you aspire for. I have to say I enjoyed both experiences so far together with their challenges. At first the freedom and independence given at post-secondary schools can shock you, but as you go along you get used to it making it a pleasurable experience. Both schools have and are preparing me for the future and for this I am very grateful. Jake, you have now added loads of races to your CV and even your races abroad have significantly increased. You have witnessed on your own skin the difference between the local timings compared to our foreign counterparts. The longer the distance, the greater the discrepancy. Unfortunately, it has always been like this. What are the differences you experience abroad from here? What are your feelings when competing abroad and representing Malta? What do you think can be ameliorated in local athletics? You run the 800m, 1500m, 3000m and 5000m races, practically middle distance to long distance running. What are your ambitions in these races which so far you have been improving from