12 Seconds

March 18, 2021

What’s 12 seconds worth? If you were asked to wait for 12 seconds to receive your take-away coffee…

What’s 12 seconds worth? If you were asked to wait for 12 seconds to receive your take-away coffee, or for a red light to change to green, or the air conditioner to take effect, you’d barely flinch. For a 100 metre sprinter it’s an impressive time, though not Olympic-worthy. For most of us, though, it’s a somewhat irrelevant detail, a quick passage of time that passes, often unnoticed.


For a swimmer – particularly, a sprinter –12 seconds is monumental. Yet, it is more than the difference between first and last in a race; it is also the quantitative depiction of years of training, and a measurement of effort, work and improvement. Teacher, psychologist and author, Angela Duckworth, would describe 12 seconds of betterment in a 50-metre swimming race as a representation of ‘grit’ – ‘the passion and perseverance for very long-term goals’ (Duckworth, 2013).


Listening to this year’s Swimming Captain, Lily Seckler speak to the TSSS (Toowoomba Secondary Schools) swimmers at their dinner, was a privilege. There were lots of reasons to delight in Lily’s speech; she is a reluctant public speaker and yet her words were considered, deeply reflective and delivered with clarity and honesty. Through this, the hard work of committed swimmers – those girls who religiously inhale chlorine and form a deep attachment with early mornings and straight black lines – was recognised and acknowledged.

Of course, what any dedicated athlete learns is so much more than an improvement in technique and time. They learn that ‘it’s not the will to win that matters — everyone has that. It’s the will to prepare to win that matters.’ (American Football Coach Paul 'Bear' Bryant). The will to prepare means practice and for a swimmer that equates to hours too numerous to count.


Lily shared some of her own poolside journey – her sense of achievement in the 12 seconds that she has shaved from her 50-metre backstroke time over the past seven years. Imagine how many kilometres of swimming and how many hours of practice constitute that 12 seconds of tangible improvement. Lily also spoke of swimming in terms of perseverance, work ethic and disappointment; so much about life learning achieved is in those early morning and late afternoon daily sessions. It was the word 'disappointment' that struck me the most. Lessons in disappointment are hard to manage for us all but they can also drive us on to betterment of ourselves and our achievements. When we apply Duckworth’s grit and allow ourselves to learn disappointment, we allow ourselves to learn growth.


As a researcher, Angela Duckworth went with her team to West Point Military College to predict which cadets would stay in the Defence forces and which wouldn’t; they studied beginning teachers in difficult schools to see who would persevere and who wouldn’t, and they even went to the National Spelling Bee to see if they could predict those who would advance furthest in the competition (Duckworth et. al. 2013). Their findings? The most significant predictor of success was not IQ, physical health or social intelligence, it was … grit. Stanford University lecturer and researcher, Dr Carol Dweck, refers to the application of grittiness as developing a growth mindset. The term itself has had a lot of focus, particularly in the burgeoning field of positive psychology, but that doesn’t diminish its relevance.


Last week, Fairholme girls lined the path for our TSSS swimmers as they headed to their interschool competition. These tartan-clad well-wishers were there vocally willing each swimmer on to her best performance, but more than that, they were, consciously or not, celebrating grit, hard work and perseverance, or, in Dweck’s language, they were acknowledging the effects of a growth mindset. Twelve seconds makes a huge difference in a 50-metre swimming race.



Of greater significance, in the life arena, is the immeasurable value of a work ethic established through perseverance and, perhaps of even greater importance, the ability to grow through disappointment. Here’s a nod to our athletes, musicians and academics who model, live and flourish through their commitment to practice, and their willingness to move their own skill levels far beyond that which is easily accomplished.

Twelve seconds can reveal a great deal about us, and matter far more than we imagine. Yes, 12 seconds can represent so much more than a delay in a take-away coffee service.


Dr Linda Evans | Principal


References

Duckworth, A. (2013). TED Talk Transcript of ‘Grit: The power of passion and perseverance’

Ted Talk video ›


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Fairholme College is delighted to welcome Mr Mitch Koina as our new Coordinator of High Performance Coaching. Bringing more than a decade of experience across diverse educational settings, Mitch joins the community with a strong commitment to student wellbeing, participation, and performance. ‘This is my 12th year of teaching,’ Mitch shares. ‘I’ve done a range of different contexts now, I did two years down at Lockyer District High School, I then spent six years at St Mary’s College before moving to St Josephs, where I’ve been for the last three years. Now obviously I’ve made my way over to Fairholme which I’m really excited about.’ It was both the College’s reputation and the scope of the role that drew Mitch to Fairholme. ‘Fairholme is a very prestigious college, it’s got a great name and reputation,’ he said. ‘The role itself is really exciting for me. I’ve got a passion for fitness and particularly looking after the wellbeing of young girls, whether that be on the sporting field or with their social aspect, academics, just all round developing good girls on and off the court.’ A strong advocate for pastoral care, Mitch brings valuable leadership experience to the position. ‘I did a Head of House role at St Mary’s for three and a half years, so pastoral care has always been my calling so it’s great to tie in the sporting aspect as well as wellbeing,’ he explained. His philosophy centres on the connection between student wellbeing and performance. ‘It’s all dependant on each other. If we’ve got girls who are happy and their wellbeing is flourishing, then they are doing well on the sporting field and vice versa too.’ Looking ahead, Mitch is focused on building both excellence and enjoyment within the program. ‘I would love to get participation rates very high. We have a lot of elite athletes here that I want to achieve and do really well, but I also want to work on girls enjoying their training, coming in and having a nice vibe around the sporting field and the training.’ Importantly, Mitch emphasises that success looks different for every student. ‘We’re not all Australian representatives, but if girls are working really hard and achieving to the best of their potential, whatever level that may be in the sporting arena, I think that’s a program we can be very proud of.’ As he begins his journey at Fairholme, Mitch is eager to connect with the community. ‘I’m really excited to be a part of Fairholme, it is a great opportunity. The staff and the students have been fantastic to me so far, but as the weeks go on, I’m really looking forward to getting to know the girls and building some relationships from there.’ We warmly welcome Mitch to Fairholme and look forward to the energy, care, and expertise he will bring to our High Performance Sports program.

Meet 2026 Prefect for Sport: Scarlett Sippel

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What inspired you to apply for the Prefect for Sport position? I was inspired to go for this position as I have seen the passion that Fairholme as a community has for sport, and the true love and respect the staff have for athletes at the college. I wanted to work closely with the girls and staff to help progressing sport at Fairholme. Do you have a favourite sport? My favourite sport is touch football. It has given me so very much and I am forever grateful. What has been your proudest sporting moment so far? My proudest sporting moment so far was being fortunate enough to represent my country in the sport I love most. Who has been your biggest influence or role model in sport? My biggest role model in sport has to my parents. They never fail to push me towards things that might seem out of my comfort zone or scary. They constantly support me through everything and influence me to be the best version of myself on and off the field. What are you hoping to achieve this year as Prefect for Sport? I aim to inspire everyone to just have a go. By the end of my final year at Fairholme I hope I can inspire people to just get o ut of their comfort zones and try something new. What advice would you give your Year 7 self? I would tell my Year 7 self that in the big picture no one is going to judge you for trying your hardest and giving things ago! And not to put too much pressure on yourself! Do you hope to pursue sport after school? I wish to continue to play sport at a high level after school. whether that is through touch or rugby. Sport is a very important part of my life that will hopefully continue well after I leave school.

Meet 2026 Prefect for The Arts: Claire Murphy

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How long have you been involved in The Arts at Fairholme? Since I began here in Year 7, but before then I started playing piano and violin in Year 5. I have participated in a number of ensembles within the school and greatly enjoyed each of these. What does being the Prefect for The Arts mean to you? Personally, I think that being the Prefect for The Arts is primarily a role in which I can help to support other girls. I’m a designated person that girls can come to if they have any questions or concerns with anything regarding extracurricular artistic involvement, and I do a little to help with running some of the artistic aspects around the school, such as finding girls to volunteer for busking at events. But mostly, I think it is about being a positive promoter for the arts, and encouraging other girls to expand their world view to include creativity. Which art form do you enjoy most (e.g. music, drama, visual art, dance etc)? My main art form that I participate in is instrumental music, through my involvement in a few ensembles within the school on violin and piano. However, other art forms, like dancing during March Pasts or singing Shine Jesus Shine are pretty fun too. Do you have a most memorable Arts experience? I think that one of the most memorable Arts experiences that I have had has been at events where I have accompanied my grade, like when all the Year 11’s last year sung at the Valedictorian dinner and I played piano along with other instrumentalists in my grade, Tilly Anderson and Emma Salter. However, I think the most enjoyable Arts experience that I have had is playing Jingle Bell Rock at the boarding Christmas dinner last year, when the rest of my cohort stood around the piano singing. I felt that this was one of those excellent examples of how music can bring people together. What advice would you give to students who might be nervous about joining an arts activity? I would say that it is always worth giving something new a go. You’re much more likely to regret the chances you never took than the ones you do. I’m a strong believer that being involved in any form of extra-curricular activity is so beneficial for everyone; it expands your world view, you meet new people, and get outside your comfort zone. Each individual has something they are good at, and how are you going to find out what that is if you don’t try? Do you hope to continue with The Arts after school? Definitely. It has become such a big part of my life, and I honestly get so much enjoyment out of it. The great thing about the arts is that they are things that you can do at any time of your life. You’re never too old, that’s a skill you have for life. Other people can also get so much enjoyment out of the artistic abilities of others. Who doesn’t love to have someone who can sit around the camp-fire and play guitar, or create a beautiful piece of artwork?
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