On Wednesday the 13th of August 2025 we had three very inspiring people come and visit our amazing school.

Our first special guest was Ariarne Titmus who is the 2025 Tasmanian Young Australian of the Year. She is inspiring because at the age of only 24, Ariarne has already achieved more in her sporting career than most could ever dream of. After Ariarne began working with expert coach, Dean Boxall, in 2016, in 2019 she was named Australia’s Swimmer of the Year. Ariarne has demonstrated extraordinary dedication and grit to improve her performance in the pool, and some of her long-time idols have now become her rivals both in Australia and overseas. She has achieved numerous medals across the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games and World Championships.

Ariarne’s nomination comes from her ultimate dream to inspire young girls to stay in sports for longer because 50% of girls stop playing sport by the young age of 15. She is dedicating her time outside the pool to inspire young girls across Tasmania, and the country, to great things, no matter where they come from.

Our second guest was Sam Elsom. Sam is a climate solutions innovator who’s commercialised a new way to reduce methane emissions. Methane is a significant contributor to global warming because it’s 28 times more harmful than carbon dioxide. Sam founded Sea Forest, which turns asparagopsis, a native red species of seaweed, into a livestock feed supplement. The product contains bioactive compounds that stop methane production in the animal’s gut. His project is helping to strengthen the sustainability of livestock industries, slowing global warming and potentially changing the course of our planet’s future.

Sam discussed with us the research his foundation used to form his company and the impact it is having through the trials they conducted. Sam demonstrated to us how if you are passionate about something you can have a real impact if you are willing to have a go and take the advice of mentors and others around you.

Our final speaker was Keren Franks. Keren talked to us about the formation of her non-for-profit organisation, Young Leaders of Tasmania (YLOT) which runs inclusive programs for young people living with a disability. Keren has firsthand experience of the power of inclusion for people with a disability and those around them. Through her daughter, who has a rare physical and mental disability, Keren saw that an inclusive model of education can produce enormous benefits, for both students with a disability in support schools, and students in mainstream schooling as well. Her programs aim to facilitate social role modelling, skill development activities and facilitating peer-to-peer interaction in support schools and mainstream schools.

Keren shared with us that her organisation has recently received funding from the government to take their programs beyond Southern Tasmania and go statewide. We look forward to hopefully being able to join this worthwhile initiative.

In conclusion, we are extremely grateful to have had this experience to hear from such inspiring people and participate in a worthwhile and special event.

Miriam and Elsie

Grade 6 students