After a disappointing week in Ella’s life, it’s had a really exciting turnaround.  I emailed the coach of the Canterbury representative XC team on Wednesday night asking for information on how Ella should go about entering the Inter-Regional Cross Country Champs in September (as an individual representing her school rather than Canterbury).  Paul, the coach, is such a great guy – he’s also a teacher at Fendalton School, and a teacher extraordinnaire I’d have to say, based on his dealings with the children in the XC team.  Within the first couple of weeks last year, he knew every child by name in the team – and there was around 90 of them!  I don’t know how he does it – all children look the same to me.

Anyway, he came back last night with an email saying how sorry he was to see Ella finish down the field on Wednesday as he really enjoyed having her in the team last year, and given she was unwell on Wednesday, he’s giving her another chance at getting selected by running in the Port Hills XC on 8 August.  Wow!  I cried when I got his email.  All she needs to do is beat two of the girls from her age group that were selected on Wednesday.  We’ve seen the results from Wednesday, and we’re confident Ella would have come in 4th – instead, 4th place was taken by a girl who Ella normally beats by around 25 seconds (which is a big margin over 2-3 km).  So that’s around six people (out of the ten selected) Ella should be able to beat – better odds than we could ever hope for!!  No-one will get ousted from the team if she makes it in – he’ll simply absorb another person.  That is so cool!

I still feel a little uncomfortable about it, because Ella is just lucky that she was in the team last year, and has results from the current XC season that Paul has obviously referred to (as he mentioned that she has already beaten some of the girls who were selected, at the recent Holloway and Jane Patterson races).  If she’d been unwell on Wednesday but had no race form to verify her ability, then she wouldn’t be getting this opportunity.

But in this day and age of black and white rules, no discretion etc etc (which I admit, does need to be in place to avoid unfairness), I am just amazed that this guy can exercise such compassion and offer a child a second chance.

Life is set to get a little busier, as we have a number of official training sessions and races that she must attend in order to cement her place in the team if she qualifies in August.  And if she has another crap race, we will still be going to Nelson regardless.  A win either way!