Inspired!

I am utterly exhausted........... 

It was BIG game day out in Florida and Cambie has been doing so well at the World Robotics Championships..... but I was going to have a bit of a sleep in and then my friend and business partner Joyce was coming over so we could work on conference stuff for a few hours....... and we did do that although I was totally distracted by the streaming video from Orlando.....

It's the second World Championships for Cambie and their first goal was to get out of the qualifying rounds.  They did this in incredible style by being in the top 10 in their division - one of them was 4th!!! They all advanced to quarter finals.... Yippee - Goal accomplished........ one team went out in incredibly well played and close matches.....

2 teams made it to the semi finals - Goal exceeded....... but they were playing the best teams in the whole competition - that's the luck of the draw..... but they tied it up 1-1 in the best of 3 match..... David and I were beside ourselves watching.....and then they lost the 3rd match.  SO close - what heartbreak in the moment!! 

I assume they headed off to watch the finals with somewhat heavy hearts even though they had come so far:
3600 teams played in VEX tournaments this year, 460 made it to Worlds and 2 Cambie teams were in the final 24....... up against teams that have WAY more experience and WAY more money....... it truly is an amazing feat!!!

And then at the Final Award Ceremony the CEO of NASA got up on stage to give out the Inspire Award.  He paid an amazing tribute to this team, they sounded so great and THEN he ended with the words "and they are about as sweet as a box of Timbits".  I sat right up as Timbits is one of the Cambie teams names... and sure enough he called out Team 1107B as the winners!!!  I screamed and David and I jumped up and down.......  this is what the Inspire Award is for:

Inspire Award

The Inspire Award will be given to a team that demonstrates outstanding leadership through action to other teams. This team will be identified by their peers as a leader in innovative and creative design in the robotics community. This team serves as an example to others and embraces the concept of cooperative learning. Cooperative Learning will be based on inspiring other teams’ designs or openly sharing their design ideas with others. While local/regional events are permitted to give this award, it will be given primarily at the World Championship. In order for a team to be eligible for this award, they must post their design ideas throughout the season on the VEX Forum. Teams will be given stronger consideration based on how early and often they post their designs. The Judging panel will interview potential recipients (at World Championship), based on the nominations through team balloting, and choose the team that stands out as the most worthy recipient.

Key Criteria:
1) Proven record of posting design features at the VEX Forum
2) Pictures and content posted at VEX Forum
3) Nominations from other teams

4) Observations of design inspiration by referees and other field personnel

 

I don't know about you but I always wished to win those awards that were about character or integrity or service and not just about winning.... and this is one of those .... it says more about them as people than about how amazing their robot was..... and that lasts way longer and goes much deeper.  I am SO VERY PROUD of the boys and Allan for all they accomplished.

I also love how technology allowed us to "be there" and share in it all - it was neat to share in it all. 

But now my neck is all knotted up and I am exhausted and have done very few of things I wanted to get done today..... oh well...... now the lovely Penny is here so I am off to play with her for a while and settle my jangled nerves!!