Our first speaker was Billy Graham. He opened his own boxing gym. It was hard. He wasn't a very attractive person when he was at school - he constantly had a runny nose and he was friends with his headlice. He told us his story, and how hard it was to get where he is now. These are the kind of messages he gave us.
You can do anything. Try hard. Keep trying, and you'll get somewhere. Smile all the time, and make others feel happy. Nobody cares what you can't do. Encourage and inspire others. Pile things into your head. Enjoy every moment of your life. Be happy. You may not be good at something but you are better than the person who can't do it. One person can change your entire life. Go looking for your talent.
Billy was fun and he makes everyone smile. Here is a picture of him.
Our next speaker was Valentine Tauimiti. He was called Valentine because he was born on Valentine's Day. He explained to us about doing the right thing all the time even when nobody is watching. Here are his main messages.
Leaders for you want to help you be a leader. You don't need a badge to be a leader. You don't need a label, it's your attitude and how you act even when nobody's looking. People look up to you if they trust your character. Always do the right thing even if you want to do the left thing. You lead because of your character. Don't let peer pressure get to you. When making decisions for yourself it's always more important what you think than what your friends think. Be honest and responsible for your own actions.
Valentine was funny and he really often referred to his mum and how he disobeyed her sometimes. Here is a picture of him.
Next we had morning tea, and after that, we played a game. It was a game where three girls, three boys, and three teachers went up onto the stage where they had pedometers on their heads and they had to shake their heads and see who won! A girl won overall.
Our next speaker was Brylee Mills. She lost her arm in a car accident when she was six, and then had another accident later on which meant she needed to have stitches in her foot. She is a dancer, and finds it hard without an arm. She tells us about her story. Here is her main message.
Don't label people. Support others when they need it most. Life is not meant to be lived alone. No matter what, don't give up on your dreams.
Brylee was very serious when she spoke and she gave a really good message. After she spoke, she danced for us. Here is a picture.
Next we had Riley and Steve from the Young Ocean Explorers show come and talk about conquering your fears. Here is what they said:
Courage is being brave even when we feel afraid. Don't be scared. You may be scared, but if you overcome your fear the results are amazing. Ease yourself into conquering your fears.
Riley and Steve gave a great message about conquering your fears even when you feel like it's too hard. Here is a photo:
Be proud of yourself. You are who you are. Don't let other people change who you are. You can be whatever you want to be.
I really like Marina's poems because they were really funny, and gave a really strong message at the same time. Here is a picture.
Next it was lunchtime, and after lunch we played a game of heads or tails. If you voted heads then you put your hands on your head, and if you went for tails then you would put your hands on your hips. Out of 2000 people, there was only one winner in both rounds. One of the winners was from our school.
Our next speaker was Dave Baxter from Avalanche City. This was his message:
Don't try to fit in. Just be yourself and follow your dreams. Haters are just one voice. Who says what "ideal" is? Be yourself. Practise is key. An important part of leadership is about not letting it go to your head. Think more of the people around you than yourself. Don't have self-doubt. Build a strong team around you. Be brave!
Dave performed for us at the end of the show and sung two songs: "Inside Out", and "Love Love Love".
Here is a photo:
The next speaker was Emily Muli from World Vision. She talked about poverty and how not everything in the world is fair. Here are her main messages.
Your age doesn't mean anything. You can still make a difference. You have the power to make a difference. Not everyone gets the same shot at life. Helping people is important. Things aren't fair for everybody in the world. One thing can eventually make a difference. Do what you can to help others. It could make a big difference.
After Emily spoke she sang us a song. Here is a picture:
Soon it was the end of the show and we had to go home. I had a great day!
