Bridge to Brisbane

Dear Blog,

On the weekend I ran Bridge to Brisbane with my family. This is a 10km run starting from the new gateway bridge to the RNA showgrounds.

Background:

Throughout primary and high school I enjoyed cross-country and ran at GPS but I was never on the top level because I hated the early mornings.

This year:

I did limited training for B2B this year and was aiming for under 60 min. My mum told me I was crazy. I started the race at 6:10am in an excellent weather B2B and finished 52min later. I really enjoyed the run and have decided I would see it as a life achievement if I run a marathon by the time I'm 30, without walking. Next year I plan to run a half marathon in less than 5min/km - or less than 1:45.00.

Qld Mining Health and Safety Conference

Dear Blog,

From August 22-24 I was in Townsville as a QRC student ambassador at the Qld Mining Health and Safety Conference. This was my first time away from home alone so I was a little nervous. However the people at the mining conference were very friendly and helped me settle right in.

One of the most impressive things was the public speaking of the presenters at the conference. I have never seen anyone present with such confidence and conviction. I picked up some great quotes:

"Strategy without tactics is the slow road to victory but tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat." Major General Jim Molan

"Just because it's tough doesn't mean you shouldn't do it." Major General Jim Molan

"The 4 primary motives behind actions are DIPI: Dangerous, Important, Pleasurable, Interesting." Dr Ali Dale

"Don't just give tasks, tell people why what they're doing is important." Dr Ali Dale

The major comfort I took from the conference is the knowledge that Qld is one of the safest places in the world to mine.

18 March 2010

Hi Guys,
I'm Zanda O'Flynn. I'm 18 and a QRC bursary holder. I am studying electrical engineering at QUT as a part of the Dean's Scholars Program. I went to high school at Churchie. The best part about the QRC bursary is not the money, but the connections with mining and resources companies in Qld. The staff at QRC are always great at keeping me updated about work experience options, offers to attend seminars and functions and offer resume/CV advice.