The MMPA Amazing Race - A Terrific Team Challenge 2014

Amazing Race Photos
Spirits were high as MMPA 2016 anxiously waited to begin The Amazing Race run annually for the MMPA by Edyta Pacuk, president of Marchfifteen. The Amazing Race is a challenging, fun competition designed to challenge students to work as a team to overcome obstacles, both physical and intellectual, in the shortest time possible. The objective is to enhance a sense of team and promote a higher degree of trust and collaboration between MMPA students.

This year MMPA Class 2016 was doing the challenge for a higher purpose. As groups completed the series of different challenges, they were awarded bicycle pieces, with the overall challenge being to build a bicycle to donate to the community through the United Way.

Students began by breaking into groups and creating inspirational team names; such as, Lucky13, the Amazing Accountants, Super Novas and Manfreds Mustash! Teams were given hints to certain locations where they would face their challenges.

Groups were tested physically and mentally. Their problem solving skills, coordination, leadership, and creativity are just some of the life skills that were tested, all the while working cohesively as a group.“It was great to work together as a team. It really gave us that ‘one for all and all for one attitude’ ”, commented Jessie Shim, MMPA 2016 student.

The challenges are intended to give the groups experience working under pressure within a limited time frame. This will help students to put what they have learnt in The Amazing Race to use when completing their group studies and Integrative Case Competitions, which are important parts of the MMPA program.

David He, MMPA 2016 student commented “the challenges really helped us to learn about each other and how to work effectively as a team. One teammate’s weakness is another’s strengths and we realized working together that we can overcome any obstacle!”

Once the challenges around the UTM campus were completed, students joined together back at the RAWC (Athletic Centre) and started to build the bicycles. Ania Kordiuk, Chief Development Officer for the Mississauga United Way, was present to accept the 14 bicycles that were donated to four agencies in need, along with their respective representatives.

The donation of the 14 bicycles kicked off the 2014 United Way campaign that the MMPA students run yearly. “Not only did we get the opportunity to gain knowledge about our teammates, but we were able to learn about the importance of working together to build better communities. We heard about the individuals  that were to receive the bikes we built and it really made us feel good to know we were contributing to something so important, something that would impact someone’s life. It was a really fun day but also very meaningful for our class.” Remarked Patrick Jones, Class 2016.

In the end, this year the challenge wasn’t about winning. It was learning about how working together with your peers, coworkers or your community can help to build a better future for all. Congratulations Class 2016 on a job well done!