A Guelph high school has brought home a robotics world championship.
Team 2609 – or BeaverworX – from Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic High School was part of the winning alliance to win the FIRST robotics world championship in Houston, Texas.
"I'm still in disbelief, I can't believe what happened," team captain Dominik Wrobel told GuelphToday.
BeaverworX was one of 619 teams taking part last week from 59 countries across the globe, including Poland, Japan, Mexico, Australia and more. But the experience was more than pitting robots against each other.
The event also featured workshops, learning and networking opportunities with some of the world's leaders in robotics and technology, as well as universities.
"There were different sections for different tech companies, some of them I haven't even heard of, or thought of," Wrobel said. "There (were) people from NASA, people from Rockwell Automation.
"There were people from Disney as well. It was super cool, they showed their animatronics and how they worked. It was a lot of exploring things you'd never even knew existed."
Due to finances, the BeaverworX team was only able to send 12 members to Houston.
The ones that did fly down got an experience they'll never forget.
"I think it's a game-changer for these students, and how important it is to be involved with STEM in one way shape or form," said Michael Moore, Lourdes teacher and lead mentor on the team.
"It certainly prepares them for the next steps."
Wrobel said the expectation was to learn, play a few games and head home. But BeaverworX went beyond expectations.
They were the lone Canadian team to be part of the final eight alliances remaining, who competed in what FIRST calls the Einstein Field.
The Guelph team – competing with their 2023 robot nicknamed the Road Runner – was in an alliance with two entries from California and an entry from Illinois.
"It was really cool to have Canada by our side," Wrobel said. "We saw Canadian flags in the stands, we saw people from other Canadian teams congratulating us, cheering us on, it was really awesome to represent Guelph, represent Canada and be one of the only Canadian teams to ever have a world championship."
Moore emphasized the team effort that went into the success, from the long hours after school, the weekends and holidays designing and putting the robot together, as well as scouting the competition.
He said he's humbled by the win against teams much more experienced and had better robots.
"Never in your life, there's always somebody better and there's always somebody that works harder," Moore said. "I'm just grateful we got it, and I'm proud."
With the win, BeaverworX is guaranteed an entry into the 2024 world championships.
But along with a golden ticket to next year's event, Moore said the students take with them an unforgettable experience.
"It's amazing," he said. "And something they'll never forget and that's actually what inspires me."
