The event saw all Academy athletes come together for a full day of activities that were designed to challenge both the mind and the body.

While the day was designed to test the youngsters, Academy head coach Dane Robinson said the feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

"We wanted to challenge the athletes, push them out of their comfort zone and Savvy Fitness came up with a Survivor Day," Robinson said. "The day was focused on teamwork, leadership, bonding, challenging themselves.

"The feedback has been really positive. Some athletes have said it's the best camp they've ever done with the Academy. Others got a shock initially, but looking back they loved it."

One of the key focuses of the day was teamwork, with all tasks requiring athletes to work together to complete the challenges.

Read more: Everything you need to know about Wollongong's $1million horse race

The mental strength and thinking skills of the youngsters was also tested and Robinson said the skills learnt on Saturday will help athletes achieve success on the sporting field.

"Hopefully the athletes realise the importance of working together, bringing the whole team up as opposed to focusing on the individual.

"Also, by pushing the athletes out of their comfort zone, it makes a hard training session easier.

"The other thing is resilience. Athletes might think they're tired, but they can push on a lot more, so in competition they know they can push on past that point."

While you're with us the Illawarra Mercury is offering sport readers 20% off an annual digital subscription. Sign up to stay up to date with all the local sports you love for only $3.00 a week. Terms and conditions apply.