Captains from the school quiz teams taking part in the MasterMind in Harrow competition have spoken to the Harrow Times about their preparation for this week’s event.

The teams will battle it out at Harrow School to find the smartest school in the borough after having spent the last five months raising money for the charity Mind in Harrow.

North London Collegiate School

Lauren Botje Team Brilliant said: “We are greatly anticipating representing NLCS in the competition at the end of this month and thoroughly enjoyed fundraising. We raised over £600 by a wide variety of means, including English classes in Chinese and a sponsored swim. Mind in Harrow is such a worthy cause and we are delighted to have been involved with the charity.”

Amber Herdman-Hyams captain of Team Awesome said: “I really enjoyed raising the money for Mind in Harrow. I love baking cakes but doing it for a good cause made it even more worthwhile. I am really looking forward to the competition as it is a great charity and it sounds interesting and challenging. I love playing trivia games and this will be a new and exciting way of testing my knowledge.”

Amy Toledano captain of Team Fantastic said: “I am really looking forward to participating in MasterMind in Harrow as Mind in Harrow is a really important charity and the competition will be very enjoyable. I am extremely excited about the competition as it will be really enjoyable to be a part of an event which is for such an important cause.”

The Sacred Heart Language College

Team Fantastic captain Kimberly Kwapong said: “Our group will be trying our best to prepare by working hard and playing to each other’s strengths.

“Our preparation has consisted of discussing our strengths and weaknesses, working out our strategy and revising our general knowledge and school subjects. We hope that with all our work, we can help those in need and all those who need it. We hope to live up to our team name.”

Captain of Team Brilliant Alicja Macheta said: “As a proud member and the captain of Team Brilliant, I aim to help and support my team, not only during the competition, or a week before, but throughout the whole preparation process. I am proud to be given the responsibility of being named captain, and I will do everything in my power and strength to motivate this bright group of girls.

“As a well prepared and eager team, we have taking many steps in the preparation for the competition. “We have kept our facts up to date by making ourselves aware of the current world situation, and we are looking forward to representing the Sacred Heart Language College community in the forthcoming event.

Captain of Team Awesome Simone Jones said: “I am prepared to make sure that our team is ready for the challenge ahead. I will ensure that my team feels confident entering this competition so we can achieve to our fullest potential. We hope to do our best but we will also keep in mind the people we are helping in our community.

“In preparation for the Mastermind competition, as a team we’ve worked hard, making sure we are ready for the challenge ahead and we aim to be well prepared and ready for the competition. We hope to represent our school community, The Sacred Heart community as well as we can.

John Lyon School

Teacher Natasha Crathern from John Lyon School said: “Teams at John Lyon have been working hard to prepare for the MasterMind Tournament. The three teams have been completing their fundraising with some last minute sales of ginger biscuits and some fundraising with friends and family. The teams have been discussing their strategies and are planning to spend some of their half term brushing up on their general knowledge and specialist areas. John Lyon boys are determined to win the challenge and are getting into the competitive spirit of the event.

Hatch End High School

Tim Fenn, Captain of Team Awesome at Hatch End High said: “Taking part in the Mastermind competition will be challenging but also really fun. I have enjoyed all the fundraising – even wearing the itchy Einstein moustache.”

Kiran Halai, Captain of Team Brilliant said: “The Mastermind competition is a really great combination of fun, learning and fundraising for charity. Come on Team Brilliant.”

William Kulaindran, Captain of Team Fantastic: “I am really looking forward to the Mastermind Competition as it will be really fun and it has enabled us to raise a lot of money for Mind.”

Bentley Wood High School

Molly Warren, captain of Team Amazing at Bentley Wood said: “We are so excited to take part in the competition. We have been training hard by asking each other questions and finding out information for ourselves .It is hard work but it has been so much fun asking each other questions and learning new things along the way. We can’t wait to show off our skills and wow the other teams with our knowledge.”

Satvika Byrishetty, captain of Team Brilliant “We are doing this because it is a great cause. Our team will win because we work great together and put 210 per cent into winning. We are brilliant because we score the billions. Some have to learn, some people wait their turn but not us, were born champions. We will win.”

Elani Jeyagugan- Captain Team Awesome: “We are very determined to win mastermind 2014. We have been practicing and supporting one another in doing so. Each of us has different qualities that allow us to answer the various subjects and topics that we will be questioned on. We wish everyone luck.”