Earlier this year I was awarded the opportunity to attend Outward Bound in Anakiwa for three weeks, and my experience was life-changing.

Outward Bound was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I was very lucky to have received the HGHS Outward Bound Scholarship for 2022. I travelled to Anakiwa near Picton on June 8th with 13 other students from all over the Waikato, all of whom were unaware of the journey ahead. I was questioning myself about this trip in the weeks prior, hoping that I would come back and feel a change in my life. A change where I would feel more confidence, resilience, courage, and enthusiasm that I would be able to incorporate into my life. I was tested physically and mentally throughout a series of activities Outward Bound provided throughout the course. Activities included running and swimming in the early hours, tramping, sailing, navigating, rock climbing and high ropes and many water-based activities and staying overnight in the bush. All of them had challenging aspects. Outward Bound really cares for the community and throughout the course, you learn how to respect the environment as well as respect and care for your hauora by giving back to the community.

There's more than learning skills and values, there are friendships. I believe that being surrounded by strangers participating in the same experience has helped me create lifetime friendships, and being put through the same challenges enables you to bond as a group. I believe that my Outward Bound journey would not have been possible if it weren’t for my peers. We now have many memories of the good and bad times that we will continue to bond over for the rest of our lives.

For all that I was unsure of, this trip has helped me in huge ways in all aspects of my life. I can now tackle different tasks with varying degrees of confidence. Nothing was easy, even though personally I am not one to feel threatened by physical challenges, Outward Bound certainly tested me well beyond my limits and I have achieved many tasks the old me would never believe myself capable of. Mentally it was tough, but you learn and you achieve every day and after time you feel your mental game grow stronger. I know that by making those mental decisions I have successfully achieved my personal goals and have conquered the challenges Outward Bound set for me. Going into the course blind definitely meant that I was challenged every step of the way, but I came out the other side with great skills, fitness and mentality.

Some things that I loved about Outward Bound were finding people with similar interests, being out in the environment and having a break from my phone. My mindset was far from the digital world we live in and I felt a sense of peace that assured bonding with my peers. Not using cell phones really showed me the importance of what quality time can do. The more challenging things were the time schedule, the weather and gaining a stronger mental mindset. The instructors were very driven which helped us find the motivation to keep pushing forward. They taught us many valuable life lessons that we will carry with us forever. I would strongly recommend that students apply for the opportunity to represent HGHS at Outward Bound when the opportunity comes up next year. This opportunity made a difference in my life and I know it will for other students. Overall, the memories created among our group are special and one of a kind, we know our journey is unforgettable. Something that I will always remember is what my instructor said to me when I felt times were getting tough “Tough times never last but memories do.”