As Sam White recounts her experience on Outward Bound, she admits she completely underestimated what the 21-day voyage had in store for her.
Sam applied for the J R Mckenzie Trust Scholarship through Rotary and was selected from 15 other applicants from the Waikato. The purpose of Outward Bound is to prepare students for the unexpected life brings and are therefore faced with mentally and physically tough challenges throughout the three-week programme.
On 2 December, Sam headed off to Anakiwa, a coastal residential village in the Marlborough region, to embark on her Outward Bound journey.
After a week of learning how to survive on their own, Sam and her group of “watchmates” spent the next few weeks on several day long hikes using maps and compasses, completed random running races when instructed to, spent days on kayaking and sailing voyages, steep rock climbing – among several other difficult tests.
Perhaps one of the most grueling tasks the group had to embark on was the 36-hour solo camp.
“Solo camping gave me time to reflect on what I had achieved at Outward Bound so far. I thought about the people I am grateful for such as my friends and family, my school and the opportunities I am offered, and how I could show my appreciation a bit more,” Sam recounted.
She noted that throughout the trip she could not have done it without the encouragement of her watchmates and now recognises you need a strong support network in all aspects in life..
Sam is excited to bring the skills and lessons learnt during her time at Outward Bound into her school and personal life. Since completing Outward Bound she has also finished a course in open water scuba diving and is continuing to complete her Duke of Edinburgh award.
To other students wishing to apply for this scholarship, they should contact Mr Ainsley Robson for more information.
