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My DOFE Silver Award Journey
I wanted an adventure and I wanted to begin. I was so keen to start that I did not want to wait, so I started my Duke of Edinburgh’s Award before I even started college.
My DofE journey began at Sandgate School in Kendal, where I completed my Bronze Award. After Bronze, I decided to keep going and started my Silver Award.
I am now halfway through my Silver Award. I have completed both my Silver Practice Expedition and my Silver Qualifying Expedition. I still have some work to finish and I need to upload some of my evidence.
I completed my expeditions with Anyone Can DofE Accessible Expeditions. They made it possible for me to take part in the expeditions and experience the same adventure and challenge as everyone else.
One of the biggest challenges was that I started the expedition without knowing anyone. I had to meet new people, become part of a team and work together with them. By the end, I had made new friends and proved to myself that I could do it.
My DofE journey is not finished yet. I still have more to do, but I am proud of how far I have already come.
I met people from all over the UK. We started as strangers, but we finished as friends. We paddled together and canoed over 5 kilometres.
We camped together, cooked together and navigated together. We laughed together, helped each other and worked as one team.
We had sunshine, rain, strong winds and even storms. Some days were hard, but we never gave up. At night, I fell asleep listening to the owls.
Every day, I grew in confidence. I learned new skills and I learned to believe in myself.
Living with a disability does not stop me. It means I do things differently. Different, not lesser. With the right support, everyone can have an adventure.
Thank you to Sandgate School. Thank you to Anyone Can. Thank you to all the instructors, volunteers and my new friends who helped make my adventure possible.
My journey is not over. I still have more to do and I still have my Silver Award to complete. One day, I hope to start my Gold Award.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award has changed my life. It has shown me that I am stronger than I ever thought.
So, if you are thinking about doing DofE, give it a go. Believe in yourself. Be brave. Make new friends. Enjoy the adventure.
You can do it if you try.
You can do DofE.
You can do anything.