Robin Hayhurst
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Robin Hayhurst - Ullswater, The Lake District, 1986

I think I have now been on 4 outward bound courses 2no at 1 week long at the main school and Martindale. 1 at 2 weeks long based at Aira Force and 4 weeks based at the main school. have have many fond memories but 2 will stay with me. Firstly we broke the course record for 14 men over the wall I think we did it in under 30 seconds but time may well have exaggerated that. having been before I new the belt trick but even so we shocked ourselves having only done a minute in practice. i would hope our achievement is noted somewhere as the rest of my sporting prose has not excelled that moment. Secondly getting up in the morning running down to the lake and jumping in. This has without doubt affected my life. I never worry about things happening and always sleep soundly because like the cold plunge it is better to get on and do it any worrying about it is such a waste of time, and actually after 4 weeks of doing it most days I missed my wakeup plunge.
I do believe that Outward bound is even more relevant know than when it first came about. It is and can be a life changing experience and my company have sent one trainee for the long course and hope when times are better to send other trainees in the future, I am very grateful for the life lessons I learnt from my courses and hope to give others the opportunity to do the same.