Eleanor. Outward Bound Alumni
When I look in the mirror I used to see, how can we put this politely - a “difficult teenager” who was a square peg being forced into a round hole called school. I was at times very close to being permanently excluded. Without sounding clichéd it was the courses with Outward Bound through school that changed my life and made me into the person I am today.
It gave me the best memories! Full of highs, lows, and everything in between! The rollercoaster you embark on with this journey is like no other. It instilled in me the strength, drive, and patience to become more than just a “naughty” kid who will never amount to anything. The lessons I learnt at Outward Bound stayed with me and brought out a side of me that I wanted to be, but I found it hard to be this at home or in school.
I know Outward Bound to most people might seem like kids are off on a jolly, but it is so much more than that. It was a series of life defining moments that sculpted me into the person I now see in the mirror. The impact may not be on the hills or in the lakes or in the weeks following the courses, but they are deep seated traits and life skills, they never leave you.
The opportunity I had or more importantly the ability to become more than you think you can, is something I count as a blessing and feel lucky to have experienced on many occasions. Outward Bound is more than a school trip - it changes the way you see yourself and enables you to become more. “There is more in us than we know. If only we can be made to see it, perhaps for the rest of our lives we will be unwilling to settle for anything less “. I learnt this quote on my first trip to Outward Bound and it will forever stay with me.
