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Todd Cate (18yrs) of Pukekohe (right) and Harrison Leicester (16yrs) of Drury in South Auckland (left) were the 2007 years’ winners of the inaugural MSSNZ-Outward Bound Scholarship to attend a 3 week Outward Bound course in the Marlborough Sounds.
The MS Society and Outward Bound have jointly developed and funded this award. Included is the full cost of the course, travel to and from Picton and the cost of completing a medical. The total value is over $3,000 per person.
This project is part of our commitment to support the whole family of people with MS. The Society recognises the pressures and responsibilities that come with living with a parent or caregiver with MS. Young people often end up taking on some level of responsibility for the care of their parent or caregiver and we want to acknowledge this.”
“I feel more motivated to do what I want to do and want to motivate others to do the same.” That about sums up Todd’s Outward Bound experience back in June last year.
There were many highlights he says. “I loved the rock climbing, the extra challenges of a blindfold and having his legs tied together.”
“The kayaking was wicked because my group did both white water and surf kayaking. Tramping was cool as well. On our 3 day expedition we went alpine and spent a great deal of time in the snow which I haven’t done since I was 7. I found that awesome.”
“The PT runs in the morning were challenging physically because it was against the clock —not each other—which meant the competition was always harder, no matter how much you improved. It was also very challenging mentally because you were put into a group of strangers and made to trust each other with your lives.”
“I felt the solo dragged out a bit too long, 3 nights of being on your own in the bush I found cool at first—and it was a good time to find myself—but 2 nights would have been enough. The third night just dragged out for me...”
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Fresh back from Marlborough, Harrison said that there were so many quotes they gave him that encouraged him. “Now I only have to think of this one, the challenges I have been through and then I can make myself give something new a go.”
Harrison’s goal was to gain as much new, useful and positve guidance that the course could offer him. “The course was unbelieveably challenging. We were all given aims and tasks that included days of hiking, hours of rowing and a group diversity —all very challenging.”
“In 21 days we did so much. There were many highlights. The high ropes and rock climbing walls were both mentally and physcally challenging. I enjoyed both of those. The sailing was awesome—especially when there was wind. We were able to sail within 30metres of the Interislander ferry —that definitely got the heart pounding.”
“But above all, there were the friendships I built at Outward Bound and then further testing them through having to depend on a new friend at times when you knew your life was in their hands.”
