I started doing my Silver DofE when I was 18, but was very nervous about staying away for the expedition, so withdrew. As I got towards 23/24 I felt I was ready to try again. I finished my Skill, Physical and Volunteering without a problem, but was still rather unsure about the expedition. In the end I did it between lockdowns in 2020. The company running it were really supportive and I enjoyed working with my team too. Doing an open expedition meant we all came from different backgrounds. We had constant rain and mud but we managed to get through it. In the end I managed to complete the expedition and in fact our team were the first of the three that were doing it to get there. When we reached the finish point I felt very proud of what I had achieved. I was voted best navigator in the team. I am now getting close to finishing my Gold and am looking forward to attending the presentation afterwards.