I found Bronze and Silver DofE hugely challenging with blisters, my rucksack rubbing my shoulders and being told off for getting lost constantly! However, I learned so much and made the greatest friends.

Then my Gold expedition really changed my life, by this point I'd learned to map read and with a small group we had an incredible time in the hills above Aberystwyth. I remember coming down off the hills one night to our wild camp site with an incredible sunset and realising that I just loved being in the hills. Since completing my D of E I have explored many more mountains since; from travelling solo in Patagonia and hiking Scottish munros to exploring Norwegian crags and snowboarding in the French Alps. I even recently got engaged in our local hills too!

I also vowed to become a D of E leader who doesn't shout and a few years ago I realised that goal. I now deliver outdoor learning including D of E to young people in Greater Manchester with Nacro in my spare time and I absolutely love it. I love teaching the groups new things and introducing them to places they've never been before while trying to instill in them a love for our wild places too.