Achieving my Bronze, Silver and Gold DofE Awards helped to push me out of my comfort zone and gave me the opportunity to make lasting memories.

I remember for our Silver expedition we completed it on a bell boat along a section of the Leeds-Liverpool canal. At the time there were swans nesting along the banks of the canal and if we spotted them we would cross to the other side, however we missed one and suddenly found ourselves being chased away- we’d never paddled as fast all day as we did at the sound of an angry swan flapping across the water behind us!