The DofE has shaped my life more than most people know. I have such fond memories of completing my Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards developing a passion for climbing through my physical section, undertaking a flying scholarship for my Gold Residential and spending more hours in the pouring rain on expedition than I care to remember! Since then, I have had the pleasure of supervising and assessing hundreds of participants on their expeditions in places such as Norway, South Africa, Swaziland and Nepal. I have been fortunate enough to work for both the DofE and International Award working with at risk and marginalised young people, as well as others all over the globe. Their passion and tenacity to complete their Awards is the same as I felt when undertaking mine, the reason HRH The Duke of Edinburgh devised the idea for the Awards with Kurt Hahn and Lord Hunt, and the overarching reason why I am still involved as both an employee and a volunteer to this day.