Oxford NCS Residential - from archery to rafting

A week long residential with a dozen teenagers in the depths of the New Forest - what could be more fun?!

Last week I found my self at the Avon Tyrrell Activity Centre, representing the Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust as an athlete supporting the Oxford National Citizens Service. Most of the 16 to 24 year old school leavers have grown up in care and my job was to motivate them all to get involved with various activities and work as a team. I really wasn't sure what to expect!

I started with a brief introduction, mentioning that I'd competed in the Vancouver Paralympics, 4 years after waking up one day to be told I would never walk again after breaking my back snowboarding. Life is all about choices and if we strive to achieve goals, we give ourselves the chance of achieving them. I have been supported by an enormous amount of love and encouragement and I have no idea how I would have coped without that. A number of young people have not been so fortunate.


The first activity was archery, not my forte. Perhaps the participants gained confidence from my spectacular lack of ability although I did eventually hit the target! Then we got in canoes. Luckily I shared a boat with Tilly, one of the few participants who didn't want to capsize, but we still got drenched! Kayaking was a bit more technical and also great fun and the sun was out so we soon got dry.

A refreshing swim in the pool was followed by some raft building which were tested on the lake. The Activity Centre is wonderful and the activities were thoroughly enjoyable because all participants and volunteers got stuck in and had a go. The Oxford group proved a really nice team to work with and I look forward to getting involved with their community residential this week.

I am in the middle, precariously balanced on the raft whilst safely remaining on dry land!