Sherborne Girls Voices

Atasteforadventure

Three L6 girls were selected for the Warriors Y Accelerated S South Africa, cholar which ship Programme (WASP) took place during Octobe in r half-term. They describe the adventure in their own words.

If ever there was an experience to develop a young person’s spirit of adventure, the Warriors Accelerated Scholarship Programme (WASP) is it. This eight-day course takes place in South Africa and involves activities such as skydiving, water skiing, bridge swinging and getting up close to animals including cheetahs and vultures.

Each year, Sherborne Girls selects three L6 pupils to attend WASP. After two years of Covid, it was fantastic to send pupils on the 2022 programme and some 24 girls applied. The list was whittled down by the Head, Dr Ruth Sullivan, with Freya Beeny, Maddy Le Cornu and Alice Gower eventually being chosen.

As well as garnering experiences that will live with them forever, participants on WASP gain in self-esteem, selfawareness and self-belief. This equips them for the next phase in life’s journey, ensuring they have the courage and adaptability to pursue whatever opportunities come their way.

Here’s what Freya, Maddy and Alice learned about themselves during their experience in South Africa. ALICE

“For me, the skydive was the highlight of the trip. The feeling of falling from 11,000ft is something I’ll never forget. There were plenty of other great moments. Caving was incredible, even in the pouring rain: it was just so exciting to clamber through pitch-black caves. I also – enjoyed the 6am games of ultimate frisbee, which did a great job of waking us up for the long day ahead. We saw some amazing scenery throughout the trip. One morning, we did a hike up to a waterfall, culminating in a rock climb to reach the top. I hope to return to that exact spot one day as it was so beautiful. Overall, I had the time of my life while gaining confidence and hope. I’d recommend the experience to anyone, as I think the benefits are b immeasurable. ”

MADDy

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“On the first day we did a bridge swing, and, at the end of the session, they asked who wanted to jump off a 20mhigh ledge into crocodile-infested water. I was extremely hesitant, but I knew that I went on the trip for a reason and would only ever have this one opportunity. With the support of Alice, I jumped off and remain very proud. One of the leaders summed it up perfectly, saying: “I would rather regret the things I have done than the things I didn ’t do. Every morning, we had to wake at 5.30am to exercise. This was tiring at first, but I soon grew to love it. It gave me a great sense of fulfilment and our days were always full of purpose. Warriors showed me the importance of a healthy routine and lifestyle. It encouraged me to be my best self.

FREyA

“There were some fantastic moments throughout the trip. Visiting an orphanage was heart-warming because the children were so friendly and loving. We had a great moment when stuck in traffic one day. The women in the car in front turned up the music and started dancing outside. We all joined in, so that, eventually, there were about 50 of us all dancing in the middle of the road. It was brilliant!

I loved the big swing. The feeling of standing on a cliff edge and jumping off was incredible. I also enjoyed the whispering elephant sanctuary. The elephants respond so well to the commands they ’ re given. It was great to end by giving them a hug.

As for the skydive, I was terrified going up in the tiny plane. But once I’d made the leap, I felt I could see the whole world. The adrenaline rush was incredible. ”

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