Karori Mother sets sights high

29 July 2011

Karori Mother sets sights high after Outward Bound experience

Karori mother of two, Debbie West, took a leap outside her comfort zone when she recently attended an Outward Bound Girl Guiding course.

Debbie joined 13 other Girl Guiding volunteers on the eight day adventure in the Marlborough Sounds - an activity she thought she would never do.

"I always thought that doing an Outward Bound course would be an amazing experience so when the opportunity came up through my role as treasurer at Girl Guides Karori, I jumped at the chance," she said.

"By attending the course, I was hoping to increase my self confidence, try something I wouldn't normally do, and also invest some time in myself." The group who attended the course comprise 14 women aged in their twenties through to their fifties who were involved in a variety of roles within Girl Guiding.

"I think being with a Girl Guiding team meant that we all instantly had something in common, therefore, everyone was immediately supportive of each other."

From sailing, sea kayaking and high ropes through to tramping, a solo activity and running, the eight days was packed full of challenging activities. Debbie said there were numerous highlights on the course.

"The high ropes course was really hard because I was shaking like a leaf throughout and was really sore afterwards from holding on so tight. However, at the end of it I felt like I'd really conquered something."

Debbie said one of the biggest highlight was completing a 12km run at the end of the course.

"I've never run that far before so simply finishing it was a huge achievement."

The course was sponsored by Hubbard's, and designed to inspire Girl Guiding volunteers to develop self-confidence, courage, focus, as well as strengthen relationships between different parts of the Girl Guiding organisation.

As a treasurer at Karori Girl Guides, Debbie hopes to use the skills she has learned from the course to help her better support others in her Girl Guiding team. She said she came away from the course feeling more motivated and with a stronger sense of self belief.

"I definitely know that there's always more in me. Completing an all day tramp, and a 12km run are proof of that. Even just dealing with lousy weather is simply a matter of just getting on with things - it's all about attitude."

She said with the support of others on the course, anything was possible.

"The instructors are so passionate about what they do and were hugely supportive of all of us."

Debbie has now set a personal goal to work for herself by setting up a book-keeping business and she is already underway with this.

"I always had a goal to run 10km and yet I was capable of 12. As a result, I'm now setting my sights higher - maybe it will be a half marathon next time. It's that personal belief that's come from the course that has resulted in a deeper sense of inner confidence."

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