Kelly Freeman
I’ve always been interested in leadership, which is why I chose Adventure Tourism Leadership. I thought learning leadership skills through outdoor activities would be a fun and different experience. I’m really into sport, but I haven’t spent much time doing outdoor adventure activities before this course.
This course completely changed my perspective on the outdoors. I realised it’s so much more than just camping and tramping. At the start, it was a little challenging because everyone was meeting each other for the first time. However, we quickly got to know each other, and our group connected well.
One of the best parts of the course was meeting people from different schools and regions. We were given lots of opportunities to try new activities, develop our leadership skills, receive feedback, and reflect on ways to improve. The tutors and students were incredibly supportive, which made it easy to step outside my comfort zone.
Travelling from Marlborough was sometimes challenging, but having the course run in blocks made it much more manageable. I was able to stay on top of my schoolwork because I’m motivated and organised with my studies.
The tutors across all four blocks were fantastic. They were friendly, funny, supportive, and easy to get along with. They connected well with students and brought a huge amount of knowledge and experience to the course.
Throughout the four blocks, we got to experience rock climbing, caving, sea kayaking, and mountain biking. My favourite activity was caving, although I also loved sea kayaking. Both were new experiences for me and gave me the chance to learn a range of new skills. I also discovered that different people learn and perform activities in different ways, which helped me understand the importance of adapting techniques to suit the individual.
If you’re looking for a course where you can meet new people, learn new skills, and challenge yourself, I would highly recommend doing the Adventure Tourism Leadership Trades Academy course.
I’m currently in Year 11 and will be returning to school for Year 12. In the future, I hope to join the New Zealand Defence Force and train as a Medic. This course has strengthened my communication and leadership skills, especially the importance of listening, working as a team, and supporting others. I know these skills will benefit me both at school and in my future career.