When Zach was first referred to the Youth Adventure Trust Resilience Programme he was facing significant challenges. Anxiety held him back from fully engaging in life the way he wanted to, and with limited opportunities available to him, he struggled to build the confidence he needed to try new things. Despite these barriers, Zach committed to the programme and showed a quiet determination from the very beginning. At the start of the programme he set his aims as:
- Improve my confidence in new situations
- Speak to new people.
Zach was open about his fears and was quick to say when he felt unsure or reluctant about something. We knew that he was nervous on his early Activity Days, when the group were asked to take on challenges such as ropes courses, archery and cooking. He also has asthma, and during the initial sessions would use his asthma as a reason to not give things a try. It was clear that both his physical health and his anxiety were closely linked, and they often held him back from fully participating.
Zach battled through many challenges both on and off the programme. At times he would only attend half a day due to his anxiety, or sometimes his asthma would make him late. However with the ongoing support of the YAT team and Programme Manager, Zach battled through and made some amazing progress. Whether it was a very chilly and wet bushcraft day, or climbing rock faces and sea cliff jumping, Zach was supported to take on new challenges.
The high ropes Activity Day halfway through the programme, proved to be a challenge too far at that time. Faced with one of his biggest fears, Zach chose not to attend at the last minute. Whilst this was disappointing, it was an understandable decision for someone still unsure of himself and the group. But what followed just a month after was quite remarkable to witness.
Zach had progressed so much during his time on the programme that he had really begun to step further outside his comfort zone, trying new activities, and slowly, we noticed a shift. He leaned less on his inhaler whether canoeing, climbing or hiking, and more on his growing confidence and the support of the Programme Manager and the consistent team of volunteers supporting the programme. His body language changed, and his interactions with others became more open and relaxed.
On the overnight expedition the YAT team wondered how, despite all his progress, Zach would cope with the final challenge – a 70m zipline across a gorge! A challenge that would have seemed impossible for Zach just a couple of months before. With gentle encouragement from the adults and support from his peers, Zach faced his fear of heights head-on. Despite visible nerves and fear, he took the leap, quite literally, and completed the zip line with determination and courage. It was a breakthrough moment, and one that summed up his journey so far; quietly confident and courageously embracing the opportunities in front of him.
Zach’s time with the Youth Adventure Trust has been a story of growth, not only in physical confidence and emotional resilience, but in self-belief. He would be the first to admit he still has fears, but his approach to challenges has shifted. Where in the past he would have said a flat out ‘no’, without even contemplating the daunting move of stepping outside of his comfort zone, he now draws confidence from the knowledge that he has already achieved things that he previously thought were out of his reach. It has been a pleasure to witness Zach’s self-belief and resilience grow over the past year. We have every confidence that he will continue this positive and resilient mindset, achieved through challenging himself and the repeated opportunities for practice and success during the past year, and we look forward to hearing how things progress for him in the years to come.