Not many persons would dread Eleuthera’s miles of unspoiled, soft, sandy beaches, but when you’re carrying a 40 pound rucksack packed full of equipment the physical demands of trekking across the terrain makes it a daunting task.
For Durran Thompson embarking on his Gold level adventurous journey with the Governor General’s Youth Award (GGYA), the trip to Eleuthera is no day at the beach.
“We have 17 miles of pure beach to travel,” said the rising twelfth grader. “Eleuthera’s beaches are very soft which means our feet will sink into soft sand causing us to tire quicker.”
His strategy for the laborious hiking expedition – focus on attaining the Gold Award, an internationally recognized honor, he’d spent three years working toward.
Thirty-six participants from five schools departed from Potter’s Cay Dock Monday, June 25, headed to South Eleuthera for the 26th annual Bahamas Award Super Expedition (BASE) – a five day event which will see participants traverse from the Village Settlement (for the Gold level) and Wemyss Bight (for the Silver) hiking to Tarpum Bay and camping out along the route.
“I’m not looking forward to the 45-mile journey but it’s the experience that counts,” says the C.V. Bethel High School student who takes an optimistic view of the adventure that await.
“Once you do the first hike, the ones that follows aren’t usually as hard, just more miles. After you know what to expect, you’re better able to place yourself in the mental headspace to push through.”
Among other things, Thompson and his team members were told to relax and have fun, sage advice coming from his unit leader, educator Anya Mills.
“I told them to work together as a team. Walk as fast as your slowest person and don’t leave anyone behind,” she said. The goal is to make it from checkpoint to checkpoint, trying not to get disqualified as persons are watching.”
BASE began in 1992 to give young people the opportunity to experience adventure and discovery on different Family Islands and to plan, train for and undertake a journey with a purpose in an unfamiliar environment as a part of a small team.
Each participant has his or her own challenge to overcome during the expedition. For Sonique Duncombe, a rising twelfth grader at Aquinas College it’s her fear of water. A Silver level participant, the last time she traveled for an adventurous journey she broke down and had to be carried on to the boat.
“I have a serious water phobia. I do not take to water, so getting on and off the boat is a challenge,” she said. “I think I’ll be alright this time around once I go in with a great mindset.”
The level of determination is unusual for a girl who joins and never completes extracurricular activities.
“I wanted to give up on GGYA too, but my advisor would not allow me to quit,” shared Duncombe. “Now that I’ve reached this far I don’t want to quit.”
Photos by Precision Media
An exciting self-development program available to all young people throughout The Bahamas, GGYA requires participants (14 to 25 years old) to serve a minimum amount of time developing a skill, carrying out a community service and a physical activity.
Once they've done all that and successfully completed hiking requirements, participants receive a Bronze, Silver or Gold Award (typically in that order).
Trayias Bowe, a 2018 Aquinas College graduate, is out to obtain his Gold Award. He took a year off after reaching Silver but recognizing the enormous benefits gained from the programme, he decided to return.
“Through GGYA I learnt to focus less on me and more on others,” said Bowe, who heads to St John’s University in Minnesota this fall to study accounting and finance.
“If you see someone struggling you help them out. You lend a helping hand. If someone’s bag is too heavy and yours is light, you take some of their stuff and place it in your bag to even out the weight. Remember, if they slow down the whole group slows down so really it fosters teamwork.”
Participants aren’t the only ones to witness a remarkable change in themselves.
Seeing off her 17-year-old grand-daughter Caranique Cash, Grandmother Karen Musgrove said she witnessed for her itself the honors graduate evolution into a more outgoing and positive teen.
“I would encourage anyone with kids especially boys to get them involved in GGYA,” she said. “They have excellent leaders and it’s a very positive programme.”
The programme has been known to forge bonds between people who may never have exchanged words otherwise.
“Before joining GGYA I think I was a bit anti-social but I’ve ventured out to meet new people like Ann-Raché,” said Alesha Pinder, a rising twelfth grader at Jordan Prince Williams Baptist School.
Ann-Raché Rolle, a student of St John’s College, admits clubs weren’t “my thing.”
“I didn’t get into clubs mostly because I didn’t trust the people in the clubs. I have trust issues. In GGYA I met nice, cooperative people who made me let my guard down and help me to build team playing skills which made the hike easier. If you’re by yourself it’s just a whole lot harder,” said the rising eleventh grader who joined GGYA to discover different Family Islands and learn how live in the “wild.”
Rolle takes a philosophical approach to her Award experience.
“In GGYA you gain a full understanding that life doesn’t come at you easy. These hikes are nothing easy,” she said. “Getting a little bit of that, the ability to overcome challenges, into your system as a young person helps you a whole lot moving forward in life.”
