Flower Pedals, Ravleen’s Award Story

 Starting The Award 

Although Ravleen had never heard of The Award, it was just what she needed to expand her community participation. Her present hobbies were nicely aligned with the primary areas of the award, which are Skill, Service, and Physical Recreation. She put her time management abilities to the test by working on all areas at the same time. 

Adventurous Journey  

The Adventurous Journey was a unique, memorable experience for Ravleen. She felt supported and prepared with the support of her group and leader. The physical endurance helped Ravleen gain knowledge in planning ahead and working as a team.  

Prep & Training  

The preparation and training served to alleviate the fear of the unknown while also aiding in organization of the exploration. Even though this was a new experience for Ravleen, she found solace in it. Ravleen found comfort in the preparations leading up to the trip, which added to the whole experience. Lunchtime meetings helped Ravleen and her team prepare for the trip. After discovering a common interest of flowers and agriculture, the team planned an exploration trip. Biking was accessible for the team so that was the chosen activity. They practiced for a few months learning how to set up the tent, meal prep, and route plan   

The Exploration  

There were no major hesitations after extensive prep and training with the team, however the exploration was much longer than the preparation trip. The gear was kept at the campsite, lightweight bags containing the route card, food, water, and daily necessities which was beneficial for the uphill challenge. The cooking and cycling were highlights for all the participants; they gained a lot of knowledge from having to cook all their own meals and developed passions for cooking. The cycling aspect was also a highlight, but all-day cycles became exhausting. Ravleen and the team enjoyed documenting the flowers they saw, a favourite being the roses. The amount of activity was underestimated and next time Ravleen would like to participate in a longer practice journey to prepare for the overnight. Ravleen would recommend all participants practice an overnight camping experience before heading out for a multi-day trip. The biggest struggle for Ravleen was the biking required, stopping to analyze the flowers was a nice break.   

Ravleen is excited to explore more on the journey’s to follow with The Award and would be interested in doing a kayaking exploration for her Silver Journey.  

“I found myself consistently involved with the community and people around me, it made me open up to new interests that I now love and enjoy participating in. I would recommend The Duke of Edinburgh Award to anyone who wants to experience new interests. It honestly helps you to become self-sufficient and develop skills that you can take with you anywhere in life.”  

• Ravleen 

The Award is inspired by Ravleen for her becoming empowered and challenging herself to reach goals. We’re looking forward to hearing more stories from Ravleen Award experience.   

Click Here to register to become a Participant. 

Shelan Emre  

Shelan is an active member of her community who is committed to making a positive impact. She is pursuing her Commerce degree at the Asper School of Business at the University of Manitoba. Her Award accomplishments include being a Bronze, Silver, and Gold Award Achiever, Award Leader, Passion to Purpose participant, grant recipient, and Speaker, as well as working with The Award in Canada as an Award Specialist and in Marketing Communications.

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