Monica Taylor - Rhowniar, Wales, 1972

Outward Bound 26 day course, was amazing. I already enjoyed the outdoors but was very shy. The course had challenges that I found I could achieve and this gave me a huge confidence boost in my own abilities. I even broke the cross country record, a challenge held at the end of the course. The intensity of a 26 day challenge has stayed with me since I was 17 and helped me face up to everything that life has challenged me with, including the death of a child, divorce and bringing up 3 children more or less single handed. Facing up to challenges and coping in the knowledge that I can is something which I have never lost and Outward Bound has been hugely influential in this respect. I am very grateful to the Herefordshire branch of the Outward Bound Trust for sponsoring me to go on the course.