Gold

Canada

I have never been an active person growing up. I was always playing the piano, or solving a Rubix cube in my room as a child. When I was introduced to the Duke of Edinburgh program, I took on the challenge to develop an active lifestyle, so I decided to start hiking. I hiked my first time in 2020 which was challenging because I have yet to gain enough muscle and adequate cardiovascular endurance to hike up a moderately challenging mountain. It took weeks of running on the treadmill, lifting weights, and grinding on the Stairmaster to prepare for the hike up Grouse Mountain, known as Mother Nature Stairmaster. I remember so vividly that I finished the hike in 42 minutes, while the average time to complete the hike was 2 hours. I was overjoyed. Ever since then, hiking is part of my weekly adventures. These was the most recent hike I've done at Joffre Lakes Provincial Park. I am so proud of myself and the progress I have made, and I cannot wait for more hiking adventures to come.

Participant