A FITTING conclusion to years of effort culminated in Enniskillen girl, Laura Elliott receiving her Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award.
She was presented with her Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award Certificate, in Hillsborough Castle, in the presence of the Duke of Edinburgh.
The Duke of Edinburgh Award programme is about providing an enjoyable, challenging and rewarding programme of personal development.
Each award involves providing a service to individuals and to the community, discovering and developing skills, participating in physical recreation and completing an expedition.
For the Gold award, an additional activity is required to broaden a person’s experience through involvement with others in a residential setting.
For Laura, this included an expedition to the Mourne Mountains which meant four days hiking and three nights camping. And, as Laura explained, it was by no means easy.
“This brought its own challenges when the weather conditions turned treacherous. With poor visibility and little sense of direction in a difficult terrain, it was an added challenge for the group to get down the mountain safely, but we worked together and completed our expedition.”
Her residential project for the gold medal was living with a family in San Francisco and while there, working in a children’s summer camp for eight weeks.
One of the more unusual skills she developed was learning how to box!
This was while studying dentistry at Queens University when she attended classes at Fight Club for a few years.
“It was hard but very enjoyable. But, I don’t think you will see me in a ring anytime soon however.”
Laura is eternally grateful to all those who helped her along the way, from starting out at the Collegiate Grammar School.
“It is with the support of people like my parents, Miss Stevenson our school’s award leader and Robin Ferguson that I was able to achieve so much.”
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