My Duke of Edinburgh story started when I was 14. My bronze Duke of Edinburgh was completed with my secondary school, my silver was completed with my local volunteer police cadets and finally my gold was completed with my college sixth form. As a result I had different people on my expedition teams each time.

I remember particularly in my Gold expedition when we were hiking up mountains in Wales which everyone found quite tiresome but once we got to the top the view of the skyline was so beautiful. I won't forget that feeling of accomplishment. Everyone in my group worked really hard at continuously moving and supporting one another which made the experience an enjoyable challenge.

I would say there were many small moments about my expedition that I remember and enjoyed. Although, I think the aspect of all three of my Duke of Edinburgh experiences that I will remember the most is how I felt part of a team, I explored my interests, I felt like I grew up with Duke of Edinburgh scheme and felt more confident with my abilities each time. I'm extremely thankful I had the opportunity to be part of the award scheme, it's definitely one of my biggest highlights when I think back towards my teen years.