Sarah's story - the power of self-belief

My Course, Inspirational, Life after OB

Today Sarah Carter is living in Sydney, learning to surf and is about to set off on a 100km trailwalk for charity. She is full of confidence, she enjoys pushing herself and embracing nature.

Two years ago Sarah wrote this letter to herself on her Classic course solo. If you've ever wondered about the power of Outward Bound to change lives, look no further than Sarah's letter.

To Sarah,

Right now you are stronger and braver than you realise.

This letter is being written as you lie under a tarpaulin, on a groundsheet, in a sleeping bag surrounded by ferns and forest. This has been your home for two days all alone.

On Outward Bound you have had the confidence in yourself and your watch group to…

Tap and wait when your kayak rolled in the river
Get up every day at 6am for a warm up and a run, then a swim - each run you felt sick but you kept pushing
You have scaled a rock face without much to guide your way - in that moment you had to use positive words to push, to keep going and be determined to reach the top
You have taken every opportunity and jumped into icy water from the jetty after a long day clearing paths or rowing.
You have pushed your body over and over.
You have mastered a high ropes course and have pushed further walking backwards on the beam, doing a 180 in the middle and jumping 2 feet between platforms amongst the trees.

With the right mindset you can achieve anything.

Sarah, stop worrying so much, life will happen and obstacles that come your way you can overcome.

As reflected on at outward bound the three values most important to you are:

Balance
Personal Development
Security

Try to make your life embrace these and you will be happier.

You have the power and the control to direct your life and make you happy. Do whatever is needed to get there!

Goals I want to achieve:

Run a half marathon in under two hours
Live in the moment more
Push myself physically
Try out new things
Be willing and able to help others
Challenge yourself to achieve more

Sarah following up on her OB goals as she competes in an endurance race.

Today I am unemployed and homeless with all the possibilities in the world ahead of me.

Make sure you set yourself up for happiness, do not settle you are a great person and you deserve the best.

Take some time out of every day to reflect on where you are and where you want to be. Take a step back and focus on you. By now I hope you can surf and play squash and have set new goals. Life is great, enjoy it and have fun. Eat the frog.

Love Sarah xox

Sarah's watchmates

Classic

For Ages 18-26

Duration 21 days

The Classic course gives you the focus and perspective to decide on your future direction.

See Course details and make a booking