GOING FOR GOLD WITH DOFE

We are proud to celebrate Eltham Hill student Bella’s achievement of the Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. Her journey included judo, archery, community service and a demanding seven-day expedition in the Peak District. Bella’s determination also shone through at the London Youth Games, where she won gold in judo despite dislocating her elbow mid-fight.

Through DofE, Eltham Hill School encourages students to build independence, resilience and teamwork while developing their interests and supporting their communities. Bella’s experience shows how taking that first step can lead to new challenges and a greater belief in what you can achieve.

Here, Bella shares her journey in her own words, from the toughest moments to the most rewarding, and offers advice to students thinking about taking part.

What inspired you to take part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award?

I was inspired to take part in the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award back in 2022 after hearing about it from other people who had completed their Bronze Award. They spoke about the challenges, adventures and experiences they had, and it sounded like a great opportunity to try new things.

I was already doing the Physical element of swimming, the Skills element of art, and Volunteering, so I thought I should give the programme a go myself. I found the hardest part about Bronze was record-keeping and managing my evidence for the programme.

For Bronze, you only have to complete a 1-day + 1-night Practice Expedition and a 2-day + 1-night Qualifying Expedition, and I had previous experience hiking overnight in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, so I wanted to try it because I believed I could do it.

What did you choose for your Volunteering, Physical and Skills sections of the Gold Award?

For my Gold DofE, I did judo for Physical, archery for Skills, and for Volunteering, I did community service.

What was the most challenging part of completing your Gold DofE? Was there a moment when you genuinely wanted to give up? What kept you going?

The Gold Expedition was by far the hardest part of my DofE. I decided to do my practice and qualifying expeditions back-to-back, instead of making multiple trips out to the field. This meant spending seven days hiking in the Peak District. One thing that made it even harder still was that, when I booked the course, I didn’t anticipate doing it during a heatwave.

Halfway through, I seriously considered giving up. After one particularly tough day, I got back to camp to find my feet were bleeding and I’d lost a toenail. Knowing I was only halfway through was pretty demoralising.

In the end, I kept going because I was determined not to let all the effort I’d already invested go to waste. I focused on the next step rather than the distance still ahead. By the time I finished, I had covered more than 150 km carrying a 17 kg pack. The experience taught me that I can push through challenges that initially seem impossible, and that’s something I’ll always be proud of.

What was your absolute favourite moment from the whole experience?

My favourite moment was probably eating normal food again after the expedition. When you’re carrying all your food for seven days, every gram matters, so most people choose lightweight, high-calorie meals rather than tasty ones.

By the end of the expedition, I’d had more than enough of bland dehydrated food, dried fruit and cereal bars, so my first proper meal afterwards tasted amazing. It definitely gave me a new appreciation for home cooking!

What do you think you learned about yourself while completing the Award?

I learned that I’m mentally stronger than I gave myself credit for, and that I have a higher pain tolerance than even my instructors expected. The expedition pushed me well beyond my comfort zone, but overcoming those physical challenges showed me that I’m capable of far more than I thought.

Are there any skills or experiences from DofE that you think will help you in the future?

Discipline, resilience and mental/physical regulation.

If you had to describe your Gold DofE journey in three words, what would they be?

Long, painful, rewarding.

What would you say to an Eltham Hill student who is thinking about doing DofE but isn’t quite sure yet?

They should definitely try it. Bronze is specifically designed to be easier than the Silver and Gold levels because you are learning how to get into the skill set. You don’t need any experience before trying it, and all the staff/mentors are great and supportive.

Most kids are doing some part of the elements anyway, so it’s a great way to roll that into an official DofE award. Bronze is very achievable and available, with most schools even offering a programme, and you will definitely meet some new friends along the way with your shared experiences.

It is also worth mentioning that all levels of the DofE programme (Bronze, Silver and Gold) are internationally recognised programmes and extremely prevalent for a CV. The Gold Award ceremony (which is not until spring) will be held at Buckingham Palace, so that’s pretty cool too.