“ THERE IS, HOWEVER, A GROWING CAMP OF EDUCATORS, RESEARCHERS AND PARENTS THAT THINK THE BEST SUCCESS OFTEN COMES FROM FAILURE.”
One of the biggest challenges the students actually faced was the challenge of taking responsibility for the planning and organization of the trip even before their paddles hit the water. Miss Monro said,“ As teachers we try to get them to lead as much as possible themselves, and they consistently find this the biggest test. They deal with the rigorous nature of the expedition in the Bahamian climate much more easily than the day-today administration, which is just as important for the success of the trip and their overall development.”
GGYA programs are distinct from many other outdoor expeditions in that they are not hosted by guides or teacher-experts. While they are safe and supportive, they do not have the same type of safety net as commercial expeditions run by trained professionals for paying clients. Students have to deal with different situations and problems as a group without adult help. They have to cope in unpredictable circumstances, and find the solutions within themselves or the group.“ No one is going to tow you around the island,” said mentor, Mr. Ian Brooke.“ You have to do the work yourself, the physical work, the planning work, the emotional work, the communication work. It’ s good to have the experience of doing it all yourself and to learn that it is not the end of the world if you are not initially successful.”
Overcoming Adversity The feeling of success would continue to elude the kayakers as their trip was met again and again by the inevitable challenges presented to a diverse group facing tough physical conditions in an unfamiliar environment. On Day Three, students rounded the northwest point of the island, pulling into the Lyford Cay Marina for a lunch break at school. Fatigue and fear of the tough swells pounding the north side of the island forced a breaking point; some students did not want to continue to the final destination for the evening. The group had to make some changes or collectively they would fail.
“ THERE IS, HOWEVER, A GROWING CAMP OF EDUCATORS, RESEARCHERS AND PARENTS THAT THINK THE BEST SUCCESS OFTEN COMES FROM FAILURE.”
“ The biggest challenges for this particular group were striking the balance within their teams, getting the right people to do the right jobs and everyone pulling their weight. When this issue threatened their potential completion of the trip, they made a plan to work through it. So while the challenge was physical, the solution to
14 success was interpersonal skills and communicating effectively,” said Mr. Brooke.
The next morning, students were again reminded that, like waves, challenges often come in sets. Yet, with two broken paddles and intimidating surf, they also learned that the best rewards can come through facing insurmountable challenges.“ While at first we didn’ t want to get in the water, we were soon surfing waves with the wind and current at our backs. We ended up doing 15 kilometers in three hours,” said Mr. Brooke. Finally, the ebullient students had three kilometers to go to reach their end point. Their endeavour would soon be complete.
One Final Challenge As they paddled in to Nassau Harbour by Arawak Cay, they were suddenly met by a boat with sirens blaring.“ He came speeding toward us shouting that this is no place for kayaks. He told us to go back to shore,” said Ndlovu. Group leaders replied that they had been given permission by the Royal Bahamas Defense force to enter, explaining that they needed only to get to Montagu Beach to complete the circumnavigation. Nevertheless, they were sent to shore to terminate their trip.
“ Students were disappointed that we had made it this far but couldn’ t get back to where we started,” said Mr. Mindorff.“ There were lots of discussions about not failing at this point. Could we carry the kayaks the rest of the way? Could we load the kayaks on a flatbed and walk the rest of the way? At that moment, I knew that the expedition had been worth it. These students had learned resiliency and new problem solving skills by facing these incredible challenges. This failure at the end of the trip had been turned into a win-win situation.”
After about an hour-and-a-half of problem solving and a barefoot meeting in the Hilton lobby, the group got a call from the operations center that they had the green light to continue. They travelled the last few kilometers relieved, tired and changed forever.