Luke's Blog

June 2009

In September 2008 I applied to be an instructor at any of the PGL centres in France but there were no instructing positions available so I was offered a job working in the kitchen. I took this and I started as a Catering Assistant at Chateau du Tertre in Normandy a few days later.

During my time in that role, I developed an interest in canoeing but I had only managed to get out on a few canoe sessions. I really wanted to follow this up for the next season. At the end of the 2008 season, I had an offer to do my UKCC Level 1 Canoe and Kayak training and decided to go for it.

In November I underwent my UKCC Level 1 Canoe and Kayak training at Boreatton Park and I soon realised that I had very little experience canoeing and kayaking compared to other people! But I also found that if you put the effort in, you pick things up easily with time and concentration.

The course is for three weeks so you get to make loads of quality mates and when I finished my course I went to West Wales to paddle on some other rivers with the new mates I had made.

Now in 2009 I have returned to Chateau Du Tertre but this time, after doing my Group Leader/Instructor training at Boreatton Park in January, I am now an instructor with the added bonus of being qualified in canoe and kayak. I spend a lot of my time running canoe sessions as well as zip wire, climb and many other activities. Now being qualified means I can coach and take other people out in my free time. I have also started my NVQ Level 2 in Sport and Recreation.
 
In my free time, I try my best to get off-site and do something to entertain myself like rock jumping, kite boarding, sailing or go-karting.
 
After I have successfully completed this season, I want to do my UKCC Level 2 Canoe and Kayak qualification which is run over three months, where you start off at Boreatton Park and travel around Wales, England and Scotland making sure we cover different rivers.