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Girl Guides will live on €3.50 a day while hiking 60km and completing eight projects
Ireland, 08/08/2016 – Fifteen young women from around the country have today (Monday 8 August) donned their rucksacks and will be hiking 60 kilometres in Co Kerry over the next five days while carrying all their camping and cooking equipment, clothes, food and water and surviving on just €3.50 a day.
Participants, most of whom are aged between 16 and 19, will also have to complete eight projects and keep a log book of their experiences during the Irish Girl Guides’ Chief Commissioner’s Award survival challenge.
The girls, who are all active members of Irish Girl Guides, come from Lucan, Co Dublin; Bray, Co Wicklow; Edenderry, Co Offaly; and Bishopstown and Macroom, Co Cork. They are participating in teams of two or three.
The projects the girls have to complete are based on exploration of the area but it was impossible for them to prepare for these in advance as they didn’t know which part of Ireland they would be competing in until yesterday! They knew they were to meet at Killarney train station but it was only this morning that they were told that the challenge would be taking place on the Iveragh peninsula, Co Kerry.
Speaking ahead of the event, Aishling O’Connor (16) of Macroom, Co Cork, said nerves were beginning to kick in and she hoped she had the stamina to last the whole week.
All the girls were well prepared, however, having trained by going on long hikes and camping out overnight. “We hiked a total of 25 kilometres one weekend,” said Aishling, “And we had €7 to spend on food, which I found the hardest (even tougher than being followed by unfriendly bulls)!
“For me, the most difficult aspect of Chief’s will be staying positive while carrying my rucksack, which will be getting heavier every day. It will also be very difficult to refuse the numerous lifts kind people might offer us!”
Aislinn Porter (19) of Bishopstown, Co Cork, said she and her team-mates were well prepared: “We’ve been busy planning, packing and re-packing our bags, road-testing the old hiking boots and route-planning. The most difficult aspect of Chief’s for me will probably be the endurance aspect of the award: balancing project work, route-planning and hiking every day will be difficult and probably exhausting. I feel really grateful that I have the opportunity to take part in the Award, not to mention the wonderful people I will meet and the memories I will make, which will all be added bonuses.”
After the hike, the teams will be assessed by means of their projects and log books as well as a de-briefing with members of the Chief Commissioner’s Award staff. There are three levels of achievement: a certificate is presented to all teams who participate in the event while a woggle and certificate is presented to all teams who complete 60km, the log book and projects. The award itself – a silver Celtic knot pin – is presented to all teams who enter wholeheartedly into the spirit of the award and who benefit significantly from the experience.
Suzanne O’Brien, one of the Award organisers, said: “Fifteen brave participants will take on the adventure of a lifetime whereby their survival skills are put to the test. They are required to complete projects along their marked 60km route and meet the locals to find out more about the area and its history.
“Motivation, high energy, teamwork and enjoyment are the key to success,” she continues. “This challenge is both mentally and physically demanding but also extremely exhilarating to undertake. Not only can you achieve a certificate, woggle or pin but furthermore gain friendship, a sense of accomplishment and good memories that will stay with you forever.
“We wish everyone the best of luck and remember: Have Fun!”
Irish Girl Guides welcomes new members from age 5, young leaders from age 15+ and adult leaders from age 18+. See www.irishgirlguides.ie for further information.
ENDS
Contact:
Fiona Murdoch,
Communications Officer at Irish Girl Guides
Tel: 085 8570565
Notes for editors:
Irish Girl Guides has around 12,000 members, ranging in age from five to 30 years. 1,800 volunteer leaders are involved. Guiding started in Ireland in 1911 and operates throughout the 26 counties with leaders providing an informal educational programme of fun and challenging activities that foster confidence and leadership skills in girls and young women, enabling them to become responsible citizens. They can choose to earn a wide range of badges, including disability awareness, world cultures, science investigation and online surfer.