Alumni members empower future generations
Word of mouth can have a powerful impact, especially when people speak from their heart. The following stories about Outward Bound experiences, told by three separate people, pay testament to the ability to reach out and change the life of individuals through the power of story telling:
Outward Bound Alumni member and AMP Retirees Association member Brian East recently invited Outward Bound CEO Darren Black to speak at a quarterly Association meeting. Brian chose Darren based on his own personal experiences with Outward Bound, having been selected for an Outward Bound course in 1984 and experiencing a life-changing journey.
Before I went on the Outward Bound course, I was offered a very challenging position with AMP, one that I had rejected on several occasions as I didn’t think I could do the job. After the course, having gained a new confidence instilled in me by my OB experiences, I accepted the new job, which I stayed in for 15 years with great success and lead me to my current role as a practicing Financial Planner, running my own business in Cronulla. It is without question that if not for Outward Bound, I would not be where I am today. I have stayed connected with - Brian East, Outward Bound Alumni & AMP Retirees Association Member
At the AMP meeting, Outward Bound Australia CEO Darren Black spoke about Outward Bound and its potential to help youth and adults realise they are capable of more than they think. His words were powerful and had a profound impact on one Association Member in particular, Les Gill. Les went on to sponsor his 15 year old granddaughter, Rebecca, to participate in Outward Bound’s Youth Navigator program and was astounded at the positive change in Rebecca’s attitude when she returned from the course. Rebecca and Les now have a great relationship.
“My wife and I have eight grandchildren between us ranging in ages from 12 to 22 years of age. I became motivated to find out more about Outward Bound and how it can positively influence teenagers after Darren spoke to us at the AMP Retirees Association meeting because I’m very aware of what an important and difficult time of life this can be, not only for grandchildren themselves but also for parents and grandparents like us. My thoughts were, what a gift we could give to ourgrandchildren, so I followed through after the Outward Bound presentation and discovered to my delight that there was just one vacancy on the 12-day Youth Navigator course. Nothing could have prepared me for the wonderful and inspiring stories Rebecca and I shared on our five hour return journey home after her Outward Bound course. I was quite honestly moved to tears on hearing of the wonderful growth and learning Rebecca had received. She told me: “Granddad, I hated it at first. My legs hurt, my back hurt, I hated what I was wearing. I threw a huge dummy spit and wanted to go home. But after four days of negativity and emotion, I realised that the people around me were all going through the same thing and that they actually cared about me. I realised how much parents and grandparents do for their children and how much we take advantage of them. I realised that life is what you make it. I learnt that I can take ownership of my life.” We are currently preparing to send our other grandchildren on Outward Bound courses; the rewards are immeasurable.” - Les Gill, AMP Retirees Association Member
Les, Rebecca and Brian’s stories pay testament to the power of sharing experiences; a chain of events that began in 1984, when Brian was chosen for an Outward Bound course, has allowed young Rebecca, 17 years later, to experience a journey that has changed her life, positively impacting her entire family.
As an Outward Bound Alumni member, we invite you too, to take the opportunity to empower your friends, family and collegaues with the knowledge of Outward Bound’s life-changing experiences and share your stories with them. To arrange an Outward Bound guest speaker to visit your school, company or organisation please contact Lucas Gamble, phone 0427 290 594 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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