Coln House student completes Tanzania trek (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Fairford's Coln House pupil undertakes a journey of a lifetime

3:48pm Tuesday 24th July 2012 in School News By Charlotte Shepherd

AN INTREPID student from Coln House School in Fairford has pushed himself to the limits to complete a once in a lifetime 100km trek across the Great Rift Valley in Tanzania.
Joe Bradley, 16, was accompanied on the strenuous journey by the school’s deputy head, ex-Royal Marine Richard Lewis and mentors drawn from the sporting and business world.
Prior to the trek Joe raised £2,000 to fund the trip and had to ensure he was at the peak of physical fitness.
The 10-day walk was arranged for students from schools linked to the charity ‘engage in their future network’ supporting pupils with social, emotional and behavioral difficulties.
A BBC documentary team filmed the trek for ‘The Hottest Classroom on Earth’ to be shown later in the year.
Joe said: “I will never forget this experience that has been offered to me. I want to thank everyone for their kindness and generosity to help raise the money to send me on this trip.
“This has been life changing for me. I will always remember the hard times and how my mentor Mr Lewis helped my through those times. I am so lucky to have had this chance.”
The 32-strong team were accompanied for part of the trek by members of the Masai tribe.
Mr Lewis said: “The extreme nature of the trip put all participants out of their comfort zone and from this everyone learnt a little more about themselves and how to cope with issues during hard times. Witnessing how the Masai warriors manage themselves with calmness was a privilege.”
He added: “It was an incredible experience and mind-blowing for the kids. There were lots of downs but loads of highs and the hope is that they will be able to draw upon their experiences later in life. Joe and the other children learnt more in those 10 days than they would in a classroom. We see this as the way forward for education.”