A Steep Journey, Dayvn’s Award Story

Stepping Outside of his Comfort Zone 

Dayvn began the Bronze Award in Grade 9 and the Silver Award in Grade 11, with the focused goal of building his strength, independence, and life skills to drive his personal growth. Through his Award journey, Dayvn gained invaluable experiences in problem-solving, teamwork and leadership, along with a better understanding of his own abilities to positively influence those around him. 

Adventurous Journey  

Facing Severe Weather Conditions on Mount Seymour  

The purpose of Dayvn’s Adventurous Journey was to hike by foot to the top of the steep terrain of Mount Seymour in Vancouver, with his team all while carrying their personal and group supplies for four days and three nights. They prepared their own meals while ensuring that no waste was left behind and that they had zero impact on the environment around them, ensuring the mountain was respected. 

Dayvn’s Award Leader, Robert Greer, Director, Vancouver Outdoors Society, had this to say about his efforts on the trail: “When the turn of events became increasingly tougher for the group, Dayvn shifted from self-preservation, to being of service to others by showing compassionate and support for fellow participants who were struggling.” 

Leave No Trace  

Dayvn and his group adopted a “leave no trace” model where they took back everything, they brought up with them. Hiking with a commitment to zero environmental impact makes the Adventurous Journey that much more challenging for participants as all waste needed to be constantly considered especially at mealtimes. 

Importance of Staying Hydrated
Another thing Dayvn learned is importance of packing enough water on a long trek. The team had trouble finding a water source and the filtration system they brought was time-consuming to extract clean water. Although it was heavy to carry, Dayvn was grateful to have brought extra water that he could share with his group members. Without water, they would run out of energy quickly and make poor decisions. Without hydration the participants would not be much use to their group and in fact, could become a liability. Even with small amounts of water, the team members were able to gain their strength to push themselves to reach the peak and return safely. Dayvn will never underestimate the power of clean drinking water again!  

“My Duke of Edinburgh journey was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but it was one of the best experiences of my life.” 

 – Dayvn   

Serving the Community at an Animal Shelter 

Although he had a busy course load, Dayvn volunteered weekly, rain or shine, at the Vancouver Wildlife Rescue which helps neglected animals get adopted by the local community. Some of his duties included helping keep the shelter & cages clean, the care, feeding & socialization of animals waiting to be adopted, stocking shelves & educating the public on the dangers of animal abandonment.  

Learning New Life Skills 

During the lockdown and mainly out of boredom, Dayvn began learning how to cook a variety of meals from his familial homeland of India. Some recipes he sourced via the Internet and some he accessed through a family friend who instructed him on the art of Punjabi cooking. It was fun to test out new recipes with his family. With these new skills, Dayvn decided to give back to his community during the pandemic by volunteering with Global Vegetarian, a charity that prepared and delivered healthy and free meals to the elderly & healthcare workers in the Ladner/ Tsawwassen areas.  

Physical Recreation to Elevate Strength & Discipline 

While Davyn was working towards the Silver Award, many school and team sports were halted and he was looking for new and safe ways to get back to a structured fitness program. He signed up for a premier mixed martial arts training program to help achieve his goal of improving his overall strength, agility, and fitness with Master Mosatafa Sabeti of Golden Glory Martial Arts Academy. Along with the strenuous physical training, Dayvn worked on practicing mindfulness and discipline in order to grow stronger physically, mentally and spiritually.  

Powerful Way to Build Your Personal Profile
Since the start of his Duke of Edinburgh experience, Dayvn has grown to be a well-rounded individual who is a quiet but steadfast leader who positively influences those around him. Dayvn is deeply passionate about pursuing a career in Health Sciences to create better health outcomes for others. Dayvn received multiple offers in his top program of choice from the leading universities in Canada including the University of Toronto, Queen’s University, University of Waterloo, Western University, Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia to name a few. Dayvn has selected to attend UBC to study Sciences in the Fall of 2022 and believes that his Award experience helped complement his strong academic profile.  

Nothing Good Ever Comes Easy 

Achieving the Silver Award during the pandemic was no easy feat as volunteer placements, outdoor programs, sports activities, and skill building opportunities were extremely rare and hard to find. Dayvn had to be highly resourceful and work twice as hard to find opportunities in the community that would normally have been available at his school. Dayvn encourages others to take on the challenge too.  

“Earning my Silver Award wasn’t easy, but it was worth all the time and effort and I’m better off for it.” 

• Davyn  

We thank Davyn for sharing his story, we hope it inspires you to Join The Award, Volunteer with The Award, or Become an Award Centre.  

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