Warriors Academy Gap Year Program in South Africa

I had a great experience at Warriors Gap Year Program, despite how challenging or difficult some of the tasks were, I still enjoyed every moment. They offered a great environment for learning, freedom and growth, and I really appreciated that. I also thought there was also quite a good distribition between the activities; from the travelling, exercise, adventure, majorly physically inclined activities, to sitting down to learn more about yourself, others and the future, to simply rest, relax and celebrate how far we'd come. I personally didn't complete the whole year ( I had personal things to take car of), but even so I left having felt that everything I experienced and learned was more than I would've if I hadn't gone. Putting that into perspective, if not taking part of the whole program was still that impactful, imagine what more I could have achieved having done the whole program. I think that's something worth noting.

Conclusively, I think Warriors Gap Year Program is definitely worth the time, energy and money for the magnitude of experience, adventure and knowledge one would attain after attending.

Warriors was hard and scary.. but the good kind of hard and scary, the type that forces you to grow and become a person you wouldn’t have ever believed you could be, and you have so much fun doing it. Physically they challenge you every day, to prove to yourself, again and again, that you can accomplish anything, be it marathons or triathlons, jumping off a bridge or swimming deep with the fishes. They make sure, you face all your fears. Now i was quite emotionally unstable when i went to warriors. But the support i got from then.. even though i was being rude or dramatic, was unparalleled. They helped me realize who I really am, and who i want to become. Then they gave me all the tools needed to become him. So i will forever be thankful to warriors.

Warriors was one of the most life changing experiences. Besides the absolutely stunning beauty of where the Base camp is situated , the staff and coordinators are amazing people who made me feel safe and pushed me to reach my full potential.The lessons I learnt and experiences I will carry with me forever. Definitely worth every dollar spent thank you so much my Warriors Family for showing the true meaning of living for the adventure of being alive!". To anyone who is unsure don't think twice about your decision to take this gap year it's 100% worth it,I won't always be easy but it will challenge your mind,body and soul to find out who you really are and what you are made of and trust me you will be quiete surprised at what all of us are capable of if we just put our minds to it.

It builds you physically and mentally, the program is designed in a way that you will have times of fun and times of learning. The program is not easy, it relies on team work and your mental strength to complete each activity. Being stuck with the entire group all the time also teaches you how to deal with people all types of backgrounds and values. There are times where there is a little bit of tension but it always ends up fixing itself. All the workshops we do are also very important for th real world as it teaches you many life skills such as presentation skills and public speaking. Nothing in the program is mandatory but everyone does it and push themselves because they want to see a better version of themselves at the end of the day no matter how uninterested they are in life.

I don’t think I have a bad word to say about my experience at Warriors. I think everyone who goes abroad on their gap year will say it was “life changing”, but Warriors differs from other programs in that it equips young people with skills they would never have learnt or even been introduced to anywhere else. It boasts a unique and fun environment where you can test yourself and your capabilities. Something I found very striking was how little pressure I felt from the moment I arrived - it was a real breath of fresh air having just come out of A-Level stress at school. I was completely free to be myself and explore who I was in a way that I had never experienced at home. I think most young people feel enormous amounts of pressure to succeed in a specific way, and warriors helped me break the cycle and find out what I was really passionate about in my own way and my own time, and I cannot express how valuable that has been for me.

Self confidence etc aside, if you’re searching for some adrenaline pumping madness, you’d be hard pressed to find a better or more all inclusive course! I started off only doing one quest and I ended up staying for the rest of the year because I was having too much fun to go home! Bungee jumping, skydiving, mountain biking, scuba diving are just the beginning - it’s honestly the adventure junkie’s dream. You’ll travel every inch of South Africa, be it by foot, bike or kayak. You’ll see some awe inspiring things, and meet some awe inspiring people.

I came into Warriors expecting to hang out in South Africa for 8 weeks, do some cool stuff, meet some cool people... and instead I stayed for the rest of the year, doing things that pushed me everyday and meeting people that I will regard as family for the rest of my life. The things I learnt were truly invaluable, and things that I know I couldn’t have learnt anywhere else. Warriors is unique, and something I wish everyone could experience - I hope my own kids will have the opportunity to do something even half as brilliant in the future.

My son (then 17 years) started with the Spring Quest in 2018 and is now doing all 4 quests in 2019. We noticed a remarkable change in his attitude and behavior from the first quest but it just continued to get better and better. His outlook towards life changed dramatically, he developed a number of skills and is a different person. He learned to be responsible and caring. He can now communicate to adults in a proper manner and making a speech is no longer an issue. His talks on the webisodes (web episodes of their adventures) is in a proper, decent and knowledgeable way. We can only thank the Warriors for all the effort that they have put into his development. We recommend this to other people to also experience this remarkable 'bush university'. All the staff are well trained, helpful and caring.

It started out as something i wasn't quite sure of, and the idea of getting out of my comfort zone was one i didn't like but when i actually went i loved it from the beginning to the end.
The people, the activities, the workshops going on adventures that push you to the limit physically and mentally. Being able to say that i know who i am and i know what i want is because of the warriors program and it has given me the support i need to change the world around me. the staff are also incredible and so caring very active and are very professional so they are able to run what is one of the craziest 7 weeks at time anyone could ask of from a work place environment. all of it was something i don't want to forget and i would suggest this to everyone i could.

My son is currently half way through his gap year experience with Warriors. Family & friends have all seen the dramatic change in him. He was 16 when he started and emotionally very immature. He has learned to cope with mental, emotional and physical challenges whilst being the youngest in his group. I have seen a marked increase in his confidence and self esteem. He is in great shape physically now and so enthusiastic, not only about the next quest, but also about life in general.

The programme allows for high and lows. There is a fundamental principle that growth occurs during the lows. The life skills gained along the way are incredibly valuable. However, the highs are extraordinary and I find myself green with envy at what they get to experience.

I have a happier, more positive and engaged young man who is developing a road map for his future. What more can a parent ask for?