Warriors Academy Reviews

Warriors is a comprehensive gap year programme designed to allow youngsters to grow into capable, confident and emotionally mature young adults. It is packed with activity which covers physical endurance, overcoming fears, adventure and extreme adrenalin experiences, as well as self awareness, problem solving, and skills development. It teaches the participants teamwork, but also individual independence, perseverance and discipline. They learn that when they break the rules there are consequences, but also to then get over it and move on. Everything is aimed at personal development and improvement, while still having fun and the adventure and experience of a lifetime. My daughter benefitted hugely from this programme - it was exactly what she needed as a school leaver who needed to "find herself".

Great program for those wanting a gap year to grow and mature. To experience the natural world around them. To learn team work and self management, To be able to be self sufficient and be an asset in the world today.
Meeting people from all over the world, learning how to get along with all types of people and how to manage difficult situations in life.
Becoming physically aware, exercising and learning healthy ways to live and look after your body.(cycling . hiking, food nutrition etc)
Seeing South Africa and surrounding countries in all their beauty, learning different cultures (although Covid put a damper on that this year)
Learning to care for the less fortunate than ourselves (doing outreaches)

When Our son Stephen finished school he was very unsure about what he wanted to do for his future. We then found the Warriors program and enrolled Stephen for the full year 2020. When he left for the first quest in Feb 2020, little did we know that we would only see him again 9 months later due to Covid related travel restrictions.
Not only did Stephen experience the most exciting, amazing and wonderful adventures in this year, but he became more confident, committed and positive within himself throughout. He has learnt to understand the values of healthy living and exercising and Enjoys the lifestyle too.
The Warriors family was amazing throughout. When the first lockdown came in April, they offered to keep the children there on very short notice, the whole world was unsure about this new situation, but Warriors kept the team going, kept them motivated and positive throughout. There could not have been a better place for our youngsters to have spent this crazy time.
The Warriors team are an amazing crowd, passionate about what they do, each child is part of this big amazing family, there is discipline, but there is fun. We as parents can only say a very big thank you to the team and what the part they play in Stephens life.

We sent our son to the Warrior's for a whole year. He left home feeling lost, confused and without any direction. After a few months we started to see him open up and grow. He came back after the year, a changed man!! He learnt so many life skills and had so much fun doing all the activities. The program is really very well structured and presented with so much love, care and professionalism. In spite of the covid situation, the Warriors team managed to keep the program going, without missing out on a lot. For that we were really grateful. I can absolutely recommend this to any child, no matter what their circumstances.

When our son finished high school he did not know what he wanted to do going forward. We found WARRIORS and enrolled him for all four Quests for 2020. Stephen left for SA in February 2020, little did we know that we would only see him 9 months later due to Covid travel restrictions.
Stephen's Warriors year was not only filled with the most unique and amazing experiences, but he has grown tremendously as a person.
Throughout lockdown the Warriors team kept the group together, they kept them going, kept them positive and active, there could not have been a better place for Stephen to experience these 'unique ' times.
We ar grateful for Stephen to have had this opportunity and guidance, we know, this year has given him positive building blocks for life on all levels.
Thank you WARRIORS!

My son had the most wonderful experience, having started with a seven week course he stayed for another 14 weeks, he only returned because of covid repatriation and university looming, otherwise he would have stayed longer.
He has grown, developed and matured throughout his time at Warriors and he speaks fondly of his time there the lessons learnt and the future adventures he would like to undertake.
He has become a true Warrior and is part of the Warrior family, which for him is especially important.

The Warriors experience allows young adults to grow emotionally and experience the reality of the hard world - after the secure and cozy environment of high school. The programmes, activities, mentorship, guidance, emotional and physical endurance are planned, monitored and executed to bring our the best of every participant. Thought and care goes into each week and of course the camaraderie encouraged by the owners and leadership is unsurpassed. I am grateful that my son will continue with the MAI programme in 2021.

After matriculating in 2019 with no idea what to do with his future, my son attended the Summer Quest in 2020 but sadly was unable to complete the year due to lockdown restrictions. The 6 weeks he was there were absolutely life changing for him. He gained a tremendous amount of self awareness and insight during the quest and had an enormous amount of fun being nudged out of his comfort zone. He came home a little more grown up than he left and was even able to decide on a future career path after the personal mastery workshops. I would definitely recommend Warriors Academy for all school levers as it gives them the opportunity to mingle with like minded students from around the world whilst discovering that they CAN do anything they set their minds to.

After completing Grade 12 in 2018 my son wanted to take a gap year before going to university.
I was reluctant for him to take a gap year, however after looking at various options Warriors Academy was certainly our first choice!
The diversity of the program is phenomenal and the opportunities and experiences that Warriors have afforded my son are invaluable.
The mental, physical and emotional transformation in him has been incredible!
I would highly recommend Warriors Academy to anyone looking to grow on a personal level, broaden your horizons and experience life through amazing adventures, while learning leadership skills and gaining a wealth of knowledge and other skills.
Warriors Academy provides an 'adventure home' away from home!!

Our daughter Katie (19), enrolled at warriors in 2020 after having completed matric in 2019. She had suffered from severe Tourette's Syndrome during her school days, and although her tics had all but disappeared due to a revolutionary Deep Brain Stimulation surgical operation, she was still very anxious, depressed and "lost" - in no way able to function in society. Her first two Quests (each seven weeks) were difficult. Katie struggled to get with the programme and pushed back against the discipline and authority of the Warriors leadership. They nevertheless persevered and were adamant that Katie would turn the corner. By the beginning of the third quest things had reached the point where we, as parents, could not understand why Warriors were willing to accept her back - why would they make this their problem? The answer was simple: That is what they do. They do not give up on people and they saw the person that she was, despite her challenges. Well, I think it meant the world to Katie that they would not give up on her like so many others had. During the next two Quests we saw an almost miraculous transformation. Katie embraced the programme, enjoyed every minute of it and emerged a strong, confident and positive young lady. The progress that she made in emotional maturity and self-belief was outstanding. She had formed a sincere bond with her fellow Warriors and the leadership group that was clearly the result of working together as a group that genuinely cared about each other. When we attended the graduation ceremonies, the Warriors team took Jenna, Katie's twin sister under their wing and made her feel part of the Warriors family. So for us, as a family, Warriors was an amazing, life altering experience. The programme itself exceeded all expectation. In the most difficult circumstances, with one of the worlds strictest Covid lockdowns, the Warriors team worked relentlessly to ensure that the show went on, and, against all odds, they somehow managed to complete all 4 Quests, with only the scuba-diving (which would have required international travel) having to be left out. We often remarked that while the rest of the world was holed up at home, Katie was living the dream: hiking, cycling, horse-riding, bungie jumping, white water rafting, cliff jumping, skydiving and more... But the programme also included self- awareness and growth workshops, cultural activities and community service. On the whole it is a well balanced and very carefully planned programme, designed to give youngsters the tools that they need to hold their own as confident, well functioning young adults anywhere in the world. The leadership team cannot be commended highly enough for their genuine dedication and passion.