What inspired you to work for Warriors Academy?
Warriors was started when I was at university by my mom and dad. Adventure and growth have always been part of our upbringing and a way of life for our family. It was a no-brainer to want to get through my studies to join my epic family on this adventure. My brother and I joined the team (mom and dad) in 2007 and haven't looked back since.
I have the 2 most important things to me, family and adventure, and I get to live this fantastic life daily. We are making a difference in others' lives, growing, playing, and pushing each other to be the best versions of ourselves all the time.
Describe a typical day at work.
Our days always start with exercise, no matter what. A healthy body is a healthy mind. We do anything from running, swimming, yoga, cycling, body-weight workouts, and ultimate frisbee, to obstacle course training, for exercise, keeping it fresh and fun.
We then tackle our rooms with shower hour, cleaning and tidying up our living space, and having a full-on inspection to make sure our rooms are to perfection. Then it's breakfast time and our day can start. Now most people feel like this is a whole day's worth of living, and we're just getting started! Our daily activities differ from sailing courses, to scuba diving, to self-defense class, or public speaking, flowing all the time and changing it up to keep those who are easily bored, super entertained!
Why do you do what you do?
Being outside, breathing fresh air, staying healthy and fit, and making a difference in this world, are all part of what keeps me here. We teach through adventure which means there is never a dull moment, and traveling and working with youth always keeps us on our toes and young.
Not only is it fun to do what we do, it is super rewarding. I am reminded daily that I am in the right place, doing the right thing. Seeing the transformation in my students is the cherry on the cake!
My husband and I joining the Wild Coast 5-Day Hike. I love the outdoors and adventure!
What is your favorite part of your job?
By far my favorite part of my job is seeing students break those limiting beliefs they hold about themselves. These beliefs hold them back from reaching their full potential and when they realize they are so much more and can do so much more than they give themselves credit for, they skyrocket in growth and start the journey of Self-Mastery.
They get inspired to be the best versions of themselves and take advantage of every opportunity life throws at them. This is beautiful beyond words. And then, of course, being outdoors and conquering fears with young people who are all like-minded, and all supporting each other. We are a family of brothers and sisters and the bond in our groups is admired by the world.
How do you use your education and international background in your current role?
I have been lucky to have traveled the world to be exposed to many different cultures. Warriors is a multi-cultural program, and we have students from all over the world with different backgrounds and cultures. This makes our program unique here in South Africa.
Our country also has 11 official languages and is home to many more. Here we all come together as one family. In South Africa, we call that UBUNTU - I am what I am because of who we all are. Here we come together as a family and build a network all over the world!
The world is REALLY "our oyster" with all our connections and worldwide network. I studied Human Resource Management, which has been more handy in dealing with people daily than I ever thought when I was studying this originally. I know people, I love people, and being a team, and a family, is one of our greatest strengths.
What are some current projects you are working on?
Our Warriors Academy family has recently started an NGO, The Warriors Foundation. This is so dear to our hearts. Our family works hard at doing fundraisers and sourcing worthy candidates who do not have the means to attend our life-changing programs.
Our youth are our future, and it is important to set them up to look after themselves, and their families, and to have the means and courage to preserve planet Earth for future generations. Check out our good work by visiting our website and be inspired to get involved!
I am a leader, and this includes leading the way to get ready to Scuba dive with the students.
What advice would you tell your pre-travel self?
You can have excuses, or you can have results, but you cannot have both. Stop making excuses why you can't or shouldn't and just take that first step. It is hard to get out of that comfort zone and step into the courage zone. The only thing standing in the way of a great life is a good life.
So take every opportunity life throws at you, no matter how afraid you are. FEAR is just False Evidence Appearing Real, so Face Everything And Rise. I know I over-analyze all the time and this makes change difficult, but it is worth it in the end. Even if it doesn't work out, it's a lesson learned and we can only grow from that.
It doesn't matter how low we get because we cannot experience joy without sadness, or victory without failures. Our slogan is "for the adventure of being alive". The more we live the more we feel, the good and bad, and that's okay it's great! Don't be afraid to hurt or fail, things can only get better after that. It's time to move away from just doing what needs to be done and “zombie-ing” through life.
Do something, do something different, and start living, feeling, breathing, and being alive! Fear is temporary, but regret is forever. Take that chance and avoid regret. On your tombstone, one day will be a birth date, and a death date, with a dash in the middle. Make that dash count.
The 8 rules of being a Warrior of life:
- Always play a win-win game
- Bring out your best attitude
- Respect everyone and everything
- Take responsibility for your actions
- Always have integrity
- Take advantage of all opportunities
- Radiate the person you are to the world
- Work together in symbiosis, for the adventure of being alive!
What makes your organization special?
Our gap year program is based on what we refer to as the Warriors Compass. These are Warrior Compass principles that guide our programs:
- WIN-WIN – the only way you win is if everyone wins.
- Attitude – this is the only thing you have control over.
- Respect – understanding and respecting others, their opinions, beliefs, and cultures.
- Responsibility – your ability to respond will determine your experience.
- Integrity – aligning what you think, say, and do.
- Opportunity – act on it rather than make use of it.
- Radiate – how you use your energy and its effect on your life.
- Symbiosis – the value you bring to all relationships.
These principles and lessons are built into our activities and aim to help students develop their sense of self!
Why should someone choose Warriors Academy over competitors?
Our program is the best option for a few reasons. But I will mention only a few.
We are multicultural and therefore non-denominational. We welcome everyone from all over the world and encourage everyone to stand fast for what they believe in. We practice acceptance of all and are a family here.
We are based in South Africa and have it all from forest to bush, to mountains, to the ocean. Our country is huge and beautiful and our people are friendly. Not to mention the wildlife is rich and unique to the rest of the world.
Our program is jam-packed and we are busy from 6 am - sometimes 9 pm, so there is no chance of getting bored and there is never a dull moment. Being so busy all the time makes it easy to cover a lot more in our program.
We teach values and coach our students through adventure, keeping it fresh and fun at all times! Also, we are a family-owned organization and are hands-on, having close and intimate bonds with our students and their families. We know the meaning of forming a close family-like bond within our group.
I am passionate about the growth of young adults. Here I'm in a blade-smith course with students.
How is your company handling COVID protocols? What should participants know about your COVID readiness? How are you assisting participants with navigating the new travel landscape?
Our company takes covid very seriously. Strict protocols have been adhered to ensure that our organization did not see even one positive case with our students or staff throughout the pandemic.
Are there any developments with your organization that you would like to share with us?
Warriors Academy is accredited by the Gap Year Association of America and has had to make sure all our activities, teachings, safety, and policies are world-class. We are reassessed regularly to ensure we keep our standards high.
We have also started an NGO, Warriors Foundation, making it easier for worthy candidates who do not have the means to attend this amazing program. We up our game yearly making sure we keep current and relevant with our activities and teachings, and tweak our program all the time.
What makes your organization easy to market to potential participants?
Our gap year is divided into four terms, or quests as we like to call them. They are shorter programs that are only seven weeks long and are all stand-alone programs. You can join as many of these as you wish and still get great value out of it, even if you just do one.
Each country has its school year and we cater to everyone, making it easy to join us at four different times of the year to suit your school calendar best. Never mind that we are unique in what we offer, we have been awarded Best Gap Year by the Gap Year Association of America for five years in a row. This is a testament to the quality of our program, and the satisfaction of our clients over the years.
What is your organization's mission and how do you continue to work toward it?
Our mission is to reach worthy candidates all over the world and continue our international networking, growing our international family. We want to make an impact on the world, and the more students who join us and fit in with our ethos, the closer we get to that goal. We plan to always keep updating and upgrading our program to never get stagnant and always stay relevant.
We want to remain a small family operation to keep the intimacy and work one-on-one with every individual. Our staff are being developed and trained yearly to stay current with the laws and safety regulations as safety is our number one aim in everything we do. We are growing our foundation to keep raising funds and do projects to be able to assist worthy candidates who do not have the means, but have the dreams.
Taking the students on an adventure they will not forget, to an elephant sanctuary!
What do you hope participants take away from your programs?
We work very hard to guide our students to design and build their lives in such a way that they never want to take a holiday from it. Our slogan is "for the adventure of being alive", and we encourage every day to be an adventure of some kind.
We base all our activities on self-mastery and use our compass points to stay on track and remind our students to refer to the compass if they ever feel down or lost. We want them to leave here, bulletproof to the big bad world. The only thing we have 100% control over is our attitude, and we wish for our students to make this the truth for themselves.
How do you help support participants?
We have world-renowned life coach, Rudi Viljoen, as our secret weapon. We also work closely with other coaches. One-on-one coaching sessions are always magic.
We also have a variety of young staff members who the students can relate to, and find it easy to click with at least one of the special personalities we have between us all. This ensures there will always be someone to talk to when you need an ear.
What questions do participants often ask you, and how do you typically respond?
Why don't you ever tell us what is happening next on the schedule? And I always reply, why do you think so? They usually get most of the answers right, but typically I tell them it's because I want them to be here, right now, and not worry about or only look forward to what is still to come.
Another question they ask is why do you only give us our phones once a week for one day? The main reason, we are all addicted to screens and social media and we forget that we are surrounded by human beings. Staying away from electronics is a form of bonding and becoming aware of people and the world around you, dealing with what is in front of you, and not escaping into the tech world.
Why is it important for people to travel abroad and experience new cultures?
The world has become so small and travel has become easier. The world is our oyster and we can go anywhere! It is so important to realize that the world is multicultural. People have different beliefs, priorities, languages, mannerisms, etc., and you are sure to have a culture shock if you remain narrow-minded and live only in your world.
With new cultural experiences come growth and opportunity. There is so much to see, know, and be exposed to and we believe it is important to take advantage of great opportunities presented to you so you can get out of your comfort zone and grow.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Meaningful travel means doing something structured, safe, and growth-producing. Do something you have researched, checked reviews, and be sure that this is safe.
Do something different and something that could challenge you. Plan carefully so you don't waste your time or money, as both are so rare these days.
