WILLAURA - After his two step sons completed the Country Fire Authority's Challenge Program, Willaura Fire Brigade member Graeme McCarthy decided to apply himself.
The Challenge is a leadership and personal development program primarily aimed at volunteer members. It is run annually and split in to two groups, volunteer fire fighters aged 16 and 17 and those aged 18 and over.
Competition is fierce to make the cut, with only 20 applicants accepted in each group.
"I thought I'd put in for it even though I thought theY probably wouldn't want me - but they did!" Mr McCarthy said.
"I was the oldest one in the group well and truly, but it didn't matter though. We all fed off each other - The young ones have plenty of energy and I brought experience into it."
Mr McCarthy said the Challenge kicked off with three days of intense personal development training at Fiskville, run by Life Performance.
In the classroom environment, the participants learnt about communication, team work, self-reliance, goals and values.
They also learnt about themselves - What makes each of them the person they are and how their own personality reflects in their relationships and interactions with others.
This knowledge came in handy for the second part of the challenge, outdoor activities ran by Outward Bound.
"We took a bus to McKillops Bridge on the Snowy River and spent three and a bit days white water rafting down the Snowy," Mr McCarthy said.
The rapids varied throughout the 66-kilometre journey and team work was a major focus.
"I loved it! I would happily do it again," Mr McCarthy said.
While in the bush the group camped out overnight.
"We just had a sleeping bag, ground sheet and tarp strung up to keep the weather out," Mr McCarthy said.
Mr McCarthy said a highlight of the challenge was the caving experience.
"We got broken up into three groups and each group got to spend about three to three-and-a-half hours in there. A lot had reservations about getting into the caves, but everyone seemed to enjoy it," he said.
"We had to abseil about seven metres into the cave. The time went so fast. When our time was up we were like, 'No, it can't be!'."
The participants also had to spend a night 'solo' in the bush.
"We were put out by ourselves overnight. It was good. It gave us time to think about everything we've learned," Mr McCarthy said.
"After that we took a bus to another spot in the hills and went abseiling and rock climbing before heading back to Fiskville."
Back at Fiskville, the group enjoyed a dinner attended by high-ranking officers of the CFA, including Chief Officer, Ewan Ferguson.
"Everyone had to give a talk about what they had learned and what they got out of the whole experience," Mr McCarthy said.
"Our families came on the last day and we made a presentation to them. They also showed a DVD. They'd taken video footage throughout everything and edited it all together once we got back."
Mr McCarthy said CFA members should consider applying for next year's challenge.
"It's a great chance for people to learn a lot about themselves, leadership and to develop themselves as a person," he said.
"I encourage people to grab the chance."
For more information on the CFA's Challenge Program, call the Ararat CFA office on 5352 5516.
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