Duke of Edinburgh Golden Award

By Hamish Gilbert

Hamish and surprise visitor Jemma I left Hawkes Bay on Thursday 9th June in our family motorhome to journey to Auckland for my Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award Ceremony, staying the first night in Taupo. The next morning, we traveled to Miranda to stay the night at the Holiday Park. On Saturday eleventh, we left Miranda at 5.45am and travelled to Auckland; a nice early morning drive to the Raye Freedman Art Centre at Epsom Girls Grammar School, where the Duke of Edinburgh prize-giving was being held. We parked right outside the main entrance and started to dress up into my smart clothes. I even wore my Mum’s Edinburgh University tie. Then off we went into the building to be ticked off the guest list and I proudly picked up my shiny gold award badge. The lady then took me through to the back room to be put into name-sequenced order with the other recipients while Mum and Dad were ushered into the hall. Once the sequenced order was done, the lady walked us all into the auditorium to be seated. Karen Ross, the National Director of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award opened the ceremony and introduced the speakers. After the introduction was done, Sarah Hillary (Sir Edmund Hillary’s daughter) was asked to present the Awards to the Awardees one by one, and she shook our hands and we all had a photo taken together with her without facemasks on which was exciting. Sarah then spoke about her journey, which was fascinating. Once Sarah’s speech finished, they asked the New Zealand Governor-General, Cindy Kiro, to speak. Then we had a group photo and the Governor-General shook each and every one of our hands as we walked onto the stage. All of my hard work has paid off and it was a privilege to receive this award from the Governor-General of New Zealand and Sarah Hillary. It was just wonderful! I have never received anything like this from such amazing professional people in my whole life. I feel immensely proud of what I have achieved: being able to pick up two awards in Auckland - firstly an Attitude Award in 2020 and now my Duke of Edinburgh Gold in 2022. While up in Auckland I was also able to celebrate my Duke of Edinburgh success and my 20th birthday with my Auckland Aunty and Uncle and my twin brother, as well as my parents, on the Auckland Harbour at the Conservatory Restaurant. It was really special to celebrate my successes in this way and to bring my Duke of Edinburgh journey to an end. It was a real highlight. But there was one more surprise for me - I had a special visitor who knocked on our motorhome door. It was my Special Olympics Wellington Head Office Event Coordinator, Jemma, who moved house to Auckland and had come to personally to congratulate me. It was so cool to see her. It was a huge surprise that came out of nowhere and I wasn’t expecting that. She even gave me a nice card and a kiwi, which I have named Jemma Kiwi. It was an incredible trip to Auckland - the best ever and I will rate my trip out 10 out of 10 stars!