About William Pike Challenge
“Kia ora, I’m William Pike,the Founder and CEO of the William Pike Challenge, an author, inspirational speaker and have always loved adventures in the great outdoors!
I believe that to achieve and experience anything ‘extraordinary’ in our lives, we need to be able to step outside of our comfort zone.
What I learnt from my near-death Mt. Ruapehu experience was, when you’re faced with challenge and change, success or failure comes down to one thing – whether you are already prepared to step outside your comfort zone – or whether you’re not.
So, when the chance came up to build a programme that helps young New Zealanders step outside their comfort zones, I jumped at it!
Challenge presents itself
On September 25, 2007, a year after he started teaching, William climbed Mt Ruapehu with a friend, James Christie. On their way back down, in fading light they decided to spend the night in the Dome Shelter. That evening, Mt Ruapehu erupted. The maunga shot an epic amount of rocks, water and mud down its slopes, crashing violently into their hut. Crushed and critically injured, William hung onto life while James ran down the mountain in the dark to get help.
Survival
William learned to walk again with a prosthetic limb, returned to teaching, returned to Mt. Ruapehu and now lives a life full of adventure.
What William eventually learnt from his Mount Ruapehu experience was, when you’re faced with challenge and change, success or failure comes down to one thing – whether you are already prepared to step outside your comfort zone – or whether you’re not.
“People often say ‘you did so well’ to overcome the challenges you faced after Ruapehu accident. On the outside, it may have almost looked easy for me to get to where I am now. But I wasn’t born that way. The truth is, from a young age, I was doing stuff that would ultimately prepare me to deal with my biggest challenge to date – Ruapehu. I was prepared for life by my involvement in team sport, pushing my physical limits, finding great mates, being encouraged to achieve my personal best. In doing so, I was building a bank of resilience, confidence and life skills that were imperative to my survival.”
– William Pike
Founding the William Pike Challenge
The annual programme encourages young people to develop 21st-century skills by stepping outside of their comfort zone to achieve and experience extraordinary things.
William says “I was fortunate to have experiences in my teenage years, such as tramping, sports, and giving back in my community that I believe prepared me to overcome big challenges and shape me into the person I am today. After returning to the classroom as a teacher, I questioned whether the students in my class were prepared to step into their world with confidence and reach their full potential. I was not convinced. So, I had a wild vision; to get students into the outdoors, into their community and trying new stuff.
“For about 12 months I had my ‘radar’ on, looking for opportunities to bring my vision to life. I ended up connected with a school in Taupo and together we collaborated on the idea. After 12 months, they asked if they could call the initiative the ‘William Pike Challenge’. I initially said no, but they twisted my arm and the rest is history.
What is William Pike Challenge made up of?
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The programme has evolved over the years and is now made up of three main components that each student is required to complete during their year doing the WPC:
Passion Project – 20 hours
Community Services – 20 hours
Outdoor Activities – 20 hours
The student “challengers” work through each of the three elements during their school year, and log into the WPC Challenge Hub to report and reflect on their experiences. Teachers are able to monitor their challengers and support their activities, as well as providing inspiration and ideas for those who need it.
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