A dedicated Ely cadet is hoping to raise money for a once in a lifetime canoeing expedition in Sweden.
Emily Pieters, who has been a member of the 1094 Ely Squadron for nearly six years, is aiming to raise £1,000 towards the incredible opportunity in Scandinavia.
It will form the final part of her gold Duke of Edinburgh award - consisting of four days and three nights where participants must plan, train and navigate independently.
“I have been offered the expedition of my dreams - canoeing on one of the largest lakes in Sweden,” the 19-year-old said.
“For almost a week, I will be working as part of a team of other young people to complete an unaccompanied, self-reliant expedition.
“My team and I will be stepping further outside our comfort zones, by doing it in the unfamiliar landscape of Sweden’s Lake Stora Le.
“Growing up, I avidly watched Ray Mears’ ‘Bushcraft’ series and was in awe of his Scandinavian expeditions.”
Emily, who has risen through the ranks to sergeant, now has several training and planning weekends with her team leading up to the trip.
She will need to raise around £550 for the training and practice and £350 for the final expedition.
She continued: “There is something inherently peaceful about the way the canoe moves with the canoeist, and being level with the water gives you a perspective on nature you can’t get any other way.
“I would be immensely grateful for any help that could be offered towards me fulfilling this dream.
“This would be an extraordinary challenge for me and I hope to return with new skills and insights which I can put back into the community by encouraging and supporting other young people to explore these opportunities.”
Mayor of Ely Mike Rouse has also agreed to help Emily with sponsorship from his charity.
She now has several training and planning weekends leading up to the expedition at the end of August.
Emily has also volunteered at a local charity shop and completed the West Coast Challenge learning to sail a tall ship towards her Duke of Edinburgh awards.
To donate and find out more visit https://www.gofundme.com/emilys-gold-expedition
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