Warriors Academy Gap Year Program in South Africa

Warriors had a fricking amazing atmosphere! It was different to what I expected but I had an awesome time.

Awesome things:
The rooms were top notch, super comfortable and provided a very happy place for me.
Food was amazing #fransforever.
I felt very emotionally and physically pushed which was my goal.
The Frisbee was so much fun!!!!
The dancing lessons were awesome!
The constant encouragement to stay positive and do things that are difficult is an amazing mindset that I will take with me throughout my life.
Made the most amazing friends for life!!
6.30am exercise even though it was difficult - this showed me that I can do anything I set my mind to!

Room for improvement:
I expected a lot more emotional/personal discussions (one-to-one and group) and we did none of that, besides a Clearing. I suppose 1st Quest is known to be focused on that but I would have loved it to be included throughout. It would have been so appreciated to get through the huge changes and challenges we go through. You could always go to an MAI or facilitator for help if you needed but planned activities would have been really nice and beneficial to all I think.
The lack of communication - every day was a mystery as to what we would be doing (most times we would only find out on the morning of), we got an average of 3 day notice before big trips. I know this may work for some people but I prefer to know what's ahead of me so I can mentally prepare. Arriving as a newbie in the 2nd quest, I was expected to learn almost everything about the camp, the rules and the staffs' roles from previous Warriors. This was confusing and slowed down the process of getting into the flow of things here.
The sexism in the higher leadership was very obvious. This upset me throughout the quest and made me lose a lot of respect for Warriors. I really expected an adolescent camp made for teaching us how to become better people and adults would be better than this. It was evident in some actions and very clear in comments made by a staff member.
I have been told that they're working on this so I really hope it improves.

For future participants:
Be prepared for a lot of strict rules you need to follow: the usual ones such as being on time but also some intense ones like colour coding your clothes. This takes getting used to.

I hope this review can help improve some of the aspects of Warriors to make it even better than it already is!

This was the best thing I could've done for my son! If I had 10, all 10 would've done this program, that's for sure! Brandon had the time of his life, every day. He could not stop talking about everything they did. He changed into a man after the first quest, not to mention what happened after the second, third and fourth! Every time he came home, he just wanted to back, one day later. What does that tell you? I would seriously recommend this program to anyone in doubt! Well done Warriors, and thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!!

Warriors academy is one of the best things I have ever done. The people were amazing and the experiences I gained will never be forgotten. It could sometimes be very though but very much worth every minute. While I sometimes hated myself for going, I can not be more glad that I did. The most challenging thing we underwent was definitely the cycle safari in my opinion. 500ks is not a short while. But I also had the most fun on this trip and really experienced how far I can push myself and others.

In my opinion warriors is one of the best experiences of my life, loads of fun and conversing , just all the people that I’ve met through warriors will always be a great friend to me and I will never forget all the memories created by each one of them.I don’t think there will ever be a time during warriors that’s bad attitude and problems will continue for more than a day without being solved as a group. I would highly recommend warriors to newbies that are looking for adrenaline runs and self improvement

Best decision I ever made, woulde not trade the experience fort anything. Great way to meet people, get out of your comfort zone and learn about yourself.
Cabins are amazing, really good cook and verry active.
If I had the opportunity to come earlier than I did I most definitely would have.
Amazing people who do the course with you and incredible facilitator's who absolutely make it their jom to look after an make sure you are satisfied and comfortable with everything.
Awesome adventures all around,

This is not a time to say "no comment"! Our son, whom finished school in 2020, joined the Warriors for the first time during the Autumn quest. Where can one begin to try and encapsulate what this program means for its participants? For us as parents it was a difficult decision to make, not being the predictable route we took with our other children and also bearing in mind that our son was not the outdoorsy, adventurous type who liked to be out of his comfort zone (take note: at the time!). We now believe that if all young people could have the privilege to partake in such a program, the world would be an infinitely better place! In the short time he has been there, he has had a bucket load of bucket list experiences which are combined with life skill sessions of note. We are astounded at the personal growth he has experienced! He has learnt to embrace the joy of being alive and is more confident in his abilities to go beyond what seems to be the impossible, whilst at the same time learning to take responsibility for his own wellbeing and functioning as part of a diverse group. If you want to provide your child with an experience of a life time whilst simultaneously investing in his or her future - send them to Warriors! We cannot recommend this program enough. It is worth every penny and more.

Warriors taught me many things but I would say my highlight is it taught me my limits are far beyond what I had assumed them to be. My experience at warriors taught me who I was it helped me gain an idea of where my life was headed. Warriors taught me I am capable of great things. I do believe for many many years to come I will use these amazing life skills I learned at warriors in work in my relationships in my family. Warriors built me to be the person I am today and the person I will be for the rest of my life.

Heard about this program and thought it would be a good choice to get away from all the stress of life and have a good time full of adventures and learning opportunities and it was the best decision I ever made I met great people had great times I got lots of memories that I will take with me for life warriors is definately the best South Africa is such a beautiful country full of nice views and nice people and the experiences you go through are unmatched it's great no joke this really changed my view on life :)