Community
6 May, 2026
Experience of a lifetime
A YOUNG Cobden man has recently returned from a youth leadership camp organised through Rotary, offering him the experience of a lifetime.
Cobden Rotary Club sought out Xavier Cole, a 19-year-old worker at Cobden’s Ritchies IGA, to attend the Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) camp, which went for five days over April.
Cobden Rotary president Gary Kimber said the opportunity offered a wide range of activities throughout the experience.
“RYLA is for 18-to-25-year-olds and it’s set up to allow young people to go through a series of activities – goal setting, getting them outside their comfort zone, looking at where they want to head and all sorts of activities that absolutely build upon their leadership skills,” he said.
“It’s an intensive leadership program which gives young people the opportunity to develop leadership skills, build confidence and create lasting connections, all while having an incredible amount of fun.
“Young Xavier, he’s a quiet young man, even after four days he was coming out of his skin.
“It’s an amazing program, one that Rotary can be proud of, and we’re proud to support it every year if we can.”
Former Cobden Rotary president Lesley Brown approached Mr Cole about the opportunity, which he said he was hesitant about at first.
“When I first got asked about it, I said I would take a look into it, not really thinking much of it,” Mr Cole said.
“I thought I probably won’t use the leadership training camp in life but I would think about it.
“I was umming and ahhing about it then decided I may as well give it a shot.
“That was the outlook I had on it – I may as well do it.”
Mr Cole said the activities built upon a range of leadership skills and forged connections with others.
“There was a lot of self-reflection, like thinking about the way we think and why we think that way, there was a lot of that for the first few days, which was pretty awakening,” he said.
“We did goal setting activities which was pretty good because it really made you able to figure out and manage these goals and section them off in ways and figure out the restraints you have and what’s holding you back from completing said goals.
“I think for a lot of people that was really eye-opening because they realised there was not a lot holding them back apart from themselves.
“When it’s spread out it’s a lot easier to digest and figure out the next steps.
“You got to mingle and meet with people quite early – when I got there I went in a car with five people in it, and the whole time we were talking about where we came from and everyone was very cool and welcoming to each other.”
Mr Cole said he would recommend the RYLA experience to other young people if given the opportunity.
“Even if you aren’t looking to get leadership skills, just everything else about it and the people you’ll meet is very life-changing and beneficial, the connections you’ll make, I feel,” he said.
“Don’t say no if you get asked to do these things because you might end up regretting it.
“I was going to say no to begin with but then I thought I might regret it, and now knowing what I know, I would have definitely regretted not going on that camp and doing that experience.”
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