To achieve his Gold Award Owen had to complete activities in five area including service, skills, physical recreation, expedition and residential.
In the service section of the award which aimed to encourage young people to be of service to either an individual or the community Owen choose to undertake a voluntary placement in the physiotherapy department of Dalriada Hospital in Ballycastle. He received a very positive report from senior physiotherapist Donna McEldowney.
To complete the skill section of the award Owen chose to learn to drive with the help and guidance of Sammy Shields. Owen was obviously delighted when he passed his test and got his licence.
The physical recreation section was a real pleasure for Owen. It meant he had even more reason than usual to take part in his favourite sport –
rugby.
In his report, Mr Davidson, Owen's rugby coach at Dalriada, described Owen as "an excellent role model – having been elected 1st XV captain by his peers". Not only did Owen train three times a week and play a match on a Saturday with his own team, he was also involved in helping to coach the U12 squad at Dalriada.
During the expedition section of the award Owen undertook to look at Man's use and abuse of his Environment. He was part of a group that spent four days in the Donegal mountains. The expedition assessor described Owen as a "core part of the team and a significant reason for its success".
Meanwhile, the residential part of the award is undertaken by Owen at Gold level involved spending at least five days and four nights away from home. Owen used the week he spent on work experience on the Isle of Man to cover this section of the award.
Owen has now moved on from Dalriada Grammar School in Ballymoney to study physiotherapy at Oxford Brookes.