When 14-year-old Felix first walked through the doors of Youth Encounter, he was reserved, shy, and uncertain of what to expect. Having recently relocated to Papamoa, he carried the weight of significant life transitions. He presented with high anxiety and relied heavily on a "flight" response; tending to run away or disengage when situations felt overwhelming or difficult. Early on, Felix hid behind barriers. He disengaged from traditional classroom settings, and resisted formal therapeutic exercises by giving "right answers" rather than being authentic. He struggled with low motivation, often staying in bed all day and finding little enthusiasm in his daily routine.
On the dirt track, Felix confronted physical and mental obstacles head-on. Early in Youth Encounter's Dirt Bike Therapy programme, he expressed fear around doing jumps. Through incremental learning, in the form of mastering starts, navigating ruts and mud, learning line choices, and practicing cornering, Felix developed physical resilience.
By his final sessions, he was absolutely stoked to conquer all the jumps, proving to himself that persistence overcomes fear. Felix learned to connect his experiences on the bike to real-life choices. Using the Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) thought triangle, he explored how positive self-talk ("I'm going to practice and get better") helped him push through setbacks like stalling or falling off. He began applying this to his life choices and understanding that he is in control of his pathway.
In exploring his fear of falling, Felix reached a pivotal realisation: making mistakes or falling doesn't mean failure, and he doesn't have to be perfect to be valued and accepted.
By the end of his engagement, Felix moved from a guarded, compliant presentation to expressing genuine pride in his capabilities. He strengthened his self-worth, identified core values and embraced his identity as a skilled, capable rider. Once lacking in daily motivation, he was able to identify a clear future pathway: completing his NCEA Level 1 requirements as a stepping stone toward a mechanics course.
Reflecting on his journey, Felix shared that Youth Encounter was the single thing that motivated him to get out of bed each week. Formal outcome indicators confirmed measurable growth across his motivation, thinking processes, and future goals. Leaving the program with a big smile, a celebration goodie bag, and strong family support, Felix demonstrated how relational safety, structured challenge, and constructive risk-taking can unlock a young person's potential—turning hesitation into confidence, purpose, and lasting hope.
Felix is a pseudonym used to protect this young person’s identity.