A different kind of sport

Real Sport Experience, part of the UK’s leading gap travel provider, has a number of sport-related programmes on offer. Whether you are looking to help find the Ronaldo of the future, learn a new sport or assist in marine conservation there is a programme out there for you.

Our travellers range from 18 to 80! We followed the journey of Joseph Parslow, 65, who has just returned from taking part in the Swaziland Sports & Community Project for a month coaching football.

Joseph explains, “The project has been a great way for me to gain a new experience, make a difference to some lives and meet new people. My grandson Jordan, 14 was my campaign manager and with his help I raised £1500 funds to take with me in addition to 30 football kits, 8 footballs and 30 training bibs. The main realisation I have got from this experience is that there really is a divide in Swaziland – those who have and those who have not. I am already planning my return trip – I want to continue some of the ideas I started there.”

Fancy taking on a challenge like Joseph? To give you some ideas, Real Sport Experience have put together a “Ten of the best” covering a wide range of programmes and activities:-

(1) Martial Arts Academy, China
Have you ever dreamed of being a Kung Fu master? Learn from some of the most skilled Masters in China – options include Shaolin, Sanda, Tai Chi. A unique, cultural and rewarding experience of a lifetime.

(2) Cape Town Sports, South Africa
Want to volunteer but have some serious fun in your free time? This volunteer role includes teaching in the mornings and coaching sport in the afternoons - football, mini-tennis, netball or cricket. Something for the weekend? Cape Town offers a great nightlife, fantastic scenery and if more sport is required, how about the opportunity to abseil down Table Mountain?

(3) Thailand Scuba Diving Programme
Learn to Scuba Dive or advance your diving experience in one of the best dive spots in South East Asia. Staying on the beautiful island of Koh Tao, you can complete a wide variety of diving courses from beginner programmes to the elite professional qualifications of PADI divemaster or PADI instructor.

(4) Swaziland Sports & Community
Helping children play sports gives these underprivileged kids the chance to shine and enjoy a sense of teamwork and belonging.

(5) New Zealand Cricket Academy
New Zealand is the ideal place for cricket lovers to develop and prepare themselves for the next season. Training in first class facilities and taught by expert coaches, you will even go on tour to Australia to take on sides in Sydney!

(6) Turtle and Surf Project, Costa Rica
Combine some valuable turtle conservation with the fun of learning to surf! Spend a couple of hours a day having surf lessons whilst working to protect nests from poachers and help release hatchlings back out into the ocean.

(7) Scuba Diving Videography, Thailand
This programme is a fantastic way to develop, improve or advance your own scuba skills whilst also giving you the perfect platform to go into a media-related course or employment. Your main role will be to record, edit and produce underwater DVD videos of the scuba centre’s customers and you will be paid for the privilege! .

(8) Rugby Academy New Zealand
What better place to learn rugby than in the nation that gives us the All Blacks? Training alongside promising Maori students, you learn from the best with the occasional guest coach!

(9) Ghana Football Coaching
Is football just a game? For the underprivileged children from the bustling capital city, Accra, it is much more. It offers them support, an escape and a sense of belonging. All that is required is to be open-minded, adaptable and ready to play with some seriously talented footballers!

(10) Costa Rica Kite-Surfing
If you love the rush of extreme-adrenaline-fuelled sports, then kite surfing is the sport for you. Set on beautiful beaches with luscious scenery, Costa Rica would be a hard location to beat!

For details of all the programmes on offer visit www.realsportexperience.co.uk or call us on 01892 516164