British college student with Asperger's wins Queen's Scout Award

From The Daily Gazette in the UK:

A student has overcome a mental health condition to win the Scout movement’s highest honour.

Tiffany Golding (pictured), of St Mark Drive, St John’s, Colchester, is the only person with Asperger syndrome, in Essex, to have received the Queen’s Scout Award.

To qualify for the accolade, she took on challenges, such as learning the martial art Aikido and completing a four-day, 80-mile hike.

Tiffany, an Egyptology undergraduate at Swansea University, also volunteered as a Cub pack leader and helped look after her grandmother.

The 21-year-old, who is a member of the Scout Network, which caters for 18 to 25-year-olds, said she enjoyed combining the activities with her academic studies.

She said: “As well as helping with the Cub pack in Swansea, I joined the Scout Network there, and am still involved in Scouting in Essex.”

Tiffany’s achievement, which took more than a year to complete, is even more impressive when her Asperger syndrome is taken into account.

The disorder, related to autism, causes difficulties with social interaction, as well as clumsiness.

Tiffany said it did not hold her back severely, but did cause some problems.

She said: “I’m really bad at organisation and timekeeping, and I also have problems with social aspects, like saying the wrong thing and not quite getting people’s body language.”

The Queen’s Scout Award is the highest youth award achievable in the Scouting movement in several countries.

Challenges to achieve the award included completing 12 nights of camping, taking up a skill and physical activity for up to 12 months, and completing a four-day expedition.

Queen’s Scouts are entitled to attend one Queen’s Scout parade, at Windsor Castle, each year.