CHAMPAIGN, III (WAND) - One Champaign teen drops everything to explore the wilderness amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Hayden Shores is a 19 year-old Champaign resident. When quarantine hit, his mental health took a hit too. "I was lacking mental discipline and it was making me unhappy, and I was like okay I'm going to do something different."

While the community made their way indoors, Shores went outward, signing up for a wilderness exploration experience like no other. "It's a program that sends people out on wilderness expeditions. It's a really long trip in the wild. No phone no technology, your group and your suppliers. "

The program is called Outward Bound. Shores traveled from Minnesota to Texas, with just a backpack and a team. For 64 days, Shores had to find a way to survive.

"You're out there alone but you're never actually alone because you have a team holding you up. Everything you do revolves around surviving and traveling 8-10 hours a day." Shores tells WAND News.

Shores says this experience has taught him several valuable life lessons, such as what is truly important to him and his life. Shores says the exploration has made him feel empowered. 

“if you set yourself out to do something, and you really do give it your everything, you can do it. But also, you have to be willing to sacrifice what you want for whats the greater good."

Shores says this is the first of many adventures to come.Â