The Heart of An Olympian

 

Society’s scorecard measures success by ego-driven and reactionary factors like money and power, possessions and achievements, and recognition from outside sources. These factors in life are important but they scratch the surface of what true success really means.  In A Hero’s Journey: From Little Norway to Olympia Sports Camp the misconception of such societal success is exposed as the hero sees success not as individual accomplishments but rather the impact our lives have on others. This quote captures the concept very well and reminds me of of an everyday hero of week 5.

 






Meet Danielle Arsenault. Hers is a journey of caring and inclusion. Danielle is from a small town in rural Quebec. Starting at age 12, her club team went to the KC Jones camp in New York State for a couple of years. Legendary coach Richie Spears suggested that they try another camp that is in Ontario. He had coached at Olympia and loved it.

 

In 1981 the group of 15-year-old girls took the train from Montreal to Toronto before catching the bus to Olympia. They spoke very little English but everyone at camp made them feel part of the Olympia family right away. At the opening ceremony Dave even introduced the group to the whole camp. At skit night in the Rec Hall they sang a French song and received a rousing ovation. Their week ended in tearful goodbyes. 

 

Danielle worked as a counsellor for two years. What does she remember about those years? She recalls spending her staff pay on several pairs of Converse shoes and wearing nurse scrubs that were all the fashion at camp. Danielle also remembers crying every Saturday as the campers left after such a great week, only to meet a new group the following day.

 

Then life got in the way and she didn’t think about Olympia for 25 years.

 

Danielle went on to win a national championship at Dawson College and then played at McGill. She continued to play in senior women’s basketball leagues until she was 42, including playing while pregnant, first with daughter Oceane and then son Matisse. Her kids were always on the bench watching her play when one day Oceane asked when was it her turn to play? Generation next.

 

There was no youth programming in her town, so Danielle started Steve Nash Small Ball. Danielle wanted her daughter to experience the sense of team that was a big part of her youth. When Oceane got to high school her school didn’t have a team, so Danielle offered to start one and coach it! 


As the team grew Danielle had the idea to give her kids the experience she had way back when. She contacted Dave and that summer she was a coach at Olympia with eight team members going through what she did in 1981. She was welcomed back like she never left. The memories came rushing back, as did the tears.

 

She has now been coaching for eight years, enjoying the people of week 5. Bit of a side story: When Danielle was a counsellor she was on maintenance. She remembers cleaning the cabins on coach’s row and thinking that wouldn’t it be cool if someday she had her family up to camp and they stayed on coach’s row. The first time she got on the grounds of camp after 25 years she knew she was home again. Her Olympia home.

 



The link to the blog is TuesdayswithDave.blogspot.com


This blog is about the journey of the writing of the book A Hero's Journey: From Little Norway to Olympia Sports Camp. The blog will contain excerpts from the book and my personal thoughts on what the place and the people that make up Olympia's journey is all about. The title comes from the great book Tuesdays With Morrie, by Mitch Albom. The blog's title is recognizing Dave Grace as Camp Director, but all content is my own. 

 

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