Generational Leader



Here's a Soul Of Olympia Story from a coach's kid whose engaging personality and passion for leadership was evident from the very beginning of her hero's journey. What Andie brings out about Olympia is that the family culture knows no generational boundaries. We are all Olympians and bring our talents and passions to help the week, and the camp, be a better place. Andie seemed a natural to be a future Olympia counsellor ( And maybe director) when she was about about five! Her journey, though, has taken her to Queen's University and a recent recipient of a Leadership Thank Q Award in her athletic therapy program, taking Olympia lessons with her along the way. Thanks for the story and the support. What bears?



                                        Andie MacPherson


When Chris asked me to write about my Olympia story, I felt pretty overwhelmed. It’s really challenging to put your experience into words when thinking about a camp that had such a strong impact on your life and who you are. Olympia is an incredibly unique place, and I am extremely grateful that my family had the opportunity to coach and experience all that camp life had to offer. 

 

            I was a camper at Olympia from a very young age, longer than I can even remember. My family and I used to go up for Week 9 and we had an amazing crew of coaches and “coach’s kids”.  I remember being too young for basketball sessions, so I would walk with Shannon White and the other gymnastic coaches to their session every day, hang out with the “big girls” and counsellors, and then head home thinking I was a gymnast. Later I tried cheerleading, where I did not contribute a single correct dance move or hold anyone up in a lift, as I was only 5 years old. However, that week, I won the spirit award and that really speaks to what Olympia is all about. I may not have known the cheer routine, I may not have been able to stand up when lifted into the air or perform any trick, but I was spirited, and they recognized that as being crucial to each session. From then on, I was all about the Olympia spirit. 

 

            I remember a lot from week 9. I remember Daniel Dooley coming into our cabin and stealing our snacks every day. I remember going to the Dooley cabin to play card games like president and cheat. I remember campfires and making s’mores with all the coaches’ kids while our parents were playing euchre in the coaches’ lounge. I remember swimming at the waterfront, trying the zipline but crying when I got to the top of the ladder, learning how to make bannock from Patty Pangos, and watching my brother Stew at his basketball sessions while my dad, Rich, coached. Week 9 always has a special place in my heart.

 

            We started to go Week 5 with family friends the Pfennings and it became one of my favorite weeks of the entire calendar year. Casey Pfenning and I would pack for weeks before because we were just too excited. We have made so many close friends over the years and have formed relationships that will last a lifetime. Casey and I used to be babysat by other coaches’ kids when we were younger, and by the time we reached our last year of camp we were babysitting a new generation of coaches’ kids. Week 5 had many amazing memories, whether it was Chris Dooley accidentally luring bears to our cabins, Brian Kingshott playing countless pranks on everyone, or our weekly corn roasts, this week was nothing short of exciting. 

 

            The best thing about Olympia is the relationships you make while there, whether it be with fellow coaches, campers, counsellors, NBA pros, staff, or the wonderful friends that become  family. It’s difficult to describe the connection we all feel to this camp. It teaches us so many life lessons through the Hero’s Journey. I still reference Olympia whenever I’m reflecting on choices in my own journey, as it keeps me grounded, motivated, and driven to “slay the dragons” in my life. 

 

 Olympia truly does mean it when they say: “You have learnt that the reward of the journey is not only the achievement of your goal, but the person you become as the result of the pursuit of that goal, is just as important if not more so”. I love the person I have become because of my experiences at Olympia, and it makes me so incredibly happy that future generations of coaches, their families and thousands of campers will get to be so positively impacted, the same way I was.




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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