Women in Sport

By society’s scorecard, Michele McConney is a success story, but by Olympia Sports Camp standards and the tenets of the hero’s journey, she is so much more. In 2019, Michele was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) for her work at Georgian College in Barrie. A parallel career of coaching at Olympia has allowed her to impact the lives of hundreds of campers as well.

 

When starting her journey, Michele had one path in mind, but then life took her on another path, one that she followed for 38 years. She grew up an athlete in Barrie and had a goal of studying athletic therapy at Sheridan College. She was placed on the waiting list, so she committed to her second choice:  Seneca College in Toronto to study recreation facility management.  Her second choice became a great choice for Michele, in more ways than one. 

 

“No one had recruited me for volleyball, but I decided to go out for the team. Sports had always been a part of my life, so I went for it. And I made it,” Michele explains. “I played for Gord Williamson, and we won a bronze medal at the nationals in 1981.”

 

After graduation, Michele returned to Barrie and got a position at her hometown Georgian College. Georgian was looking to grow their campus recreation programs and promote women in sport.  Right up Michele's alley. Georgian’s growth allowed Michele to grow right along with it. Over her 38 years at Georgian Michele went from campus rec coordinator in 1981 to intercollegiate coordinator in 1989, and then manager of athletics in the early 2000s. She stayed there until her retirement in 2019.

 

A great success story, but how does Olympia play in here?  When Dave Grace wanted to expand the sports offered at Olympia, he looked at volleyball. To help start volleyball, Dave called upon a volleyball coach he knew from his Toronto days: Gord Williamson.

 

“Gord invited me to come up to camp in 1982,” Michele says. “I was always inspired by Gordon, so it was an honour to join him.  Week 4 is all-girls’ week and I loved it, because women in sport has been my life’s passion. I've not missed an all-girls’ week in 37 years.” 

 

Not lost in this hero’s journey is the fact that if Michele hadn’t gone to Seneca, she would never have met her mentor Gord Williamson, and then she may have never gone to Olympia. Also not missed was the fact that Olympia became so ingrained in Michele’s life that in 1991 she coached at camp when she was 8 months pregnant. 

Michele with sons Duncan and Alex 2002

Her husband was a cabinetmaker and contractor, and he either couldn’t come to camp or would only come for a day or two, but that didn’t stop Michele and her two boys from making Olympia a staple of their summer. Her boys enjoyed all the amenities at camp, and they felt those good vibrations all around them. Other coaches inspired her boys, and Michele was able to continue inspiring other campers.

 

Now, years later, Olympia still means a lot to her boys, and that means a lot to Michele.

“My husband and I are proud to say that our two boys have grown up to be fine young men and the Olympia environment played a role in that,” Michele extols. “Olympia encourages a sense of community and sharing of our talents. It also helps develop the character, respect, and confidence needed grow into an adult. They still talk about taking the bat off the shoulder.”

 

Michele brings a unique Olympia perspective.

 

Michele feels that Olympia gives her a chance to recharge her batteries after a year of working in the business side of sport. Sowing and reaping the rewards of her hero’s journey at the same time.

“I look so forward to coming up here and getting rejuvenated,” Michele adds. “Every year I learn a lot from other coaches and campers. It’s great having so much fun while having a chance to develop professionally in such a beautiful setting. Olympia is my happy place.”

 

“The week at camp was always very good for me,” Michele says. “I find the mornings very relaxing. The mist over the lake, the beautiful sunrises. All this before the energy of the camp takes over. You can feel the energy throughout the day, and I love it. Every day is a new day. The purpose for us being there is to help young athletes feel a love for the game and a love for improving their skill level. Having fun is goal one,” Michele explains. “The girls have a fantastic day of volleyball.”

 

It isn’t just the coaching and seeing kids have fun that makes Michele an Olympia lifer. She loves the downtime. An avid athlete and fitness enthusiast, Michele loves going for runs to Billy Bear Lodge with other coaches or going further afield while biking along Limberlost Road. A swim afterward in beautiful Oxbow Lake made for a perfect morning. 

 

Michele’s reflection process takes her to Dave Grace.

 

“I often wonder if he has ever kept track of the number of people who have been through here, because I think it’s in the tens of thousands,” Michele states. “He has provided such a wonderful environment for so many young people, not only as campers, but also to come in as a counsellor and work here. It's a great environment for those young people to learn.  These counsellors are fabulous. They work so hard with the campers but also are deeply involved with the coaches and learning their own craft. The counsellors add so much to the fabric of the week. Now there are so many international counsellors, and they add even more. In Dave Talk this morning they had a boy teach the camp how to say “hero” in his language. Where else do you get that inclusion?”

 

Michele concludes, “What I have loved most about all these years at Olympia is the continuity, seeing friends every year for a week. The Olympia community is  all about honesty and accountability. Dave lets us know the expectations and allows us to be ourselves. Every day is a dream when you work as a team.”

 

Those are values that make the world a better place. And thousands of week 4 campers are glad Michele McConney follows those values, and glad she chose the path that brought her to them.

Pay It Forward. 2022 will be a great year as the camp will return and flourish, but we need to be allies. The camp website is  www.olympiasportscamp.com Register your kids. Get your kids to get a few friends to join them at camp. Send a note to your club teams, your school teams. Do it for the kid whose life will be changed because they got to go to Olympia Sports Camp in the summer of 2022. Help spread the vibe that after two years the best sports camp in Canada ( with the four reasons we hear at every opening) will be back and be better than ever.  

 

 

 

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.