This past weekend Olympia Sports Camp celebrated its 50th Anniversary Reunion and the memories flowed in what was in many ways an emotional tribute to the thousands of counsellors, campers, and coaches who have added to the community that is Olympia, and a tribute to the architect of it all, Dave Grace.

How wide-spread is this community of heroes that we call Olympia? There were many great moments throughout the weekend but to me this catches the Olympia vibe at a whole other level. This is Dave Grace and former senior staff and coach Rob Simmons. A good friend and Olympia legend Chris Orr had arranged with Rob to have a FaceTime with Dave from Kamloops, BC. I was so lucky to witness this 20 minute exchange as Chris expressed so much respect and love for Dave and everything Olympia and Dave was genuinely moved to be able to connect with Chris through the generous nature of Rob to set it up. A priceless memory.

The weekend started with an opening ceremonies with the entire Olympia playlist on tap. The crowd was of course much smaller than a typical opening but the energy and enthusiasm was awesome. Greg Rogers led the crowd with the same classic introductions to each song. And of course the last song involved the staff going outside in the pouring rain so that they could run back in on the opening beat of "Olympia."

Dave then did a Dave Talk that included him talking openly about a couple of ogres in his life lately that with the help of allies he was able to overcome and move forward on his journey and the journey of the camp. He thanked all of us. It was great to see the energy that the man has been giving for 50 summers. 

At the end of the Dave Talk Dave was presented with a one of a kind, only one in  the world hoodie to honour his 50 year commitment to the lives of so many. He also was given a plaque that congratulated him on his 50 years of taking the bat off the shoulder.  Here he is modelling his new 50th Anniversary swag. No jokes about this being Dave's best side!  

Looking at the dining hall, I must comment on the quality of the food this weekend. We had a roast beef dinner Saturday night and lots of variety and quality at every meal. The new chef and her staff are to be commended.

A touching moment followed Dave Talk as Greg introduced Jennifer Dailloux, whose grandfather had been stationed at Little Norway during the second world war. A lot of the detail she shared has been captured in A Hero's Journey: Beyond Little Norway and Olympia Sports Camp but Jennifer brought the stories alive and put a face to the struggles of the Norwegian airmen who escaped their homeland to come to Interlaken and then got back to Europe as soon as they could to join the war effort.

What makes Jennifer's presence for Olympia's 50th even more poignant is that several of us, on our walk to the dining hall that we all have done hundreds of times, noticed this bouquet of flowers at the foot of the Norwegian AIrForce Monument. Jennifer had silently placed those flowers, along with a picture of her grandfather, on the monument to commemorate the occasion and honour her grandfather's memory. 

I had the opportunity to speak to a crowd of about 120 in  the dining hall after our roast beef banquet dinner on Saturday. It was very humbling to be able to reflect on 50 years of the Olympia community and the impact that others who have come before us. They mentored or inspired us and that allows us to impact others on their journey. The book coming out in the camp's 50th year is pure happenstance but is now a part of the legacy of Olympia and the spirit of this community of everyday heroes. It feel like there is growing energy about the book that is exciting.

To further explain the beauty of an event like Olympia's 50th:

 There's Dave Grace introducing his former high school player at North Toronto, and the quarterback of that championship team that is central to Dave's philosophy behind starting the camp in the first place. Bill Pangos was a counsellor in the very first year of the camp in 1974 and wasn't going to miss the opportunity to share the 50th anniversary with his coach.

There's the offspring of three of Olympia's original coach's rekindling the laughs and the memories of their youth. Bob Bain, John Petrushchak, and Doug Hayes must be proud of the people their kids have become.

There's Butch Carter seeing what an opening ceremonies looks like and joining in on the dances.

There's bonfire reflections ( what rain?)  and coach's lounge discussions about life.

There's a group kayak trip to the cliff.

And the best part? There's Dave Grace smiling and soaking up every minute, ever thankful to everyone there. In his closing remarks he said he figured out that he would be 107 for the 75th Anniversary.

If you get to camp this summer, check out the picture collages that adorn the walls of the coach's lounge. There's evidence of 50 summers of camp adventure and personal growth. The staff has put in a lot of work and they look great.

Of course the 50th Anniversary will be a year-long event and plans are being worked on. If you are at camp there is some nice 50th Anniversary swag. I love my new hoodie.