OSC!!! OSC!!!  Olympia launches summer number 50

Joy and I headed to Interlaken to catch the last couple of days of staff development, talk to the staff, the week 1 coaches, and witness the opening ceremonies of Week 1 of a very important summer for Olympia Sports Camp. Olympia veterans, and people who have read A Hero's Journey: Beyond Little Norway and Olympia Sports Camp know that the opening ceremonies work to create and bring together the community through music and dance and crazy high energy. Light the flame and let it burn. The crowning moment, and it is an emotional scene, is at the end of the final song, "Olympia" when the staff come together and chant OSC!! OSC!! This time, it was especially poignant to watch these young leaders who we had made connection with over our visit, and many at camp for the first time, absolutely explode with energy and enthusiasm that the campers couldn't help but get swept up in. I was proud to watch. Bodes well for a great week and a great summer.

Actually the theme of our visit and talk with the staff, coaches, and campers was community. The community I spoke of was not just this week they are all a part of, or even the summer of 2023, but the community of 50 years of Olympia. This OSC circle captures it beautifully. The dances create the vibe and builds throughout the playlist. The "Olympia" crescendo actually starts with the counsellors all running into the gym, after banging on the garage door to get in. The energy is palpable. They were having a blast, building a community! 


As advertised, there is so much to do at Olympia, and in between talks Joy and I were able to enjoy the beautiful waterfront and hit the lake for swimming and using the kayaks. One morning I got up and met associate director Greg Rogers, a man whose energy begets energy in others, and a few staff at 7am to do a 4km kayak to the cliff. The water was smooth as glass and the experience was an almost  spiritual awakening to start the day. Here is a picture of  the beauty of the lake and the new A-Frame docking system. 


I'm excited that the book is now for sale in the Tuck shop, where parents and campers can pick up a copy of what is now part of the legacy of the camp, with so many stories of the people and so much history of the land that is Olympia. Olympia is a place where, Olympia is a people who.

Olympia's 50th year is a milestone that hundreds should be proud of. They can reflect on the role they played at Olympia and the role that Olympia played in their lives.  The current staff and campers can learn a lot about themselves by reading abut the journeys of others. That's what communities do for each other.


Copies of A Hero's Journey: Beyond Little Norway and Olympia Sports Camp are available at The Different Drummer BookStore on Locust St in Burlington. Or if you live in the Hamilton/ Halton area etransfer $30 with your address and I'll deliver it to your door.

Online copies are at aherosjourney.ca

Audiobook version is available at Audible, Amazon, or iTunes

If anyone wants to host a Tour of Olympia party, email me at coachdools71@gmail.com and let's connect

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