With the Kelly Dunham Memorial Foundation Golf Tournament coming up next Friday at the Flamborough Hills Golf Club I felt it necessary to show support to the memory of Kelly and the massive sense of loss so many people feel, especially her husband Doug and her children Ally and Mitch, as well as Marnie and the whole Buchanan family
Joy and I will be in Ottawa and unable to attend the tournament but my company Can't Miss Publishing will be sponsoring a hole and there will be three copies of A Hero's Journey: Beyond Little Norway and Olympia Sports Camp on the prize table.
I also decided to re-publish a blog entry from April 12, 2021 that captures one of the most poignant interviews from the book writing process. I hope in the re-reading people who love and miss Kelly can find solace. I wish great success for the tournament. Check out kellydunhamfoundation.ca
The Olympia family-no air quotes needed
With last Saturday being National Siblings day, the internet was filled with pictures of brothers and sisters. I saw lots of pictures of people I know from Olympia and a thought hit me: you don’t have to be blood siblings to be family, and Olympia is an example of that. The culture of the hero’s journey is about encouragement and helping others achieve while we ourselves achieve. That makes for a familial atmosphere that creates deep bonds, bonds that can last for decades. Just think of how many people that you met at Olympia that you consider family. The term is used loosely in many ways as a buzz word for togetherness, but no air quotes are needed when talking about the Olympia family.
Another aspect of National Siblings day when thinking about the people at camp Olympia is the great opportunity for siblings to work together at camp. The list of siblings at camp is long and a pretty cool aspect of life at camp. When I saw that it was National Siblings day and connecting it to the Olympia family, my thoughts went to one set of Olympia siblings in particular. Marnie Buchanan and Kelly Dunham (nee Buchanan)
I had the great fortune to meet Kelly Buchanan back when she was a great player, then a young coach, and I was involved in the regional and provincial programs. As with everybody that Kelly met, we stayed friends no matter how much we saw of each other. She was that person that did two things every time she saw you; she gave you a big bear hug and she made you feel better than before she walked in. The talk was that she had a sister that was an even better player , but as with any true heroes, the stuff on the court pales in comparison to the impact made off the court. These two sisters are Olympia legends.
Kelly’s high school teams, through coach Rick McLellan, went to the fall tournaments at Olympia, trips that became a highlight of every year. She was involved in summer elite basketball, so she never went to Olympia as a camper and didn’t get a job as a counselor until she was 19. This late starter became an Olympia stalwart. She played several key roles as she evolved as a leader. One year there was a week 10 and assistant director Danny Panzer had to leave so Dave put Kelly in charge of the whole week.
In a beautiful interview with these two awesome Olympians Kelly told a story of when she had to deal with some trouble at the University of Windsor and Dave Grace saved her from her lowest point simply because he believed in her. He didn’t pull her away from the abyss, but rather showed her that she had the tools to do it herself. That made all the difference. She credits Dave for everything she has achieved in her life, all her high-level coaching, her career at Mohawk College and then the move to McMaster.
Kelly started to go to camp as a coach and once her two kids came along, she needed a babysitter. She had a built-in one in sister Marnie. Marnie also was involved in provincial basketball programs most summers so she wasn't an Olympia lifer, either, but she always loved the place. A rare Olympia timeline for sure, Marnie went from Aunt Marnie and lady of leisure to coach Marnie as soon as the kids were old enough to be on their own.
This family we call Olympia was rocked on May 24, 2020 as Kelly passed away at the age of 51 after a one month battle with cancer. Most didn't know she was sick and most probably remember where they were when they heard. I found out through a phone call from Kelly’s great friend Pam Leitch, someone I coached on a regional team and who later coached with Kelly. As with any tragedy, this just didn’t make sense, and we leaned on each other.
Back to family. People wanted to share this grief with the family and with each other but COVID didn’t allow for it. How many people did Kelly’s enthusiasm touch, with her deep connections at S.C.I.T.S. (Sarnia Collegiate and Technical School) Basketball Ontario, Mohawk College, McMaster University, Transway Basketball, and, of course, Olympia Sports Camp. The tributes poured in and the phone chains were province wide. I leave it to Kelly’s daughter Ally, whose poignant words in the obituary say it for all of us.
“Mom, life seems really unfair because you, being the amazing woman and people person you were, who touched more people than you know, got taken away from us all far too soon. You’re infamous for your smile that could light up any room. Your infectious laugh, so big that it echoed through the walls. Your big opened armed bear hugs that wrapped around every soul you touched.
Hug your family, and always remember the Olympia family.
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.
If you would like us to come to your town for a book event, email me at coachdools71@gmail.com
Online copies are available at aherosjourney.ca
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