Tuesday's With Dave

 SAVE THE DATE Looking for the perfect gift to stocking stuffer for your favourite Olympian? Want to learn about your journey by reading about the journey of others? Want to stop by and connect for a few minutes?  A Hero’s Journey: Beyond Little Norway and Olympia Sports Camp is a compiled history of the 50-year span of Olympia Sports Camp in Huntsville, Ontario through the lens of its founder and inspiration, Dave Grace, and many long-time Olympia staff and coaches. The hero’s journey of the title is Dave Grace’s adaptation of the writings and teachings of philosopher Joseph Campbell.    The basic tenet of Grace’s hero’s journey is that all heroes go through a 12-step process- from getting out of their comfort zone to finding a 'new normal' in seeking the path they are after. That us growth.  The new normal they find is where the hero bestows knowledge they learned on their journey on others in order to help them on their journey. In analyzing our physical, em...

Long-time week 7 Coach Passes Away Some sad news to share. Longtime Olympia week 7 volleyball coach Ed Millard passed away last week. I first saw the word of his death from the "Godfather of Week 7" Rod McHugh. Rod sent me the link to Sudbury.com where I read the obituary. Never having met the man, I was amazed at the journey of this world-class athlete who just happened to be a weekly coach at Olympia Sports Camp for many years. As with most heroes, Ed seems to have taken that champion pedigree to helping others strive to reach their goals.  Dave Grace always took great pride in getting the best of the best to coach at Olympia and in Ed Millard he sure accomplished that goal. I spoke to other week 7 veterans and they called Ed " A Gentle giant" who was loved by the campers. A coach who had an infectious laugh and a passion for volleyball that inspired other coaches and campers alike. To Ed's family and all members of his week 7 family who knew Ed well, all Olym...

 Kiwanis Camper Perspective on life at Interlaken A Hero's Journey: Beyond Little Norway and Olympia Sports Camp  explores the history of the land that we have all called Olympia Sports Camp for the last 50 years. The book looks at the Indigenous beginnings of the area, the European settlement process from 1850 to 1920, and the purchase of the land in 1942 by the Royal Norwegian Air Force to be used as Vessel Skaugum,  a training adjunct to their training base at the Muskoka Airport. The land was sold in 1945 to the Kiwanis Club of Toronto, which ran a camp for underprivileged children until 1975, and then ultimately the property was bought  by Dave Grace for his permanent location of OSC in 1979.  The Kiwanis years bring another layer of the use of the land for the good of others, and we're sure that the stories from those 30 years mirror what has taken place at Olympia since. People who love Olympia Sports Camp will love the story of Doug Pasley. Just a few we...