Dave Grace makes instagram! This posting, nicely put out by the Olympia staff, and  the picture of Dave at the 50th Anniversary made me want to revisit the life of this man who started with a dream that we all became part of. The following is an excerpt from A Hero's Journey: Beyond Little Norway and Olympia Sports Camp that captures the essence of his journey well. The text is from Chapter 2: Your Commitment to Your Call to Adventure. 

Dave had a dream to run his own sports camp, but its his commitment to making that dream a reality that is most impressive. A kid from London, Ontario who loved sports and loved camps combined those two loves and created one of the most successful camps in Canada, all while inspiring thousands. 

Look at any list of former campers, counsellors, and coaches and you will see people who have dared to 'Take The Bat Off The Shoulder' in pursuing their goals. They witnessed Dave commit on a daily basis and that inspired them that they too could do it. Now that's legacy.


Coach Grace, on his own journey of discovery, became involved with the teachings of Joseph Campbell and eventually his weekly, then daily Dave Talk sessions mirrored Campbell's thoughts on this simple philosophy: just like the gods and heroes of religion and mythology, we all have the capability to achieve, if only we trust, let go of our doubts, and follow the steps of wherever our journey takes us. Even the great legends of mythology all and world religions must take that initial leap of faith and trust that the process, although at times arduous and scary and filled with challenges and self-doubt, will lead to the heroic result. That being the sharing of knowledge   and inspiration for the next generation. What a revelation for any of us to see that whatever we want to do in life is possible and that we are in control of our own destinies. Once the hero returns home to what is now their 'new normal' the journey is still not complete until the positive vibe, the knew knowledge, the inspiration created in the life is shared with others.

Such is the story of Dave Grace and the journey that for him culminated in Olympia Sports Camp


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A Hero’s Journey chronicles the people that make up the history of Olympia, but it does far more than that. It serves as an inspirational guidebook for readers to become the hero of their own path. In order to do this the book examines the history of the land on which the camp has been built, from its indigenous origins to the European settlement process of the 1800’s. and the use of the land by the Royal Norwegian Air Force during WWll. The book is built on a collection of stories related to mentorship, sports psychology, and community building. With this book author Chris Dooley honours the 50-year history of the camp while giving us all a window into seeing a deeper level of understanding of the world and our place in it.



Books Available at: 

 - Amazon and Indigo.ca

-  Indigo, Burlington Brant Street location.

- The Different Drummer Book Store on Locust Street in Burlington\

- Cedar Canoe Books on Main St in Huntsville

- Etransfer me $30 and I'll drive it to your house ! 

- available online at aherosjourney.ca

- audiobook version is available at Audible, Amazon, and iTunes 

If you would like us to come to your town for a book event or get copies into your favourite bookstore , email me at coachdools71@gmail.com. We travel well.


Comments

  1. Greg RogersMarch 18, 2025 at 10:04 AM

    Thanks Chris for bringing these inspirational stories to us each week.

    ReplyDelete

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