Many of you probably saw our triathlon documentary last year. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. You can find it HERE.
So you may have found yourself wondering why we choose to highlight these athletic endeavors when they don't necessarily have a direct link to camp or campers. That's where I think you might be wrong. These athletic endeavors find our staff members in situations that mirror that of what campers experience at camp. The parallels for Daniel last year and a first time camper are strikingly similar:
-New environment
-New challenging activities
-Not necessarily being great at something on the first try
-It takes practice and conditioning to start to see progress in fitness
-New foods for fueling and recovery
-New social circles required to participate in new activities
Ultimately, Daniel learned a simple lesson that we preached to campers every week:
It's okay to do difficult things!
We don't just preach this as a staff, we live it. Just like it's okay for campers to try difficult things and see them through, it's also okay for staff to try difficult things and learn from those experiences. Daniel learned that firsthand last year and it was both a difficult and amazing experience.
This year we have several staff members competing in a few triathlons. The new Dean of Culture and I will be racing Puerto Rico 70.3 on March 17th. While both Trevor and I have done triathlons before, every race comes with new challenges. This will be a new race venue for me and looking at the forecast it's going to be incredibly hot and humid and I'll be coming from a place where it's currently snowing. Trevor has battled some injuries to get to the start line and he's anxious to put his training and recovery into practice and toe the line with the knowledge that it's going to be a tough day even if everything goes perfectly.
We're running it back for St. George this year. In addition to Daniel and I, we'll also see Albert attempt his first 70.3 race. All of us are well aware of the challenging nature of that course, but we want that challenge despite knowing it will push us in every way on race day. The beauty is that it's completely okay to do something that you know is going to be difficult. Challenge yourself, push yourself, and watch yourself persevere to accomplish amazing things.
"If you never try, you'll never know."
Chris Martin probably wasn't talking about triathlons in Coldplay's "Fix You", but his sentiment is right on the money. Try difficult things and try them simply because they are difficult. You will most likely find yourself accomplishing amazing feats if you challenge yourself.
So why do we share these stories? We choose to share these stories because just like a camper that is putting themselves out there at camp and is entering into something new and bold, we choose to put ourselves in these situations to push ourselves as well. We understand the anxiousness that comes with showing up to camp. Putting yourself in the vulnerable spot is commendable and we honor and recognize that feeling.
We're here for you and we can't wait to show you what you're capable of and how much you can grow at camp. In the meantime, know that we're pushing ourselves and that we understand how hard it can be to take that first step.