After two days of epic challenges (a.k.a. intense physical “fun”), we hit the sweet spot today — the perfect mix of adventure, skill-building, and a whole lot of laughter. Yes, we still earned our sweat with 200 burpees and plenty of movement, but today we balanced it out with a big helping of PLAY.
The morning kicked off with a 3-hour mountain biking adventure, rolling straight out of Gould and onto the town’s trail system. The expert riders tackled steeper climbs and swoopy, banked turns, while the rest of the groups found their flow and had a blast exploring the singletrack playground. Dirt, smiles, and a little bit of mud — success!
Next up: an ELITEAM classic lunch — grilled cheese and tomato soup. Simple. Warm. Soul-healing. The kind of lunch that makes you sigh happily and say, ‘This is the best day ever,’ between bites.
After lunch, we shifted gears into Mental Skills mode — practicing Focus Breathing and learning how to Embrace Failure. These are game-changing tools for athletes, helping them stay sharp under pressure and bounce back stronger from mistakes. Powerful stuff — and our campers totally leaned into it.
Then came the afternoon, and we’re calling it now: BEST AFTERNOON YET.
Each group rotated through three awesome activities:
Shred It Up Muffins – Campers turned into chefs and whipped up muffins using fun and funky ingredients like tiger nut flour, coconut sugar, and shredded apples and carrots. Yes, they were healthy. Yes, they were delicious. Yes, we saved them for dessert!
Rollerblade Obstacle Courses – We carved around cones, zoomed through gates, and even hit a few jumps! Every camper made progress, and there may have been some accidental 360s (on purpose, of course).
Archery + Biathlon – We learned the basics of archery, aimed for the bullseye, and then finished with a high-energy Run-Shoot Team Biathlon. Picture Hunger Games meets ELITEAM… but with more smiles.
After a hearty dinner, we finally got to taste-test those Shred It Up Muffins — spoiler alert: they disappeared fast.
And just when you thought the day couldn’t get any better, we capped it off with an all-camp Dodgeball & Agility Poles session. Think high-speed dodges, quick feet, and tons of laughs. Everyone left the gym sweaty, happy, and ready for bed!
Tomorrow’s forecast? Possibly even MORE awesome — the legendary Sandpit Slalom is coming your way!
Tonight, it was the girls’ turn to blog — here’s what they had to say…
What did you learn while cooking muffins?
Eden T: I learned to bake with new ingredients with my partner.
Sadie W: To be careful when measuring.
Lila P: when you shred apples make sure to use the big section otherwise it will turn to mush.
Cece C: make sure you have exact measurements, and make sure to shred it.
Lucy A: It has to be exact and if it’s not it may not work. It’s important for nutrition.
Hazel R: it’s important to eat healthy carbs & fats, also don’t shred your fingers off!
What was super fun about the Mountain Biking?
Eden T: That we were out in nature, with friends, going out on a trail that took us over an hour longer than we expected!
Sadie W: going on an extra trail that took longer! And to not hit trees!
Lila P: Getting over my fear of it and enjoying the trail.
Cece C: The downhill part, going over the rollers.
Lucy A: Going downhill is super fun, however going uphill is not.
Hazel R: I loved the downhill, made the up worth it.
What is important to do when archery shooting?
Eden T: Aim well and make sure to breathe.
Sadie W: Deep breaths and focus.
Lila P: To control your breathing while shooting. To smile when you make a good shot.
Cece C: Have the white flag pointed towards you, make sure the arrow is pointed the right way.
Lucy A: Keep focused while shooting. Have the correct form.
Hazel R: Focus. You have to have focus.
