As we pieced together ELITEAM’s new website, we asked some of our ELITEAM alums to reflect on their time at ELITEAM. All have since moved past college, now onto the next stage of their lives building careers and families. We assumed we would get quick responses like, “It was great!” – “It was so fun!” – “I learned a lot!” – “The sandpit SL was awesome!”. Instead, we were blown away by the depth and impact the ELITEAM experience appears to have had on many of our past campers. Below are the reflections of Demi Feder. She was an ELITEAM campers for many years and later coached for us at the World Cup camps and Girls Power Camp.
Demi’s Reflections…
Eliteam played a crucial role in my move to become an outdoor educator. For multiple summers on end I returned to Eliteam because of the overwhelming energy for empowering youth. As a camper that cried while atop the World Cup high ropes course and when my parents dropped me off for camp, I learned how to manage these fears because of the coaches that were dedicated to my personal growth.
Spending my first two years out of college working in the technology industry, I struggled to find an environment that matched the positive and passionate energy that the Eliteam coaching community radiates. Thinking back on the times that I felt most inspired, I kept stumbling upon Eliteam – whether that was my time as a camper, a coach, or when I was making phone calls from my college dorm room as a mentor with the Girls Power Camp. The holistic focus on mind-body connection was extremely empowering for me as a camper, and something I was eager to share with younger humans navigating very formative years. With that realization, I switched careers. I am now an Outdoor Educator with the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Mountain Classroom fostering connections between youth and with the outdoors. I can’t thank Doug and Kelley enough for the extremely fun-loving, educational environment that they continue to create year after year. The Eliteam community is a unique and inspiring one to be a part of.
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