All 44 campers pushed their limits in the high ropes course today. The focus was on goal-setting, breathing, and teamwork. There was a ton of cheering, encouragement, clapping, and plenty of nervous laughing.
Some highlights:
Tasha was the first ever Eliteamer to slap the new Trapeze ball which the campers jump to (superman-style) taking off from a 15 foot high pole. Her accomplishment motivated the rest of her group to do the same.
Counselor Liz and Devon teamed up to conquer the new Dangle Duo element as the rest of the group cheered. What a sight they made standing 40 feet above the ground on a swinging log.
Nicholas was able to “Ring the Bell” after almost giving up on his ascent up the tree to reach the tightrope wire. He was encouraged by coach Jena to continue and once on the wire flew across to the bell.
And what a memorable sight it was to see Ava doing the “Soldier Dance” standing atop the Vertical Playpen, and Ali conquer the World Cup Traverse sporting a blindfold! All the campers reached their goals, with most surpassing them in the ropes.
While there were smiles in the woods, there was focus, panting, jumping, grimacing, hopping and balancing happening on the field and in the gym for the Leg Routine Agility courses.
One minute they were doing backwards tuck jumps uphill, their legs aching in pain. Then it was precision physioball balance work in the gym. This took a combination of intense focus and dogged athleticism. One of the highlights was watching Maddie hula-hooping through an agility course in perfect rhythm. Zack, on the other hand, had some problems with the physioballs and sent them all flying across the gym…three times. He eventually figured it out.
After dinner (Taco Tuesday) it was time to split the group into three and cook, climb, and Capture the Flag. The cookers mixed up some yummy granola bars with sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax, coconut, and of course, chocolate chips. The climbers took on the 3 rock walls in the gym. The highlight was Maggie reaching the top of all three, making them look easy. The Capture the Flag game was epic. The girls vs the guys. After losing 2-0, the boys fought back to tie it up. During the game, a shower passed through and with it a full rainbow. Awesome.
In the girls dorm meeting before bed, Kelley asked if anyone was sore. The consensus was a definite yes, with lots of head nods and groaning. Kelley told them it would be another big day tomorrow with mountain biking, dance & soccer. Alita said, "Bring it on!"
