It was a sad morning saying goodbye to all of our 2 and 6 week campers, but the sunshine in the afternoon buoyed our spirits and we were back in the game in no time. Our campers’ energy and ambition continues to inspire us! Every Rest Hour and Staff Hour is packed with races, tournaments, and practices. Of course it’s incredible to see how accomplished our campers are in their paddling, sailing, surfing, and climbing skills, but what is even more amazing to watch is their impressive level of sportsmanship and camaraderie. The competition is always friendly and campers applaud each other trying their best regardless of their results. Yesterday’s Wayne Peck sailing regatta was a perfect example of this, as was today’s canoe race: the annual Brambo’s Dash (named after former canoe instructor Braham Yachnin). There were more than 25 boats participating and even the last place finishers came off the lake with smiles because they had finished the race cheered on by all their peers waiting for them back on the dock.

Watching this embodied one of my favourite things about Arowhon. Here nobody is a “loser” – we compete to challenge ourselves, not to win, and nobody gets left behind. It’s like in the Colour War marathon when as soon as a team finishes their fire, they move over to the next one that is still in progress and cheer them on, and nobody celebrates until everybody has finished. I love knowing that the Arowhon spirit doesn’t stop here – I hear year after year from parents that their kids come home completely different people and the effects of camp last throughout the year in increased resilience, compassion, maturity, and responsibility. These things are more powerful than any high class skill and they are what make me most proud to be a citizen of Planet Arowhon.

-Mara