The Hero’s Journey
Campers from across the globe get to uniquely experience their own Hero’s Journey by entering the special world of the unknown: Olympia! Olympia is a dynamic, upbeat, world-class physically and emotionally safe community of positive encouragement and reinforcement. We’re renowned over the past 45 years for growing everyday heroes.
Located near Huntsville Ontario Canada and an accredited member of the Ontario Camping Association.
GO ON A
HERO'S JOURNEY AT OLYMPIA!
Let us now be your guide to you, the parent and you, THE EVERYDAY HERO IN TRAINING “EHIT” (camper) on your Hero’s Journey at OLYMPIA.
1) LEAVE THE ORDINARY WORLD
You, the EHIT leave your ordinary world of the known (home), in search of a) A fun-filled week b) Lasting friendships c) stepping out of your comfort zone: to take your sport/ activity to the next level. d) Grow your relationship skills to help others feel good about themselves. E) Become a better person.
2) CALL TO ADVENTURE
You, the EHIT answers the call to adventure, of Olympia your SPECIAL WORLD OF THE UNKNOWN which provides unlimited opportunities to fulfill the above goals through A) Our 90 plus specialty camp programs of skill development, practice, performance and game time, 5 to 6 hours a day. B) Which are uniquely interspersed with traditional rewarding camp experiences such as sailing, windsurfing, kayaking, paddle boarding. B) Inflated water park (i.e. The Blob and the Hamster Wheel etc..) c) Adventure, low and high ropes challenge elements including our NEW 4-sided climbing tower (bungee jump). D) Our entertaining Evening Programs (campfires, carnivals and dances).
This overall Call to adventure is further enhanced by 3 delicious and nutritious meals, and a snack at night to meet your active needs. (all dietary requests can be accommodated).
3) OVERCOMING THE REFUSAL OF THE CALL
To help you overcome the “refusal” of the above call, you must first STEP OUTSIDE OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE, to meet new people and try different activities. To help with this, you meet your mentors at the very start of your journey at OLYMPIA.
4) MEET THE MENTORS
Who helps you to step outside your comfort zone individually by A) Settings stretch goals for not your specialty program, and life but also for your cabin and team. B) Teaching personal and team “coherence building techniques” C) Also help you identify and grow core heart qualities and values that are necessary to meet your goals such as confidence, courage, cooperation, communication, and compassion D) They also give you “a plan of action” of how to reach your goals and unfold your core heart qualities. E) They provide guidance and instruction in the fundamentals, concepts, strategies of the specialty activity appropriate to age and ability. In line with Canada’s Long-Term Athletic Development model in order to reach the above-mentioned goals and core heart qualities/values.
Our mentors include NOT ONLY:
- Over 165 global MENTORS consisting of camp directors Dave Grace and Greg Rogers with over 70 years experience at Olympia, 35 senior supervisors of our 125 counsellor instructors.
- But also OVER 275 ADULT MENTORS: national, provincial, university, college, high school, elementary, club Coaches/ Instructors (many of whom have been with us for over 5-30 years giving great stability to the program with 35-40 in attendance each week) giving us ONE CAMP STAFF MEMBER FOR EVERY 2 CAMPERS AT OLYMPIA.
- Special guest MENTOR appearances by present and former pro, Olympic, National team players, who appear weekly sharing about their own “Hero’s Journey” and modelling what it takes to become an EVERY DAY HERO, some of whom are former campers at OLYMPIA.
- On-site health center staff consisting of 1 doctor, 3 nurses and 4 athletic therapists each week to provide proper care and treatment to all our EHIT’s.
5) ENTERING THE SPECIAL WORLD OF THE UNKNOWN
Is experienced through the above 4 steps.
6) ALLIES & OGRES
Along the journey, you are going to meet external allies such as counsellors, coaches, and fellow cabin/teammates. You also learn to recognize and develop ‘internal allies:’ positive emotions and attitudes, qualities and values such as compassion, caring, kindness, hard work, and resilience. At Olympia, non-heroic external ogres such as bullies are not permitted. Everyday Hero’s in Training discover internal ogres/dragons such as certain fears and self-doubts and negative emotions/ attitudes that need to be overcome.
7) TESTS & CHALLENGES
Along the Hero’s Journey, Everyday Hero’s in training meet various challenges, tests, obstacles and barriers which you learn to see not as threats but as opportunities to grow your skills, core heart qualities and values in order to achieve your goals.
One of the unfortunate challenges at camp is rain. At OLYMPIA we have 45 000 square feet of on-site indoor space including 6 indoor courts, a large rec hall, Sportsplex, and the upper floor of our main lodge. These indoor facilities ensure that you are guaranteed to receive instruction practice and performance time in your sport/ activity in spite of any inclement weather.
8) SLAY THE DRAGONS
These challenges also provide you with opportunities to face your dragons. With the help of your allies and coherence building techniques, you learn to face your inner dragons head-on and SLAY THEM.
9) INSIGHTS AND LIFE LESSONS
As a result of your challenges and slaying your inner dragons, you gain insight into the fact that external goals are not only the end result of the journey but also the means/vehicle for growing your core heart qualities and values and sharing your gifts and talents to uplift others. You also begin to learn that the person that you thought you were is no match for the person that you really are. Each of you has a great deal of ability you are not presently using and each of you is capable of doing a great deal more than you originally thought. And the battle that you thought you were fighting for the acceptance of others (peer pressure) is secondary to the battle you were really fighting, for the acceptance of your true self.
10) AT-ONE-MENT
As a result of the Hero’s Journey, you accept and discover more of your true self.
- Impatience becomes PATIENCE
- Uncooperative becomes COOPERATIVE
- Lack of persistence becomes RESILIENCE
This is who you truly are inside.
11) THE REWARD OF THE HERO’S JOURNEY AT OLYMPIA
- You have experienced A fun-filled week
- You have seen Improvement in your sport/activity
- You stepped outside of your comfort zone
- You have made lasting Friendships by developing your core heart qualities and values
- You have become more caring, compassionate, respectful of yourself and others
- You were always there for cabin/teammates when needed
- You have stood up for what you believed in
- You have fed the community of OLYMPIA with positivity and trustworthiness
- You have aligned your body, mind and emotions with your heart set qualities and values too
12) THE RETURN
You, the Everyday Hero return home (the Ordinary world of the known) at a higher level of being an Everyday Hero of your own story, which you now see differently because of your journey at Olympia. You are now ready to ignite the inner flame, your core heart values and qualities and your unique gifts and talents learnt at OLYMPIA to uplift others to feel safe secure worthy and valued while connected to others, and serve as a ROLE MODEL for friends, family, and teammates to help establish GLOBAL COMMUNITIES OF EVERYDAY HEROES.