Gold medal track and field athlete Sanya Richards Ross said, “Failure I can live with. Not trying is what I can’t handle.” For many of our students, Apogee trips consist of many firsts, whether it be rafting, sea kayaking, biking long distances, hiking for hours with loaded backpacks, or climbing the highest peaks in the region. It takes an Olympic mentality on occasion to reap the benefits of these amazing trips. And time and time again, we are impressed with how much these folks are willing to push themselves outside of their comfort zones. Take a peek at what they were up to today!

Skip to a Specific Trip: MCJ, CI, NEMCA, NEMCB, MCCE, VLCA, VLCB, GSA, NWXA, NWXB, PC, ACC1, ACC2

Maine Coast Junior (MCJ)

Our MCJ’ers got in a sweet day hike in Acadia National Park today. What a great warm-up before their bike day tomorrow. Did you know that hiking for just 30 minutes a day can help with fatigue, sleep issues, creativity, and happiness levels? Not surprising at all that being outside in nature can help both physically and mentally. I wonder how many Olympians incorporate hiking into their workout schedules…

First day of hiking and two summits down, St. Sauveur and Valley Peak!

 

Cape Cod & the Islands (CI)

CI packed up camp for the second time this morning, hopped on the ferry to Hyannis and then rode to Brewster. It’s farewell to the islands and back to the Cape they go! Fun fact: The U.S. Olympic baseball team includes six former Cape ,Leaguers. Also, nine out of the Cape League’s 10 teams have had at least one player go on to be an Olympian. Who knows, maybe one of our CI shining kiddos will become an Olympic biker!

Helmets off (and then right back on) to a great day of biking!

Can confirm that none of the helmets went off the bridge…

New England Mountains & Coast A (NEMCA)

Another full day of hiking! NEMCA spent the day exploring The Whites in New Hampshire, and it got us in the office thinking about why hiking isn’t an Olympic sport. Hiking would be hard to measure. How would scoring work? Where would it take place? Would it be in the Summer or Winter Olympics? There are some practicalities that would have to be considered. However, is anyone familiar with “Class 5 Hiking”? Class 5 Hiking, also known as Sport Climbing, is approved for the Tokyo Olympics! Guess hiking is an Olympic sport after all! 

Summiting Mt. Pierce!

 

New England Mountains & Coast B (NEMCB)

Trip leaders Jonathon and Sav upped the ante a bit today as the group headed back into The Whites for their second day hike. A team of researchers did a study comparing an indoor treadmill workout to an outdoor hike in the mountains. They found that participants pushed themselves harder during the outdoor hike, yet they reported increased feelings of pleasure and felt less fatigued afterward. Hiking also carries a reduced risk of injury while building overall fitness. Look at NEMCB setting the tone and engaging in an activity that would probably do many Olympians some good! 

Maine Coast College Essay (MCCE)

MCCE spent the day having individual conferences with writing extraordinaire Leah and then completed a bit of community service with the Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust. Speaking of community service, did you know that each Olympics incorporates tens of thousands of hardworking volunteers? Volunteers offer crucial support throughout the operation, from welcoming dignitaries to delivering equipment to athletes. A total of 204,680 people applied to be a Tokyo Olympics volunteer. Not a bad way to see the Olympic stage if you can’t qualify! 

 

Vermont & Lake Champlain A (VLCA)

Holy cow! How is today the final day of biking for our lovely VLCA’ers? All of the ground you’ve covered these last ten days is something to truly be proud of, and today’s great day of riding included a bike ferry and the quintessential Colchester Causeway! Frances, Mikey, and co then enjoyed a fun afternoon on the beach and exploring Burlington! Fun facts: Beach volleyball became an Olympic sport for both men and women in 1996, and the average number of jumps a player makes during a match is 300. 

 

Bike ferry fun!

 

Vermont & Lake Champlain B (VLCB)

Day 10 – say it again! VLCB knocked their last day of biking out of the park with nearly 50 miles! After riding through the Champlain Islands and biking on the causeway across Lake Champlain (which is incredibly cool), they ended their ride on Burlington’s smooth and flat bike path! Enjoy the rest of your time touring Burlington! As friendships continue to grow among this group, here’s a sweet story: in 1936, two Japanese pole vaulters, Shuhei Nashida and his friend Sueo Oe, were set for a tie-breaker to decide who took silver and who took bronze. The duo decided to decline the tie-break scenario and famously cut the two medals in half. They then fused the bronze with the silver to make two friendship medals! 

 

Golden State Adventure (GSA)

GSA set off on the ferry to the Channel Islands and they were stoked! After setting up camp, they strapped on their hiking boots and set off in search of amazing views and island foxes. What do Olympians, island foxes and GSA’ers all have in common? They are all wonderfully unique AND athletic! The island fox only lives on six of the eight Channel Islands off the coast of Southern California, and are found nowhere else on Earth. Each island population is recognized as a unique subspecies. 

 

Northwest Explorer (NWXA)

Never a dull moment for our noble Northwest Explorers – today this talented team laced up their boots and took to the trails, cruising through the second day of their first beautiful backcountry section! Whimsical wildflowers, perfect peaks, and flowing rivers, oh my! Speaking of wildflowers, Simone Biles, like some of us, is scared of bees. You may have something in common with the most decorated female gymnast in America!

 

Northwest Explorer (NWXB)

The Northwest Explorer ‘beastly’ B group spent the day in the notoriously noteworthy North Cascades. Among other adventures, they’ll prep, pack, and prepare for their backcountry section coming quite quickly upon them tomorrow! Speaking of preparation, did you know that most Olympians train for four to eight years before competing? Talk about dedication!

Pacific Coast (PC)

PC’s ride today promised spectacular views as they amped up their mileage to just under 50 miles – look at them go! Tomorrow their trusty two-wheelers will take them out of Oregon and into California! Fun fact: The United States entered the 2021 games with over 2,800 medals won. No other country has won 1,000 and The United Kingdom is second with 883.

Speaking of medals, these PC’ers deserve one for this gem!

 

America Coast to Coast 1 (ACC1)

ACC1 biked an impressive 84 miles into Pie Town today – how fun! Pie Town’s name actually comes from an early bakery that made dried-apple pies in the early 1920’s. Enjoy some well-deserved pie tonight! Did you know that cycling was one of the nine original sports in the modern Olympic Games? The other eight were athletics, fencing, gymnastics, shooting, swimming, tennis, weightlifting, and wrestling.

 

Celebrating a birthday on trip yesterday! Happy belated birthday from all of us at the office! 

 

America Coast to Coast 2 (ACC2)

Arm in arm, our fabulous group of adventurers are sweating, pedaling, eating, and laughing their way to San Diego. As they got another step closer to their final goal today, it is easy to see that the horizon brings something special for our ACC warriors. Tomorrow – the sweet taste of a rest day! As Kristi Yamaguchi, American figure skater and 1992 gold medalist, once said, “Focus, discipline, hard work, goal setting and, of course, the thrill of finally achieving your goals. These are all lessons of life.” Keep it up!

A message from Nicole: RIO GRANDE BABY!!