This past week Joe and I had the honor of hosting the Montgomery Aquatic Race Club. We’re busting with joy with how we hosted this amazing group of swimmers for their Summer camp 2022 at Soma Ranch, including the opportunity to share Nia in several ways (on land, in the studio and in the pool)
This was a "full circle", "living life" moment for Helen, who grew up as a competitive swimmer, trained as a PE teacher, certified as an international Nia technique trainer and created/founded Soma Ranch with her husband Joe. All of this came together as they hosted a summer camp for swimmers at Soma Ranch.....
Teaching Montgomery Aquatic Race Club swimmers about how to be somatic in the pool, how to apply the sensations of fitness into their strokes and how to be mindful as they swim in the pool and through life was a JOY!!
The coaches were incredibly creative and caring. They utilized many spaces, inside and out, around Soma Ranch, changing things up each day and coming up with unique ways to keep the campers happy and engaged. For example “Swimcampopoly” and outdoor circuit training.
We were super impressed with how both coaches and campers were super consiencious about their environment. How they cared for the land, honored nature, kept things clean (they even made their beds!), checked in with us to be sure their conduct was meeting our expectations.
Lovely to see highlights like campers getting to pet the friendly donkeys and horses, go down to the pond to check out our lotus and dock and enjoy the lounging shade under our newly appointed pavilion over the back deck.
They requested we NOT adapt our menu too much, to allow the campers to take safe risks, experience something different, explore new tastes and healthy options. We were stunned with how much they chowed down on vegetables, gave new things (like quinoa, chia pudding, spearmint infused water) a go and seeing campers taking a photo of the “protein balls” with the intent to share with their parents when they got home, was the icing on the cake. We made a crumble with the wonderful, massive blackberries picked from our neighbors, P6 farms. Lovely to serve fresh and VERY local produce.
Beyond our expectations they used our new big screen TV. Filming the swimmers underwater then, using airplay, their iPad showed crystal clear images on the big screen. Coaches were able to pause images, show form in the water and swimmers were able to have an image of how they move through water.
We’re excited to see them apply what they learned in both swimming and in life. #marcswimcamp2022
