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The Tryon Daily Bulletin’s Sept. 3rd news story about the “Raptors on the Water” rowing program beginning this fall at Lake Lure Classical Academy is very exciting and perhaps the genesis of a new tradition.

My sweetest memories of my youth were spent on the water at Lake Valhalla, New Jersey. My favorite pastimes were canoeing and sailing with swimming, rowing and skating close behind.  In the summertime, the first thing in the morning I would run down to the lake to take out a canoe. I still remember, the aroma of the wet leaves as I paddled and the enjoyment of speed racing to the other end of the lake!

The Academy’s announcement is very timely as a new movie is being made about an American tale of a famous crew team during the Depression and the pre-WWII era is due to hit the big screen! Directed by George Clooney, it will be released this Christmas.

The movie is based on the 2013 book by Daniel James Brown called, “The Boys in the Boat.” It’s a story in which a University of Washington 8-oar crew team, against all odds in a grueling collegiate challenge, defeats its major competition, a German boat rowing for Adolf Hitler, in their quest to win the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.

This book is a classic and is on high school and college reading lists. It is a must-read for these students … it will definitely support the importance of the teamwork approach.

Congratulations to Lake Lure Academy on thinking out of the classroom and moving outdoors to build lifetime skills plus memories they will never forget!

 

Nina Wolfe

Tryon