RunningWorks Cross Country Camp Staff at Camp Canadensis, 2008
This page provides pictures of some of the forty-plus members of the RunningWorks staff at Canadensis,
and of our special guest speaker from Villanova University, 7-time overall Big East Champion, 2007 and 2008
"Most Outstanding Athlete" in the Big East Conference, and 2008 Villanova Student-Athlete of the Year,
Frances Koons! While she provided many great performances in her college career, perhaps her greatest
triumph came in the Fall and Winter of 2007 and 2008 when she overcame kidney cancer and won both the 1,500m
and 5,000m runs in the Big East Outdoor Championships, and further qualified for the Olympic Trails!
Following a theme pursued by fellow Villanovian, Bobby Curtis, at our Blair Academy camp, Frances Koons discussed
her battle with cancer and argued that, given the determination, the campers can overcome almost any problem and
go on to success, both in athletics and in life in general! Both Curtis, who suffered from a serious sleep disorder and lost
several seasons at school before bouncing back, and Koons, who also was unable to compete for several seasons, look
forward to competing in the London Olympics in 2012! GO BOBBY! GO FRANCES!
As usual, staff members were especially busy, performing multiple functions throughout the week. Besides serving as
cabin proctors, activities supervisors, and running group leaders, staff members taught a variety of classes. Marcus
O'Sullivan made two evening presentations, one, with Steve Shaklee, on Threshold Training, and a second motivational talk
based on his early experiences in running. Ringo Adamson, Tamara Jones, and Shquanda Melyor did a segment on Flexibility and
Strength Drills to Improve Running Efficiency; Marc Pelerin presented classes on Developing Core Strength; Chris
Tarello and Chris Grottini led a class called The Rider Guys With the How's and Why's of Cross Country Training; Dave
Welsh and Ralph Harris focused on Injury Prevention and Running Shoe Selection; and Steve Shaklee proctored
video sessions in Gait Analysis.
In addition, besides the optional afternoon activities -- ga ga, volleyball, swimming, Frisbee, kick ball, wiffle ball,
kayaking, or just hanging out -- the staff offered optional afternoon classes as well. These included the College Talk and
Race Prep and Mental Focus with Marcus O'Sullivan and Steve Shaklee; College Recruiting 101 by Scott Catone;
Good Nutrition and Top Performances by Dave Welsh and Christine O'Brian; and a visit to one of the Nike Vans attended
by RW's former counselor and now Nike Shoe Representative, John Phillips, and Nike's representative for the
Nike XC Nationals, Chris Nickinson!
Hover over the thumbnails for a brief description (Internet
Explorer) and click on the thumbnail for a larger version of the picture.
Click Staff for more pictures of staff and campers.
Click Canadensis, 2008 Pictures to return to the Canadensis pictures' index for 2008.
Click RunningWorks for the official mainpage of RunningWorks Retreats, Camps and
Clinics.
