This year at Camp Hero, we met a bright young military kid, Daismar. Daismar is 12 years old, and her Dad is in the National Guard. Deployed for almost a year, her father called our office from his barracks in Afghanistan to make sure Daismar got a spot at Camp Hero.
We knew that Daismar would be a stand out camper from the moment she arrived at camp; she was full of energy and already making friends as soon as she stepped out of her mom’s car. She had a great time participating in the morning work outs, cooling off on the water slide, and even being interviewed for the evening news! Mid way through the week, Daismar accomplished a challenge that proved to us that programs like Camp Hero can make such a big difference in the lives of military kids.
Challenge: The 24′ Rock Wall
Daismar stood at the bottom of the intimidating rock wall for about 15 minutes. She watched intently as her peers tackled the wall and as staff members, we weren’t quite sure if she would want to go for it. On her first try, Daismar made it up about 5 feet before she came down to the ground. Even with the encouraging cheers for counselors and camper’s she didn’t think she was ready. After another 10 minutes, she suited back up. With a surge of energy she found herself climbing the wall with the sounds of cheering below her, but about 10 feet from the top she lost her grip. Did that stop her? Not this military kid. She latched on to the closest rock she could find and after about 30 seconds she started to climb again. This continued several more times, and each time she wouldn’t let herself quit. Finally, after about six or seven drops, Daismar made it to the top of the rock climbing wall and rang the bell. The cheers from her peers were so loud and as she repelled down the wall, her smile was as bright as the sun! At the bottom, every camper greeted her with a high-five and she jumped in the arms of her counselor for a much deserved hug.
Lesson: Resiliency
This event at Camp Hero proved to us that military kids are resilient and tough. They can muster up the strength to get through challenges, and provided with the right support – they can climb those tough walls. When we asked Daismar what kept her going she said, “I just thought about my Mom and Dad. They taught me to persevere and to never give up. I just kept thinking that I could never give up. I had to overcome my fear.”
Thank you, Daismar for inspiring The Comfort Crew to continue our mission.
Follow up: That evening when Daismar went home, she called her Dad to tell him about her day. He was incredibly proud and stunned with happiness that his daughter overcame her fear. We hope his daughter’s strength supports him as he fights to protect our country.
Copyright © 2013 The Comfort Crew
