Just Keep Swimming

2012 at the Swimdock on the mat.

What's the one activity that absolutely everybody does at Camp Foley at one time or another? Swimming! With 4,000 acres of fresh, clear water right outside our cabin doors, it isn't surprising how often campers are down at the waterfront. One of the first things campers do when they arrive at Foley is take their swim test. And for those of you that continue with swimming past that first day at Foley, we thought we'd look into the history of swimming in general and some of its history at camp.

The earliest records of swimming showed up in Stone Age paintings from about 7,000 years ago! But swimming, as we know it today, started right here in the United States in the early 1800s, and breastroke was the first stroke used in competition. How about this for a fun fact: Many Americans often used swimming competitions to settle differences (such as property rights) in the frontier. Swimming was a part of the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896, and from the likes of recent phenoms Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte, the sport of

Connor Dwyer, Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte and
Ricky Berens win gold in the Men's 4x200
Freestyle Relay at the 2012 Olympic Games. photo

swimming has continued to grow in popularity.The IOC (International Olympic Committee) recognizes four strokes - backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle - and 32 individual swimming events. Swimming has more officials than most sports (which may be a surprise to some). The officials include a referee, a starter, a clerk of course, timekeepers, inspectors of turns, judges of strokes and finish judges! Can you believe it takes all of those people to keep track of some swimmers going down and back in a pool?

Not so surprisingly, not all competitive swimming takes place in a pool. There is also open water swimming that takes place usually in a lake or sometimes ocean. The 2008 Olympic Games in Bejiing was the first time an open water event was added to the Summer Olympics; however, in the first four Olympics (1896-1906), all swimming events were held in open water. Some other interesting Olympic Swimming dates include: 1912, when electronic timing was introduced; 1936, when swimmers first dove into the pool from diving blocks rather than the edge of the pool; and 1976, when swimmers first used goggles!

Below are some interesting Camp Foley Swimdock Facts:

Buddy Board in the 50s.

1950s - First mention of the “check board” and buddy system

1951 - Swimming class becomes optional for those who have passed their swim tests
1984 - Sauna added
1994 - New basketball hoop added
2002 - Purchased 12 paddleboards and paddles, inner-tubes - Paddlemania!
2005 - Addition of the underwater snorkeling park

2006 - First summer for the log

2011 - Water mat and new diving tower added

Greasy watermelon in the 80s.

A lot of campers enjoy the water through activities such as diving, sailing, snorkeling or waterskiing, but think of all the times you've enjoyed just a nice free swim playing at the waterfront or enjoyed a cool off swim. Maybe next summer you'll take advantage of a swimming class to learn some new strokes or to improve your technique? Or maybe you'll just head down to the waterfront a few more times to enjoy a swim in Whitefish Lake and cool off after a warm Minnesota summer day. In whatever you choose, think of how many Foley campers before you have done the same! 

Throwback Thursday – 1997-2002 with Melanie

Melanie, 1997

Melanie Pflug Anderson first came to Camp Foley at age 19 in 1997. She spent six summers at Foley in the late 1990s and early 2000s – three summers with the Ish-Yak girls and three summers as an Assistant Director. Most of her time was spent down at the Swimdock teaching Swimming, but she could also be found at Soccer and Tennis.

We reached out to Melanie to find out what was happening at Camp while she was here and what Camp Foley meant, and continues to mean, to her. 

What were your first few days or weeks like at Camp Foley?

I met two people that I still consider two of my dearest friends, even though we don’t see each other much – Emily Hofstede and KC Williams*. I fell in love with camp almost instantly. There was a lot of hard work, excitement and anticipation about campers coming.
*You may recognize KC Williams West, who now helps out in the summer and her son, Shef, now attends camp!

In the years you worked at Foley, what were the new additions?

The climbing wall went up during my time at camp and the walls in the tennis courts were painted. However, of the things that I can remember, the most significant is the Dining Hall. The [old] Dining Hall was so small and dark and crowded. The re-building of that changed the camp grounds in an incredibly wonderful way!

The old Dining Hall (left) was much smaller than the new Dining Hall (right)

Foley counselors at the first Harry Potter Banquet, 2001

What were some of the Banquet themes you remember?

Mardi Gras, one where they smoked a pig in the middle of camp and Harry Potter. Harry Potter was the best during the time I was there. Alli created the game “Quidditch,” which the campers LOVED. There was root beer for dinner and [Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans]. The teams were really into the whole day and the songs that were created to represent each team were so thought out and GREAT! I mean, it was so exciting and everyone was so into it. That was one of the most fun days that I ever remember at camp.

How did Camp Foley change you as a person?

Camp made me who I am. It gave me leadership skills, confidence in myself and so many skills in working with people. I didn’t experience camp when I was a kid and after my time at camp, I will do whatever it takes to give my kids that experience. It changed me in the best ways imaginable.

If you could give one piece of advice to current Camp Foley campers, what would it be?

Experience as many activities as you can fit into your time [at Camp], even if you aren’t sure that you will like it. Be open to making friends with people that you may not have considered being friends with at school, you will be amazed how much better you life is because of this. Be open-minded and HAVE FUN!

Also: A big Camp Foley Happy Birthday to Melanie whose birthday was on Monday!Everybody... sing it with us!!
Happy Happy Birthday, to every girl and boy...