Through mud, water and 10 kilometres of trails, 33 teams from Victoria’s business community took over Elk/Beaver Lake Park May 24 for Power To Play. This year’s adventure race raised a record $182,500 in support of Power To Be’s programs.

Every once in a while we get an opportunity to show a small token of our appreciation to our generous supporters. Thanks to the great team at Long Beach Lodge Resort, we hosted a weekend getaway in Tofino for last year’s top fundraising teams from Power To Play Vancouver, a corporate adventure race in support of Power To Be. 

From water rescues to how to light a fire, program staff’s five-day trip to Strathcona Provincial Park encompassed multiple training scenarios and workshops. It was a chance for staff to review best practices in the outdoors to enhance Power To Be program experiences. 

Sitting on the beach, with the ocean in front of her and kind people around her, Jasmine Parr’s perspective shifted. It was her first day as a participant with Power To Be Adventure Therapy, and looking back, it is clear to her that her collective experience with the organization served as the catalyst she needed to get back into nature and back into her community.

As the youth created art from carefully dyed felted wool, the sheep it was taken from wandered outside of the window. That’s the magic of Providence Farm, where people come together to learn about and from the land.  

Power To Be Adventure Therapy’s Director of Programs Jason Cole has been honoured alongside the top business leaders on Vancouver Island. Cole’s commitment to community and mentoring young professionals earned him a Top 20 Under 40 Award, presented Saturday, March 14 in Courtenay, B.C.

For Summit Leadership Program participants Sadie and Shaheen, it’s all about learning how to give back. Teamed up with four of their peers, the pair helped navigate a young man in a trail rider to China Beach.

With the sun shinning and the worms wriggling, Power To Be Adaptive Recreation
participants dug into the gardens at Coast Collective Art Centre for a day of connecting to the land and sharing a meal together.

I became involved with Power To Be in Vancouver in 2004, when I was nine years old. There are three very specific memories that I can recall quite clearly that stick out as almost surreal among all the great memories I have with Power To Be's Adaptive Recreation program. 

It can be as simple as watching a blade of grass or as powerful as kayaking through the salty sea. In those moments, a connection grows between nature, self and others. It’s moments like that keep drawing Gaby Emmett back to Power To Be.

A new year brings new beginnings for Power To Be. This January Wilderness School is kicking off the Summit Leadership Program* – an eight-week experience designed to reengage Wilderness School graduates with curriculum aimed at increasing their outdoor knowledge and leadership skills.

What a wonderful year 2014 has been for Power To Be. With cherished program memories, new opportunities in nature, and record-breaking fundraising successes, the year is definitely one worth celebrating. 

Mark Miller knows the power of perception. It’s the fluid line between what you think you can and cannot do. A life-long adventure seeker, Mark joined Power To Be at WildPlay Element Park to challenge the perception of what was possible – for him and potentially others.

It was the perfect campsite. Roasting marshmallows by the fire, a cozy tent and nature all around. You might have looked twice though when you realized the whole scene was rolling away.

The culture of philanthropy created by our supporters is worthy of celebration. As a nod to the contributions of many, Power To Be is honoured to share the accomplishments and contributions of one of our cornerstone supporters, Rogers Communications, and its founder Ted Rogers. 

Out on the water, it didn’t matter what was left back on the beach. “You couldn’t see the wheelchair,” says Lucie Petrová. “There was just talking and laughing and you couldn’t see the barriers. It was amazing.”

Surfing is the perfect instance of creating a partnership with nature. Your body, your board, and the water must seamlessly align. When you succeed, you achieve something extraordinary. That’s what this Tofino trip was about for Power To Be’s Adaptive Recreation and Wilderness School youth – coming together to break through personal barriers and literally walk on water. 

For Leesa Watson, being in the middle of nowhere brought her even closer to home. Together with her daughter Brittni, Leesa joined Power To Be for its annual family trip to Nimmo Bay Resort. The four-day retreat is focused on strengthening family bonds and the remote location within the Great Bear Rainforest provides the perfect backdrop.

Throughout my practicum I have had many opportunities to learn about gathering strength and empowerment from a nature-based activity. These activities give people the opportunity to grow and develop beyond the limits placed on them by society, social systems and negative self-concept. I have observed many interactions that highlight human compassion and understanding while pushing for individual change and growth.

Settling into a new culture brings a myriad of challenges no matter what age you are; from learning a new language, new customs and cultural norms, culture shock, integration and everything else that comes along with leaving everything you know behind and starting fresh. And then you add the natural challenges of just being a teenager. This is the reality for so many youth that have moved across the world to begin a new life in Canada.