Stay-Focused Conducts Thirteenth Program!

It was great to welcome back a large group of experienced divers to kick-off our programs for 2008. Ben Strafuss and his two sons, Justin and Andrew, were so keen to get back in the water they arrived five days before the start of the program to start diving!

Stay-Focused Divers

The divers who participated in the program were: Ben, Justin and Andrew Strafuss, Gwena and Gerry Herman, Dr. JenFu Cheng and his wife, Renu, Ryan Chalmers, Kayla Rhodes, Colbie Bratlie, Hannah McFadden, and Jill Ratliff.

Leading the Program

Joining the group were: Roger Muller, Founder/President of Stay-Focused, and Diving Instructors Richard Smart, Marty Banks, and Tony Chisholm. Fortunately, our videographer, Chris Brandson, was able to join us for a day of diving as well. We also received support from a number of diving instructors who volunteered their time on their day off to lend a hand. Thanks guys!

Stay-Focused Medical Doctor, JenFu Cheng, continued to push forward on our medical research agenda by again placing monitors on the BC of each diver that keep track of their dive profiles. Each diver also completed a Quality of Life Inventory and a Divers Alert Network (DAN) diving profile sheet.

Activities

In addition to four mornings of two-tank dives, the group enjoyed a number of fun activities including a hair-raising helicopter ride around North Sound and Seven Mile Beach. Helicopter pilot Jerome Begot (oui, the crazy Frenchman) gave us all quite the thrill! The group also participated in an exciting, team-building program hosted by the Ambassadors of the Environment Program (AOTE) at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman. Many thanks to Mike Naugle and Jess Leblond for orchestrating a very enjoyable (paddle-splashing) afternoon. And, let’s not forget the Beach Dig in support of the Sunrise Adult Training Centre, where all the Stay-Focused divers found a chip and won a prize!

Review of Achievements/Setting New Goals

We took time to review the goals each diver had established a year earlier and it was gratifying to acknowledge each diver had in fact achieved his/her goal. Well done! Hence, it was time to set new goals for 2008. Here they are for the record, in no particular order:

Kayla: Score 10 goals in Lacrosse
Ryan: 3.3 GPA in the fall semester
Andrew: Achieve 28+ on the ACTs
Justin: 300 points in archery
Hannah: Read five books during the summer
Jill: An “A” in History seminar class
Colbie: Set a personal record in the 500-yard freestyle

Reflecting on the Stay-Focused Experience

We took some time to reflect on what the Stay-Focused experience has meant to each of us and what we have learned from our time together. To summarize, it has been a fun, challenging, cool, and life-changing experience – and, an opportunity to develop new skills. What have we learned? Friendship, great people, teamwork, fun, determination, lifelong skills and, perhaps most important, confidence!

Roger Muller
Founder/President
July 2008