YEP 9 Selection Camp – Day 4

Today was Day 4 of the Canada Expedition Selection Camp, which was definitely one of the most exciting and busiest days so far. In the morning, we started with a swim at the local Olympic-sized pool, which was challenging but gave us the feeling of accomplishment that only comes with pushing ourselves to our limits. It was definitely a refreshing change from the morning runs we've had.

After breakfast we had Mayo Clinic fitness testing for agility, flexibility, respiratory capacity, strength, balance, endurance, and power. For the endurance portion, we did the famous Cooper test today! It was an exhausting experience, but it was great to push ourselves to our limits. While eight of us did the fitness testing, eight of us learned about orienteering. We were given points on a map and went out and found them using what we learned. It was so much fun to go out in the Swiss Alps and see the picturesque scenery while we explored.

We also had two presentations from sponsors of the Pangaea Expedition today. The first was Wenger, the company that makes Swiss Army knives. It was interesting to learn about the history of the company and what their goals are. Mike Horn designed two knives for Wenger and we were all so exhilarated to receive Mike Horn Souvenir knives. The second presentation was Nespresso. We really learned a lot about what Nespresso does to maintain sustainability through their "ecolaboration" project.

During the presentation, we finally met the man: Mike Horn. We were all so excited that he had come all the way from Vancouver to be at the selection camp. He shared his insight with us and we were all honored to hear his opinions and absorb his wisdom and knowledge. We presented ourselves to him and individually answered questions about why we wanted to be a part of the Pangaea Expedition.

Tomorrow morning we'll be going mountain biking, and some of us are quite nervous for the experience while others are simply ecstatic. We will all make it through as a team as we all work together, and we hope you will cheer us on! 🙂