Reflections On a Memory

"It all starts with experience. One in which you are deeply moved; where you discover joy in your ability to learn and find long lost friends whom you have never before met. It starts with play, excitement and a growing sense of safety with a group of people. Then comes challenge; Challenge that transforms and builds memories so strong that you smile years later at just the memory of the experience."
— Excerpts from a memory

Dear Friends,

On the cover of this brochure, I'm describing a memory of my first participant experience and facilitator training at a challenge course in 1981. Because I was so transformed by the experience, I treasure each time I get to provide this opportunity for others — as a facilitator, a trainer and a developer of challenge course programs.

The facilitators in my first training made it look easy —they made it feel like we were playing. I was very confident that I could easily return to my job and replicate the program. I was in for a big surprise. It wasn't just the climbing around on a challenge course that provided my experience — it was the skillful facilitation of that program by two well-trained facilitators. Their skill made it appear so effortless that I missed it.

A challenge course is just a tool. It's a set of objects or obstacles that can, to a certain degree, provide fun and learning with the most rudimentary training in safety and belaying. The success of a challenge course program, however, is highly dependent on the skill and experience of facilitators who guide participants through the process. Their training makes the difference between a good time and a good time that can carry over.

There are three keys to a successful program. The simplest key is the challenge course facility itself. It‘s easy to put a course up. The trick is to design a course that will support a powerful program.

The second key is the staff. Training the right people to guide the process and develop a thought-provoking program. These people need to possess a playful spirit, a compassionate heart and the ability to remain learners.

And finally, it takes the management of that challenge course by people committed to the excellence of their program and the safety of the participants.

Leahy & Associates, Inc., provides guidance, service and training to the challenge course industry. The effectiveness of these services is the result of almost twenty-one years in outdoor education with a majority of those years spent working specifically on challenge courses.

The goal of my work is to help clients get started on the right foot. That means sharing my experience and helping you avoid mistakes and detours on the way to a safe, ethical and effective challenge course program.

I want to make your memories as cathartic and inspiring as mine!

Sincerely,
Thomas M. Leahy