n Steve-OH and Tess McKone
You two have sort of grown up at Calleva . Tell us your story !
Steve-OH : I first applied to work at Calleva in the summer of 2008 , but they were fully staffed with returning counselors and instructors , so I didn ’ t make the cut ! By June though , there was a surfing instructor vacancy , so I applied … even though I didn ’ t really know how to teach surfing . I got the job on a Friday and left the next Monday to spend summer at the beach teaching kids how to surf . That fall , I decided to stick around and teach kayaking , and 13 years later I ’ m running the River School and teaching kayaking as much as I can !
Tess : I grew up in Brussels , Belgium . After graduating college there , I moved to Durango , Colorado and met a dog sledder [ Steve- OH ], who talked about Calleva , an incredible community he was a part of back home in Maryland . He convinced me to come work for a summer , and … well ... the rest is history ! It happened that Calleva ’ s riding program needed a new director , so I decided to stay . Steve-OH was offered a full-time year round position and we began our adventure together .
Now you ’ re married , both directing major programs at Calleva while raising your two daughters here . How do you balance all that ?
Tess : That ’ s a great question and implies that we do balance it , haha ! We are figuring it out each day but are fortunate to have amazing role models surrounding us . We want our girls to see us work hard , play hard and appreciate the gifts
of being outdoors and being part of the Calleva community .
Steve-OH : You know , working at Calleva is almost a lifestyle . Our girls help do chores in the barn or help me move kayaks , and I hope that as they get older they ’ ll come on the river with me all the time ! The girls are in camp all summer and there isn ’ t really anything better than that .
Tell us about a Calleva memory that makes you smile .
Tess : I love being able to step back and watch amazing staff that have grown up at Calleva take charge . This past summer , I taught alongside a young instructor who had been my student when I first started at Calleva . Seeing her grow over the years to become a confident leader is an example of what inspires me in my job !
Steve-OH : My first overnight — that wasn ’ t surfing — was the worst but it still makes me laugh . I was instructing fishing , and I didn ’ t know anything about fishing . ( Pretty consistent with my Calleva pattern .)
Our bus broke down , so we took all our stuff and walked about a mile from Riley ’ s Lock down to some rocks in the middle of the Potomac River . That night we camped and fished from the middle of the river , but we couldn ’ t set up any tents in that spot , so we slept outside under the stars . That night we were basically mosquito food .
What are you looking forward to in 2022 ?
Steve-OH : This year , we ’ re sort of celebrating how outdoor adventure kept us sane through Covid , and I think our team is stronger than ever . I ’ m really looking forward to making what we are offering better than it ever has been .
To meet Flash , Steve-OH or Tess , check out Calleva ’ s wide ranging , all-welcome program options ! www . calleva . org
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