OLDSMAR, Fla — There's a new summer camp for kids that uses speed, height, and exhilaration to instill values like confidence, self-esteem, and bravery.
Whether it’s scooting down a 650-foot-long zip line, taking a 20-foot leap of faith, or crossing a 200-foot suspension bridge, Empower Adventures president Jessica Wright says, this camp is taking kids out of their comfort zone and into the confidence zone.
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“It’s teaching yourself to overcome the challenges, to overcome mental thoughts and to do something you’ve never done,” said Wright. “One of my favorite things is that very nervous feeling that you have and then when you get done, ‘like I can’t believe I did that, this is so awesome.’”
Campers range in age from 7 to 12 years old. For some of them, it’s their first zip line experience, while for others, it’s a familiar trip.
“Usually, I’m like terrified of heights and now I’m ok, like you’re not going to get hurt or anything,” said 11-year-old Ryan.
“It’s fun when you look around and you feel the breeze in your face and its fun going fast,” said 10-year-old Victoria.
After nine years of hosting other organizations’ camps, they thought it was time to create something of their own, taking the adventure park to new heights, literally.
“I have a little bit of a background in running summer camps and we have a lot of summer camps that come to us, and I thought, ‘hey, we have this awesome place let’s do it,’” said Wright.
Like many businesses throughout Tampa Bay, Empower Adventures suffered its fair share of damage during the hurricanes, with an estimated $100,000 impact.
“It was almost a year ago now and we are still feeling the impact when it comes to business so we are hoping we can have a bounce back summer and make up some of that ground,” said Wright.
Whether it’s over the water or through the woods, these campers say the experience is something you can’t get on a phone, computer, or tablet; you have to go out and do it.
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