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Posted on: 1/24/2010 Jocelyn Saunders named Ak-O-Mak Swimming Director and Triathlon Coach for 2010! Jocelyn Saunders (nee Muir) has her roots at Camp Ak-O-Mak. Her interest and talent in sports were nurtured from a young age on Ahmic Lake for the 10 years she attended camp, both as a camper and a counsellor. In 1981 at the tender age of 15, Jocelyn trained all summer at Camp Ak-O-Mak in preparation for her now legendary Lake Ontario swim, which made her the youngest swimmer ever to successfully traverse the gruelling 32 miles. It was a record that stood for 28 years! This was only the first of many accolades, however, that would follow this small powerhouse of endurance! In 1982, Jocelyn became the youngest-ever World Champion in Marathon Swimming. (She placed 9th among the men!) In 1987 she swam the 521 nautical miles AROUND Lake Ontario in a courageous bid to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis. Swimming seven hours a day for 60 consecutive days, Jocelyn raised more than a quarter of a million dollars for Multiple Sclerosis, the largest charitable contribution ever made in a long distance, solo swim. Jocelyn is a graduate from Indian River College in Florida with an Honours Associate in Arts and the University of Toronto with a Bachelor’s of Science degree. Early in her career, she coached swimming at the University of Calgary Swim Club while completing her Level 3 Canadian Coaching Certification. She soon added ‘Registered Massage Therapist’ to her credentials and was honoured to be the official therapist for several swimming, triathlon and cycling teams at both the International and World level of competition. In 2001 Jocelyn was inducted into the Ontario Aquatic Hall of Fame for her distinguished contribution to the sport of swimming. Upon retiring from swimming, Jocelyn turned her attention to Triathlons, a sport she first experienced at Camp Ak-O-Mak as a youngster. Within a couple of years her achievements earned her status as a Professional triathlete, thereby putting Jocelyn on a course of world-wide travel to compete in a myriad of prestigious triathlon events..... Ironman Triathlons, 1/2 Triathlons, Sprint and Olympic-distance races... you name it! Winning many of them and placing in the top 10 in most international races! Many people dream of perhaps one day running a marathon or completing a triathlon. Well, consider this: Jocelyn Saunders has competed in 24 IRONMAN Triathlons (yes, you read that correctly!) In June 2009 she took the Masters Silver medal at the Canadian Sprint Championships in Vancouver which qualified her for the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii held the following October. Most people are aware that the Hawaiian Ironman is famous as a gruelling race, both physically and mentally. October’s Ironman in Hawaii was a truly miraculous event for Jocelyn (not because it was her 8th!!) but because doctors, at one time, had told her that she would never race again... It was eight years earlier when Jocelyn experienced perhaps her greatest challenge in life. She was training on her road bike when she was struck by a car, suffering devastating physical injuries that should have ended her career in that catastrophic moment. But Jocelyn literally beat the odds. After three surgeries and two years of rehab- therapy, Jocelyn returned to the sport she loves...and what a return! Jocelyn not only proved that she is a tough, world class contender in triathlons but more importantly, in life. Today she draws on those challenging experiences as a motivational speaker. In 200l Jocelyn began coaching south of the border with the Delaware Swim Team where she was a formative influence in growing the team to over 400 swimmers over four sites. During the summer months, she was also head coach for the Three Little Bakers Summer League swim team and in eight years advanced the team to the top of the swimming rankings. Now a senior coach with the Delaware Swim Team, Jocelyn’s swimmers have earned 42 Championship titles and boast athletes who have competed at the Eastern Zone All-Star Meets, World Championships and the Olympic Trials. We are very proud to have Jocelyn Saunders “return home” to Camp Ak-O-Mak as the Director of Swimming and Triathlon coach for 2010! Our daughters will certainly benefit from her knowledge and experience, but more importantly, from her unique warmth, humour and attitude that “every day can be an adventure”. Jocelyn leads by example.....and makes it fun, every step of the way!! Jocelyn lives with her husband, Blair Saunders and their two children, Brooke and Brett in Delaware, USA.