by Daniel Berk
Every morning for 34 straight days, Claire Green and Kayla Ferron woke up before the sun came out.
They would trek up and down treacherous mountain ranges in the Izu Peninsula, just west of Tokyo, Japan. They would rely on each other as they hiked through Kiyosato Seisen-Ryo, a sprawling resort in the Japanese city of Hokuto. And they never left each other's side as they ran through Rikuzentakata, an area in Southeast Japan that was ravaged by an earthquake and tsunami in 2011.
For 34 straight days this past summer, Green and Ferron traded in their cardinal and navy Arizona gear for light blue T-shirts that identified them as counselors at the Sports Camp of America at various spots throughout Japan.
They worked with students from first grade to high school, teaching them different American games and camping traditions while getting their own taste of Japanese culture.
“I think normally when you travel out of the country, you're not being thrown into a situation where you're with maybe 10 other people that speak your language and then about 60-70 children that have no idea what you're saying and how you're trying to communicate with them,” Green said. “I didn't think we were going to be able to communicate at all, and it's surprising how much you can get across when you don't even speak the same language. It's easier with kids, too, because they want to get to know you.
“So they're climbing all over you and they're trying to show you all the cool things they can do and you sort of form a bond with them and the language barrier isn't as much of an issue.”
Green and Ferron, both stalwarts on Arizona's cross country team, first heard about the camp counselor internship last year. Becky Bell, the associate athletic director for CATS Life Skills, e-mailed the two athletes to see if they would be interested in applying.
They both were.
The two distance runners, who also suit up for the track and field team, were among 35 student-athletes at Arizona to apply for the positions. Green was selected right away as one of the counselors. Ferron had to wait her turn.
“I was put as an alternate and I guess someone didn't get it, so I got to go,” Ferron said. “I legitimately called Claire at midnight, and I was like 'Claire, I got it.' We were just screaming. I was jumping up and down. It was a great experience.”
The two teammates, who are now roommates, then traveled to Japan in mid-July for their 34-day stay. They served as counselors in camps in three different locations before getting a few days of sightseeing in Tokyo to end their trip.
“I think this summer was an incredible opportunity for both of us because it was the first time either one of us has been out of the country,” Green said. “That was exciting.”
Green and Ferron would wake up each morning no later than 4:30 a.m. to get their summer training in before spending the entire day with their campers. Sometimes the runs would last 30 minutes, other times they would span 12-14 miles. The two Wildcat runners explored different parts of the foreign country everyday while getting their much needed offseason training in.
In fact, running in the altitude with tough and uneven terrain, helped prepare Green and Ferron even more for the upcoming season.
“I was real nervous we weren't going to be in shape when we got back,” Green said. “But I think we were both lacking a strength piece that we needed last year. We were forced this summer because we never had a flat run once. Being forced to run up all these hills when you're still trying to hit your pace and you're in altitude, it helped build another layer of toughness. And then you have to be really dedicated to put 110 percent into these workouts when you're doing all these other things. You're exhausted all the time. Just doing that helped mentally and physically prepare us for the season.”
That has been easy to tell. With the Pac-12 Championships set for Friday in Colfax, Wash., both Green and Ferron figure to leave their mark. Green finished fourth at the NCAA Pre-Nationals unseeded meet and took third at the Dave Murray Invitational and the U of A Cross Country Twilight. Ferron finished 12th at the Dave Murray Invitational and took first at the ASU Cross Country Invitational.
“I think we've had an OK season, but I think we think we can step it up and I'm confident this is the week it happens,” Green said. “The effort has been great. Everyone has been so dedicated listening to the corrections and applying those. We had some bad luck in the first couple of races. I think everyone is underestimating us and we are going to surprise some people.”
