Building connection and friendship through exercise and recreation.
Pablo Córdoba, Contributor
At Capilano University there are many ways to get involved and establish connections, and the recreational Thrive Club is one of them. The Capilano University Thrive Recreation Club will invite you to step outside of your comfort zone and live an adventurous life. In order to live vivid moments, it is essential that people commune with nature and with each other. And what better way to be immersed within BC’s gorgeous natural surroundings than with friends? The Thrive Club creates a space to meet like-minded people and grow together as a student community. Two years ago Josh Larsen founded the Thrive Recreation Club, and, today, the leadership has been passed on to Oscar Blue. “Thrive is about friendship, wellness, and fitness,” he said.
Thrive creates the space for students to come together and go on weekly hikes around the North Shore area and beyond. One of the last hikes was on beautiful Bowen Island. The club hiked Mount Gardner and explored the lakes, forests and peaks nearby. Their latest hike was up to Lynn Peak, an adventure they seized due to fair weather. You can join and suggest your own personalized hikes, too. Thrive also takes the time to promote different opportunities that are available on campus. For example, the counselling department runs guided meditation sessions every Thursday, while SuperFly Boxing, a club dedicated to give students the opportunity to feel empowered, offers free boxing classes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. These, among other activities, are some of the partnerships Thrive endorses and that you can be a part of.
Thrive’s mission is to connect with peers and the environment around CapU as well as the nature within each student so as to facilitate growth, physical fitness and mental wellness. Mostly, however, it is about having fun and experiencing rushes of excitement to make life better, more interesting, fulfilling and transformative. “This is the best club Capilano has,” Blue said. “It’s about extrinsic motivation and looking for inspiration and mentorship within your peer group. Inherently, with all the activities available, we provide new experiences and, if we can entice people so that they take that leap for themselves, that’s success for us.”
It is valuable to see the connections the students weave in this club as well as their sharing of their passions. Having the space to hold each other accountable creates a warm atmosphere of honest friendship. Blue loves being the leader of Thrive as it provides a framework for him to exercise the skills that he has learned through the Business program. “Being able to help other people within the community can push people to realize their own potentials. It’s very rewarding and amazing to see people take challenges for themselves. Being able to step back and watch wonderful things happen is my gift,” Blue said.
Members of Thrive hold numerous events for students to get involved. Every Thursday morning, Sofia Paco, a member and organizer of Thrive, arranges morning runs to which everyone is invited. Thrive communicates primarily through Instagram and Facebook. Their events are often posted in a Google calendar which will notify you every time a different event emerges. To get involved in the club is as simple as one click. Follow the Facebook page @Thrive or the Instagram account @caputhrive and show up to one of the many events they announce on those platforms.