The Greatest OAP Ever

The day began like any other ordinary day at MCS. I had four classes during the morning and barely made it to morning gather with my “bed head” hair still standing straight up. However, at ten minutes til’ one this all changed when it was Corwith Cramer’s turn to make an announcement for OAP, the MCS gym program. Banging his fist against the table, Cory spoke with enthusiasm. The day’s OAP activity was “an inspirational run” around Chewonki Neck.

Dashing off into the quad Cory sprang forward with pent up energy. The nine other inspired runners followed in pursuit. He sprinted towards a white pine tree in the quad and leaped off it right before racing to the lower field. Following behind him, I ran with my arms spread wide pretending to fly. Entering the woods, Cory skipped back and forth across a stream. In a ‘monkey see monkey do’ pattern Doug and I followed Cory’s random skipping movements through the woods. Cory continued running and jumping over dead fallen trees as if they were hurdles in a track race. He ran around a dead tree and swung himself around it quickly changing directions. I got a good chuckle hearing the crack of the tree and seeing it shake. Only a man like Cory could almost knock down a dead monstrous tree. Doug and Erica ran behind him with their arms spread like they were turkey vultures circling around the trees. Cory led them in and out of trees, over shrubs, and over about a hundred fallen trees. We were probably only about four minutes into our run, and then spotted a marsh. Cory’s eyes widened and he picked up speed sprinting through the mucky water. Stupidly, I followed. I looked behind me to look for everyone else, and they all had stayed on the path. It hadn’t even been ten minutes and I realized that I made a big mistake wearing my only clean white pair of shorts. The further I followed Cory through the marshy area the more water gushed into my shoes, and my shorts got heavier with the gallons of water they soaked up.

Cory continued running on, and we continued the pattern of following our fearless leader. He had led us right out of the woods to the mud flats. Cory splashed and jumped in joy in the mud. However, before I could think to turn around something struck me. I had been hit in the face by one of Doug’s mud balls. I was ready to retaliate, but got hit again by one thrown from Lucy. A mud war was on, and I wanted to get even. Covered with mud, Cory led us on through the woods again. We continued to follow the same course. We ran, twirled, flew, and hopped around. Faster than I could blink an eye we were back on another part of the mud flats. Doug saw the rocky cliff leading down to the flats as a way to test his inner ninja. Joking to Doug, Cory yelled that he would make sure to pick up Doug’s broken pieces. In the mud another mud fight broke out. Unfortunately, it was getting late. I attempted to do a belly flop in the mud. Instead, I didn’t sink in to the mud as I originally planned. Rather, I slid like a penguin on my stomach giggling with joy. Luckily, we didn’t continue running. Instead, everyone slid in the mud and continued to coat themselves in it.

I can only think to myself “How could a school’s gym class get any better?”

-Patrick O’Keefe, Andover, MA