Worried about exercise at Chewonki? Fear not, for there is something for everyone! At the end of every weekday, there is at least an hour where you can pursue athletics of your choice or study, hang out with friends, or nap. There is a full-size lower field for the athletes among us and plenty of running and cycling options. On Fridays and weekends, one might find a touch football or basketball game. 

For the runners and cyclists among us: 

There are several excellent choices when faced with where to run. My favorite is running out to Eaton Farm (a preserve with trails that Chewonki owns) and making a short loop there before coming back. Chewonki Neck Road is approximately 2.25 miles long with about 100ft of ascent over the undulating and curving road. If someone feels more ambitious, they can turn either right or left at the end of Chewonki Neck Road. Left will take them about 3 miles to Route 1, where they will turn around and run back home. If one were to go right, more opportunities would present themselves. This will allow one to run to Eaton Farm and back (~8 miles.) Or you could run down to a boat launch with views of the Back River (~7 miles). For the endurance athletes, it is possible to run across to Westport Island, where there is enough road to run (or bike!) a marathon, if one desires. 

In addition to the multitude of road options, there are also numerous trail options for those of us who might prefer the woods. Chewonki Neck itself has a variety of running trails spanning the points and up the East side of campus, consisting of a variety of fire-road and singletrack options. Furthermore, Eaton Farm has a couple of singletrack loops that wind along the coast and are a joy to run or bike. 

For the team players among us:

Although there are no organized sports here at Chewonki, games such as Friday football are organized, and group runs and workouts are commonplace. There is also a pingpong table, tennis courts, a basketball court, an indoor basketball hoop, and activities you can help organize, such as a weekend hike. 

One of my favorite moments of the semester was the Saturday when Megan took me and Adi biking at Eaton Farm. The ride there on our mountain bikes was a bit arduous; however, I had the best time biking through the puddles and the mud once we got there! The loose and slippery ground made for some exciting times, and I enjoyed getting back out on my bike.

Teo Barrachin, Irvington High School, Irvington, NY