May 24, 2018 · mccsokinawa.com
Climb Mt. Fuji
Junior Golf Summer Clinics
I Vanell/bigstock.com, SeanPavonePhoto/bigstock.com
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ecognized as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Mt. Fuji has been considered as one of the most sacred sites to the people of Japan for centuries. A source of inspiration for artists and poets, this 12,000+ foot tall conical symbol of the Land of the Rising Sun is also a motivating challenge for climbers wishing to see the view from the highest place in Japan. During the months of July and August, more than 200,000 from Japan and throughout the world make the climb up precipitous trails to the illustrious summit. Some hikers even choose to climb Mt. Fuji during the night and early morning hours to witness sunrise at the summit. On average, it takes between 4 to 10 hours to ascend the mountain and anywhere
inside
between 2 to 6 hours to descend. The climb may seem overwhelming, but as climbers pass through the last torii gate and gaze out upon the vast expanse of farm land, hills, clouds and sky, a sense of awe and amazement captivates the mind and soothes the soul. Mt. Fuji is only climbable during the summertime (July 1–August 31). During other times of the year it's enjoyed from afar—offering stunning backdrops to best photographs and paintings. This summer, Tours+ will be offering once-in-alifetime opportunities to climb this iconic peak with the first tour running from July 5 to July 9. For more information, call 646-3502. You can also view all of this season’s tour dates at mccsokinawa.com/tours.
Junior Golf Summer Clinics | 1 & 3 Are You the Ultimate Marine Athlete? | 3 Sweet and Salty Tour | 5 Futenma Bike Race | 7
s your kid an aspiring golfer? Or, just want to prevent one from turning into a budding summer couch potato? Sign them up for a Taiyo Golf Club Junior Golf Summer Clinic! These clinics, with sessions available June 19–22, July 24–27 and August 7–10, will provide kids with tips and advice about the game of golf. Not only a fun game that can turn into a life-long pastime, golf can impart values that are inherent in the game such as honesty, integrity, sportsmanship and proper etiquette. Additionally, golf is a healthy alternative to lounging in front of the television covered in empty bags of Cheetos, Doritos and marshmallows or curled up on the couch with a Nintendo Switch screen glued to their faces. (cont. on page 3)
EFMP Sunny Series | 9 MCCS Tours+ | 11 Semper Fit Events | 11
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livingatlarge Junior Golf Summer Clinics (cont. from page 1)
Taiyo’s Junior Golf Clinics will cover the full golf swing, putting and chipping, actual game instruction and course etiquette. Classes consist of three 45-minute instructional sessions with the course professional and a two-hour play day on the course followed by a BBQ lunch on the final day. Age groups are 6–9 and 10–14, and available class times are 7–7:45 a.m., 8–8:45 a.m. and 9–9:45 a.m. The final day play session is 8–10 a.m. for all class members. This summer, don’t let your kids waste away on the couch; sign them up for one of Taiyo’s Junior Golf Summer Clinics. The clinics are $25 per child and include balls, a hat, tees and the final-day BBQ lunch. For more information or to sign up, call Taiyo Golf Club at 622-2006 or visit mccsokinawa.com/golf.
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Roderica Mathis, Photo Courtesy of HITT Preliminaries
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verybody loves a good challenge. But do you think you can handle the toughest, roughest, most grueling one around? If you truly think you can hack it, sign up now for the Okinawa HITT Championship Preliminaries. Winners of this challenge will advance to compete in the HITT Championship, where they will compete against all of the toughest Marines in the Corps. This insane two-part preliminary event will push you to new limits, throwing at you killer High Intensity Tactical challenges that’ll seriously test your strength, agility, quickness and endurance. Part one is a performance assessment that’ll include a timed vertical jump test, agility drill, 25-yard sprint, 3-RM deadlift, pull-up competition and 300-yard shuttle run. After the rest period, contestants will then move on to part two where they will have to complete a full on 300-yard Tactical Shuttle Run.
The Okinawa HITT Championship Preliminaries are set to take place on June 8, beginning at 6 a.m. at Gunners Fitness Center. To register, email an application (found online at the MCCS Health Promotion website) to mccshealthpromotion@ okinawa.usmc-mccs.org. Printed ap-
plications can also be submitted to the Camp Foster Naval Hospital Gym, Bldg. 970. All applications must be submitted by June 1. For more information, full event protocols or to register, visit mccsokinawa.com/healthpromotion. This publication printed with
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japanese phrase
islandadventure
of the week
Kore wa shoppai desu. This is salty.
Anna Denisova/bigstock.com, subodhsathe/bigstock.com
For details about FREE Japanese language classes, please call Marine & Family Programs-Resources at 645-2104/2106.
Sweet and Salty Tour
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kinawa produces what's arguably the best brown sugar and sea salt in the world. Both obviously have very distinct flavors that set them apart from their counterparts, but it's actually the health benefits that put them on top. Okinawan brown sugar is rich in vitamins and minerals, and carries nutrients such as calcium, potassium and iron. As
for the sea salt, it contains significantly less sodium when compared to other salts, and is rich in nutrients like calcium, potassium, zinc, silicon and magnesium. What makes these two products not only taste unique, but healthy, are their production processes. You can actually see the methods yourself on Saturday, June 2 if you join
us on our Sweet and Salty Tour! The tour will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and will guide you through a sugarcane factory and sea salt refinery. The prices are $21 for adults, $14 for children ages 3 to 11 and FREE for children under 3. For more information, visit mccsokinawa.com/tours.
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pickoftheweek
didyou know?
The world record for fastest speed on a bicycle is held by Dutch cyclist, Fred Rompelberg, who reached 167.044 mph while riding behind a motor dragster on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah in 1995.
Futenma Bike Race
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o the distance this year by participating in the Futenma Bike Race! Whether you’re a seasoned cyclist with “da need for speed” or are just interested in breaking your own personal record, all cyclists are welcome to take part in this exciting challenge. It all goes down on June 17. This event will be split into two
respective races—the 44K Road Bike Race and the 22K Mountain Bike Race—both with the same start time. Racers are asked to check-in on the day of the event from 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. at the start/finish line, located by Softball Field 2 next to Futenma Athletics. A mandatory competitors’ brief will be held shortly after at 7:45
chris-herzog/bigstock.com, Pavel1401/bigstock.com, Roderica Mathis
photooftheweek
Don't worry, beach happy! Summer is right around the corner. Get out and enjoy some fun in the sun!
a.m., and the race will commence at 8:05 a.m. If you’re interested in participating, stop by any staffed MCCS Fitness Center before 1 p.m. on June 11 to register for a fee of $30. For more information, call 636-2672 or visit mccsokinawa.com/semperfit.
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indepth
didyou know?
EFMP Sunny Series
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Natatasha/bigstock.com, vectorfusionart/bigstock.com
A person weighing 150 pounds on Earth would weigh 4,200 pounds on the sun because the sun’s gravity is 28 times that of Earth.
eginning next month, the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) will be hosting their annual Sunny Series. This is a threeday camp for children that’s full of fun activities designed to help them enhance their motor skills, build confidence, work on their social skills and improve sensory integra-
tion. On the first day, participants can get creative with arts and crafts, relax with yoga and let loose during free play. On the second day, everyone will go on a field trip. Finally, the series will close out with water fun and a barbecue on the last day. Sunny Series is open to all kids island-wide (parents are also
welcome), and will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Camp Foster (June 27–29), Kadena (July 11–13) and Torii Station (July 18–20). Those interested in three days of fun in the sun must register by June 26. For more information, call 645-9237 or visit mccsokinawa.com/efmp.
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tours+
adventure begins here Pizza in the Sky & Nakijin Castle Ruins May 26, 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m. Adults $28; Children (6–11) $18, (3–5) $16, (Under 3) FREE Gaze out at the ocean as you indulge in delicious pizza and salad from the café restaurant “Pizza in the Sky,” located in the hills of northern Okinawa. After lunch, stop by the Nakijin Castle Ruins. Bring yen for lunch and additional spending.
Expo Park & Churaumi Aquarium May 28, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Adults $39; Children (16–17) $34, (6–15) $21, (3–5) $16, (Under 3) FREE Head to Expo Park, where you can visit Japan’s largest aquarium. Watch a FREE dolphin show, explore an Okinawan village and much more! Admission for both the park and aquarium are included in the tour price. Lunch is not included.
Kerama Islands Snorkeling Tour May 27, 7 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Adults $74; Children (4–11) $41 Join Tours+ as we take you on a boat ride to the Kerama Islands—one of Okinawa’s premier snorkeling and dive locations. Be sure to bring plenty of sunscreen, lunch and hydration. Tour goers must also provide their own snorkeling sets. Children under 3 and expectant mothers are not allowed on the tour.
Battle Sites Tour June 2, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Adults $28; Children (3–11) $18, (Under 3) FREE Visit Hacksaw Ridge and the Battle of Okinawa Historical Society Museum on Camp Kinser. Afterwards, explore the Japanese Naval Underground Headquarters and end the day at Peace Memorial Park. Bring dollars for lunch and yen for admissions.
*Bring yen for additional food, drinks and/or purchases. For more information, contact MCCS Tours+: Camp Foster 646-3502 | Camp Hansen 623-6344 | Camp Kinser 637-2744
upcoming semperfitevents
Roderica Mathis, ingimage.com
Open Doubles Tennis Tournament June 2–3, 9 a.m. Camp Courtney Ironworks Fitness Center Register by May 30 (1 p.m.) at any staffed MCCS athletic facility for $30 per pair. This event is open to all participants island-wide. Awards will be given to first, second and third place winners. For more information, call 622-7297 or email adultsports@ okinawa.usmc-mccs.org. Open Flag Football Tournament June 8, 6 p.m. June 9–10, 9 a.m. Camp Courtney Bowl Register by June 4 (1 p.m.) at any staffed MCCS athletic facility for $120. This event is open to all participants island-wide. Awards will be given to first, second and third place teams. For more information, call 622-7297 or email adultsports@okinawa.usmc-mccs.org.
Open Softball Tournament June 8, 6 p.m. June 9–10, 9 a.m. Camp Kinser Softball Field Register by June 4 (1 p.m.) at any staffed MCCS athletic facility for $120 per team. This event is open to all participants island-wide. Awards will be given to first, second and third place teams and individuals. For more information, call 637-1869 or email adultsports@okinawa.usmc-mccs.org. Open Flag Football Tournament June 22, 6 p.m. June 23–24, 9 a.m. Camp Kinser Field #4 Register by June 18 (1 p.m.) at any staffed MCCS athletic facility for $120 per team. This event is open to all participants island-wide. Awards will be given to first, second and third place teams and individuals. For more information, call 637-1869 or email adultsports@okinawa.usmc-mccs.org.
classof theweek
Turbo Kick Sculpt your upper and lower body and burn major calories with rhythmic boxing and kickboxing combinations. The High Intensity Interval part of the class spikes your heart rate and scorches fat. For a full group fitness schedule, visit mccsokinawa.com/groupfitness.