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(children singing and clapping with drums)
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For the South African version
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of the ACE program this summer,
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we were there for three weeks
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in a town outside of Cape Town, called Gordon's Bay.
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We were working in the school, teaching children about
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how to set goals, and how to persevere,
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and how to look towards the future.
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And we told them a little about our sports.
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The second week, we then went to an orphanage
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in a different township, where we were helping them
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to build market stands so that they could sell the produce
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of the new garden that they just built.
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And also playing with the children,
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and helping to decorate some of the rooms in the orphanage.
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So most of our focus
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was on bringing health eduation
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to the children that we worked with,
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and we also started a new physical education program
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with the children, because they're starting to bring
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a new track program to the school.
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So it was fun to be the beginning of a new program
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for the next generation of kids that go to school there.
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You know, just to see a different way of life,
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to see the way people react with each other,
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the way just everyday life is lived.
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You know I've been asked a lot what...
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What was your favorite part of the trip?
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What was one thing you remember?
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I think the answer I've given every time was
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after I built the market stand
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for the woman who owned the orphanage,
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she came out when we were finally done and looked at it.
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And I remember the look on her face,
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and to see the joy that she had
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and the joy that her husband had,
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and knowing that that would be put to good use
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really made me feel like I made somewhat of a difference
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while I was there.
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In the past, she's been selling her fruit and clothes
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on the ground, and so the market stand that we built
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meant that she had a seat,
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and that her produce would be clean,
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and that she could sell it.
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So just seeing her reaction and how grateful she was,
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was the definitely one of the highlights of the trip.
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Being more aware is definitely something
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that I've brought back.
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I've been more aware about what's been going on in the news,
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what's going on in the world,
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and just how to appreciate people from different cultures.
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I think being thrown into a culture
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that I really didn't know much about taught me
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how to learn from others,
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and take a perspective from the fact
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that everyone has a different background,
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and what that means to different people,
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and the cultural values associated with that.
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You know, the ACE program is once in a lifetime.
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And it's obviously specific to student-athletes,
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and when you're given an opportunity to go
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across the world, many different destinations,
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obviously you choose which one suits you best,
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cause there's no reason to not take that opportunity.
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To this day, I'm still noticing
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things that have changed since I went,
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and how I've grown as a person since then.
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And I think it's a pretty invaluable experience.