A Message from Jose Ramon Jardon
I am Jose Ramon, a 27-year-old man from Queretaro, Mexico, but on my first summer at Camp Chikopi, I was a shy 13-year-old boy who was not very good at sports. The summer of 2007, spent at Camp Chikopi completely changed my life.
In High School, I practiced traditional Mexican sports such as soccer, basketball, and athletics. However, they did not interest me very much, and I stopped participating in them.
When I turned 13, my parents enrolled me at Camp Chikopi for the first time. I remember it perfectly, the summer of 2007. I was especially excited because I was going to go to the same camp that my dad had attended in the summer of 1979.
I remember every day of that first summer; each one was incredible. I made friends from all over the world. Played many new sports that I had never participated in before and sports that I soon discovered I was passionate about. I was learning so many new skills from the best coaches.
To this day, the Chikopi appeal is so strong I return to Canada to spend every summer there. Over the years, I have earned my certification as a Canoe Tripping Instructor, a canoe instructor, first aid, and lifeguard. We have raced in local and regional War Canoe competitions, sailing regattas, and my favorite activity, the long-awaited canoe trip into the heart of the provincial parks, where we have the incredible experience of seeing rare North American mammals in their natural habitat.
Camp Chikopi was not only a place where I learned to play a unique variety of sports, but it was also a place where good values were instilled in me. I learned to work as part of a team, manage groups, and teach. To live and work with people from all over the world and to be able to communicate knowledge and experiences with them.
The significant figures behind Chikopi and all of us who call ourselves "Chikopi Man" were Bob and Colette Duenkel. Their selfless dedication, hard work, and resilience that characterizes them so much forged us and gave us clear examples to follow.
Bob Duenkel was a constant mentor. I would work with him from sunrise to sunset, teaching classes, taking care of campers, repairs, maintenance, planning events, fixing the sailboats, working off his list. At the end of the day, without fail, even though we were so tired, he would look at me with that big smile, and he would say… "just one more thing." There was always one more task to finish, and together we would do it.
These experiences helped me forge two clear paths in my life that later significantly impacted my career choice.
The first one is love and respect for nature. We learned to live in it and enjoy the activities and sports unique to being out in nature.
The second is that we can make a difference with everyday small actions and positively impact other people's lives.
Today I am the founder and CEO of Jardon Outfitters, a company that provides all-inclusive camping services in Mexico, the USA, and Canada. Our goal is to create unforgettable experiences through camping trips to unbeatable destinations. We make the experience accessible and straightforward for beginners and advanced adventure seekers, creating trips tailored to each client's needs.
