Philadelphia, Pa. - (12/13/2017) – This past summer, senior
Hunter Leckonby (Charleston, S.C.),
Samantha Herron '17,
Katie Joe Lang '17, and
Jacklyn O'Leary '17 of the Chestnut Hill College women's lacrosse team embarked on an international journey of a lifetime as they traveled to Australia for week of competition, community clinics, and culture with
Beyond Sports. Founded by Willamette University teammates Josh Erickson and Grant Leslie in 2010, Beyond Sports is an international education and service-learning organization that has used sports as a vehicle to explore the world and create meaningful cross-cultural relationships.
From Tuesday, July 27, to Monday, August 7, Leckonby, Herron, Lang, and O'Leary took part in a busy itin
erary that included high-level competition against local club teams, service clinics with local youth, and a bounty of site-seeing opportunities. "Being able to travel with and take the field again with some of my teammates was really great," said Lang. Like Lang, Herron was also a first time international traveler, "This experience was something I will remember for the rest
of my life. Being able to enjoy it with three of my college teammates was amazing!"
The Griffins' first stop was Sydney, where they got the opportunity to meet their teammates for the next two weeks. Joined by National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) student-athletes from each division, the Griffins would go on to compete against local Australian athletes in Cairns and Melbourne as well. "All of the players from Division I, II, and III, were all extremely talented. It was a great opportunity to play alongside other players from across the country," acknowledged Herron. "I am eternally grateful that I had this amazing opportunity, because not only did I play lacrosse and tour Australia, I got to meet some of the coolest people as well." Lang agreed, "Being able to visit so may incredible places and play against the local teams was an amazing experience." "It was fun playing against the Australian girls because they play a little differently than we do," added Leckonby. "It was also nice to get to know them while we played against them."
In addition winning all their competitions, the Beyond Sports crew was able to enjoy the rich Australian culture of Sydney, Cairns, and Melbourne. Organization co-founder, Leslie, joined them for the trip, making the whole journey accommodating and extra special. Among many sites they saw, the Griffins were most impressed by the iconic Sydney Opera House and the Great Barrier Reef. "Snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef in Cairns was hands-down my favorite part of the trip, admitted Herron. Leckonby concurred "Swimming in the Reef really made me realize how important the coral is. A lot of it looked bleached and dying. It reminded me that we need to take better care of our oceans."
In parting, Leckonby reflected, "Visiting Australia and experiencing life there opened my eyes to how people in other countries. It was nice to be immersed in a culture that is different from my own. It made me want to travel more and visit places that are unique and different from America."
