No one is a stranger to Wyatt. In his seventh year at camp, he’s learned to smile and wave at everyone he meets. He was especially eager to talk about a new friend he made this summer.
“He’s really cool and nice, and we have a lot in common,” Wyatt said. “We both like sleeping and we both like making jokes.”
Wyatt’s favorite joke?
“What do you call a man with no nose?”
What?
“Nobody knows.”
But camp to him is more than just a place to practice his comedy. Wyatt was born without a left ventricle in his heart, and his parents learned about Roundup River Ranch during a surgery for his condition.
“I’ve gone since I was like five and really like it here,” Wyatt explained. “I’m surrounded by people with heart defects like me, and we do all these fun things.”
One of his first and favorite camp memories was at Family Camp, where he raced up the climbing wall of the Challenge Course with his father.
Another favorite activity of Wyatt’s is Equestrian, something he found a love for at Roundup River Ranch and now hopes to do at home. When he’s tired, he enjoys “Feet Off The Floor” time, where he can nap and prep for the day’s next adventure.
Growing up coming to camp, he’s learned a lot from not only the activities but the people around him.
“All the counselors and all the leadership people teach you a lot of stuff and how to be kinder, or how to do these things to make you smarter… how to push you beyond your limits, but not too far.”
Wyatt is one of the many campers who keep the magic alive and well at Roundup River Ranch each year. And according to Wyatt, he takes a little of it home with him every time.
“I think camp has made me a better person and has helped me just feel better about myself,” Wyatt said with his signature grin. “They want me to be here, and it’s good that I am here.”
