High Adventure Treks for Dads and Daughters hosted its annual Sweetheart Banquet at Royal Oaks Country Club in Lake Highlands, with almost 200 dads and daughters attending. “It was fun getting dressed up,” said sixth grader Carly Boobar, who attended with her dad, Tim. “My dad and I always have a great time together.”

The keynote speaker was NASA astronaut Dr. Sandy Magnus, who was on the crew of the International Space Station Atlantis in October of 2002. “Just like when you go on your campouts,” Dr. Magnus told the girls, “when I first began preparing to go into space I was a bit nervous. Over time and with practice and preparation, it felt natural.” Dr. Magnus operated the space station’s robotic arm during three spacewalks over an 11-day mission involving 170 orbits and traveling 4.5 million miles. She will return to the space station this fall. “Preparation for space includes preparing for contingencies such as an emergency evacuation which involves learning to adapt to extreme outdoor conditions wherever the escape capsule might land,” she remembered. “We learned how to make a tent from a parachute, make a lean-to for shelter, and how to make a signal fire. Now, with GPS, getting found is much easier. Just like in HATS, we learned from each other.”

“I am afraid of heights,” Dr. Magnus shared, “I guess that’s surprising for an astronaut. We learned survival skills training in Utah and Arizona, where we were given rock climbing and backpacking lessons. I was nervous about rock climbing and rappelling.”

Fifth grader Alex Spaller could relate to Dr. Magnus’ admission. “I was nervous about rapelling also,” she confessed. “Just like you,” Dr. Magnus added, “we learned about challenges and how great it feels to conquer them. We learned that cooperation and teamwork help you succeed.”

Dr. Magnus spoke to the girls about overcoming obstacles to reach their goals. “When I was young, I was hesitant to tell people I wanted to be an astronaut,” she said. “I thought they would think a girl could never make it, but I decided to try it anyway. I knew I’d be happy with myself if I gave it my best shot.”

Attending dads were pleased to have their daughter meet such an encouraging role model. “Her message is that these girls can do anything,” said Tim Morgan, who lives in Lake Highlands and attended with his daughter Emily. “Even becoming an astronaut is an attainable goal.”

“Dr. Magnus encouraged the girls to believe in themselves,” recalled Mark DeWitt, who was accompanied by his eighth grade daughter Taylor. “She told the girls to recognize their limits, then push to them.”

During the question and answer session, several girls clamored to raise their hands. How is the food in space? “Surprisingly good,” she answered. “I like the dehydrated food, and in the shuttle we ate creamed spinach and cherry cobbler. I learned I can do anything with a tortilla.”

Do you have any regrets? “I never flew in an airplane until I was twenty one. Of course, I more than made up for it later.”

Have you ever wanted to quit? “Yes!” she replied. “The space station training took three years. It’s very easy to lose sight of the big picture, but you have to push through that and focus on your goal.”

In closing, Dr. Magnus quoted Belva Davis, who said, “Don’t be afraid of the space between your dreams and reality.”

High Adventure Treks for Dads and Daughters (HATS) is a nonprofit organization which uses outdoor activities as an instrument to bring dads and daughters together, creating bonds of trust and confidence which provide a foundation of strength, understanding, and communication during the turbulent teenage years. More information is available on their website: www.highadventuretreks@sbcglobal.net.