FOWR Member Spotlight- Grey Wilson!
Photo of Grey standing in front of a sculpture honoring English Channel swimmers, one of which was his friend & teammate. This is the shore where the 8 - 27 hour, 21 + mile trek to France starts in 55 - 69 degree waters. The backdrop behind the photo is Dover Castle which has its own history dating back to 1066.
This spot reminds Grey of the significance of preserving historical & natural areas.
Grey shared some of his background, philosophy and hopes for the Wekiva Basin and answered a few other fun questions for us. Enjoy!
Perhaps it started at a YMCA, grasping the mind/body/spirit motto as a young kid.
Studies in the Arts & Sciences (Sociology) included Greek philosophy and a presented early path exposing me to high level, honorable coaches & teachers. I was offered a 2-year graduate assistantship & fellowship leading to a M.ED. Instructor of Exercise Physiology & coached swimming & diving at college level.
The commonality instilled in coaching was about process, leading a life of honor, & an emphasis that sports participation does not build character. Success of winning does not override right and wrong. The key is in the process. It is about opportunity and that if the effort, that uncomfortable struggle of training and preparation, is embraced, it allows for individuals to take a true look at themselves and see who they are and what they can become.
This resonated with the Greek philosophy of Arete and Agon with the backdrop of an honorable life. Life is a struggle and uncomfortable at times. How one places in a competition is least important. It is the effort, hard, uncomfortable, & agony (Agon) within the process which becomes most important. How one leads a life, what one chooses to do while leading an honorable path becomes apparent. The YMCA motif from my youth becomes clearer as I age.
Mind, body, spirit ties to finding something meaningful to do.
My graduate professor, Dr. Bill Lewis, took our class out to the nearby state park, Hueston Woods, in SW Ohio and to a wonderful park ranger. It was near dusk, timed with the passing of a cold front leaving a calm, clear evening. A slight breeze settled in as the temperature readjusted with the transitional resetting movement of warm and cold air.
She gave us a short briefing, told us to turn off flashlights & to follow her along one of the hiking paths. After a while, our eyes adapted. That particular night with stars and galaxies visible down to the horizon against the nature setting was awe inspiring.
Nature had made its gentle offer.
45 years have occurred since. I am reminded the wisdom Carl Sagan so often talked about as of the fragility of the planet. It is about caring for nature and doing something about it.
Each experience in the many travels Pat and I have made, these types of nature vistas are the most meaningful, yet the calling for protecting them lingered.
The Wekiva River Basin is a treasure of its own.
Exploring and discovering its gifts are unique to each visit. We have found ourselves realizing nature requires a voice from humans. The poets and great thinkers have been informing us about nature’s importance throughout the ages.
What Clyde Butcher, Bill Bellville, Katie, Nancy, Jay, Roosevelt, John Muir, Sagan, and countless others have taught us is that no matter how prolific these amazing and talented people described nature’s treasures to the world, no photo, description, or poem, replaces ours or other’s experience.
It is up to us to engage others.
My favorite animal, bird or plant is related to the time and place on the River. The Wekiva is an environment where nature demonstrates a calmness in the midst of struggle. Plants compete for light and nutrients as do the tiniest of insects. Some are here for a brief moment, perhaps with a purpose for future existence of other matters.
What I wish people knew about the river is the gift it offers by giving back. One’s own
exploration and discovery while in or by the Wekiva takes place inside a reflection, a sudden remembrance of the past, a resolution or comfort.
For me, it is joy in the moment, allowing my mind to recede from endless thoughts rushing by. It provides a slowing down to be ‘in the moment’.
For many of us, it is when we experience something that detaches us from stress. The river can do that. It occurs while watching something awesome. For some, it begins even before arriving. We visualize launching and paddling out. We are part way there. The Wekiva is giving even before arriving through positive anticipation.
FOWR sent a letter of support for the Cross Seminole Trail acquisition years ago. That letter, I think Nancy signed it, was an important piece of the grant application to the state of Florida that lead to the 14-mile corridor purchase & from there to the countywide network trail system. It preserved in most areas a 100-foot wide corridor that to this day, especially between Oviedo and Winter Springs include large swathes of Florida’s natural areas. It was a project I was working on at the time. As a bonus, at the time, our small group, the Cross Seminole Trail Alliance, embarked upon another mission. We identified the importance of telling the history of the area along the trail. This included the trail’s original purpose of transporting celery from this area, an area that was the largest producer of the product in the country, to Lake Jesup, onto a steam transit vessel.
FOWR influence reaches far beyond the Basin. Their success lies within the membership and volunteer board members who provide their diverse expertise to protect the River and surrounding areas. Each member has a passion for good and the Wekiva River has somehow affected them in a positive way that each wants to give back. Giving back something is a unique opportunity. Our board members and others have generously fit time into their lives to do so.
That is why I got involved. These are people to be associated with.
Unusual skills/Hobbies: Swim competitively all 4 strokes & distances. Train 3 mornings a week. Starting up Pickleball. Recently took up wildlife photography – mostly backyard area.
Fun is any moment spent with Pat. The thoughtful chats, her enthusiastic latest scientific findings shared, and her companionship are cherished. Together we find more fun spending time with family, grandson & friends. His creative abilities especially in play are reminders of the important things in life. Up until COVID we enjoyed national and international parks.
I enjoy the process in getting things accomplished especially when there is a challenge.
FOWR has a long and effective legacy of standing up for the Wekiva River.
It is my wish that each board member and active member realizes this and gives themselves the credit for participating. This is an amazing group of individuals.
Friends of the Wekiva River, Inc. Board of Directors
Marine Discovery Center, New Smyrna Beach Board of Directors – implemented Dolphin Society
Cross Seminole Trail Alliance Founding Member
Trail Friends, Inc. President
Lake Forest HOA Community Relation Committee
Heathrow HOA (Lake Mary) President East Camden Association
McKinley Mills (Oviedo) HOA President
City of Oviedo Land Planning Board
Seminole County Planning & Zoning Board
Seminole County Greenways and Trails Council Chair
Seminole County Natural Lands Committee
Seminole County Charter Review Commission
Seminole County Parks & Preservation Board
State Greenways & Trails Council - Speaker of the House Appointee (Tom Feeney)
1976 – 1979- Instructor/Coach - Miami University
1980-1986- International Importer of Fans and Light Kits- Small Business Entrepreneur - Ft. Lauderdale, FL
1987-1991- Food Distributor - Chapel Hill, NC
1991 – 2007- Business Manager Medical Practice - Maitland, FL
Real Estate Entrepreneur - New Smyrna Beach, FL