Mr. Griffiths, Tango Dancer

Not only does Griffiths enjoy teaching others to dance, but he loves dancing himself. He takes lessons on Tuesdays and dances about twice a week. His business offers lessons on Thursdays and Saturdays and invites famous dancers to teach weekend workshops.

“The craziness of all this is I’ve met and become friends with some of the greatest tango teachers in the world and it only happened because of Eastern Market,” said Griffiths.

Overall, dancing is something that Griffiths can connect to.

“The real reason [I dance] is… if you move across the floor and you’re moving as one and the music’s going through you and you’re close and there’s people around you, it’s beautiful,” he said. “Tango for almost everybody becomes a metaphor for life.”

Ms. Moss, Sailor

Moss began sailing 25 years ago, influenced by her husband’s cousin, a sailor who had circumnavigated the globe more than once.

In addition to sailing, Moss participated in sailboat races, which demanded time and dedication and were never cancelled, even in bad weather. She worked as a mainsail trimmer, adjusting the sail depending on where the wind was coming from.

Racing presented Moss with a challenge; sometimes, it was necessary to sail even in a thunderstorm. This was not the only challenge Moss had to face.

“I’m really proud of myself that I was able to [sail] because I cannot swim. That was something to overcome,” she said.

In the future, Moss would like to charter a boat to sail around Turkey, but she does not yet know what her next sailing venture will be. Beyond that, Moss does know one thing for sure.

“I will sail as long as I am capable of sailing,” she said. “I will do races again.”

Mr. Dunston, Surfer and Rock Climber

Dunston began surfing while living in South Carolina, and he continued the sport when he lived in Hawaii. He surfed with all sorts of people, including those as old as 70. Due to these experiences, he hopes to continue the sport for many years, and encourages everyone to try it when possible.

“If the opportunity comes, you should take it, because it is all that it’s cracked up to be,” he said.

Dunston also began rock climbing because he wanted to try a demanding sport. He began climbing through an outdoor club in high school, and has continued climbing for about 20 years. According to Dunston, part of the appeal of these sports is actually the lack of competition, and the fun-loving nature of the activity. The purpose is really about individual growth.

“Personally, I grow a lot when I’m faced with something that can scare me, and then I [stand] up to those fears,” he said.

Mr. Martin, Archer

Martin, a member of the National Field Archery Association, competes with other target archers in the area.

“I know all of the really good archers,” Martin said. “I basically know anyone who’s good in the state of Maryland, and also some who are good nationally.”

Martin has won the State Class A Field Archery Tournament twice, and routinely places in the top three. He had also previously qualified for a national tournament, but chose not to participate. On occasion, the WJ sports teams he coaches have to deal with his absences while he competes. In the fall of this school year, Martin had to miss the beginning of the cross country season in order to compete.

While many would measure an archer’s skill based on the distance at which they can hit a target, or the accuracy of their shot, Martin says that neither of those are accurate measures of skill.

“The professionals hit targets every time, and they never make a mistake,” he said. “It’s about consistency.”

Ms. Cornell, Dog Handler

“[Dog training] is a lot about learning your dog’s style and the team work you have to build,” said Cornell. “Your dog has to trust you and you have to trust your dog.”

It was not until she bought Angel in 2008 that she decided to start competing. Angel’s mother was the Florida State Agility Champion, and the original owner wanted Angel to compete as well.

“I had no idea about agility,” Cornell said. “But I said, ‘Sure, I’ll try it!’”

As a result of her willingness to try something new, Cornell has fallen in love with the activity. Though she admits it takes a lot of time, especially after training at home with obstacles in her yard in addition to three classes a week, she says it’s just a great way to have fun.