This nonathletic girl has been challenged.

She detests organized 'exercise', or group sports (has a soft spot nonetheless for basketball when she can play with her friends and they whoop it up and have a grand old time), or going out of one's way to pose as being athletically inclined. This is an attitude she surely has inherited. None of her extended family is particularly involved in sports, either engaged with any segment of it personally, or much interested in viewing it.

On the other hand, her grandfather played high school football, and was good at it. And one of her uncles is an enthusiastic skier, canoeist, mountain hiker. Actually, fact is, all of the members of our little family have enjoyed years of mountain climbing, hiking, canoe-camping, and the general pursuit of enjoyment in the great outdoors.

We thrive in the natural environment. While organized sport activities bore us.

Her school, Arnprior High School, which has an excellent academic reputation, as well as an outstanding one for team-sport activities engaged in by its students, introduces students to an array of what might normally be thought of as outdoor activities. In the winter, understandably confined to the interior. In this instance, the opportunity to spend a week of gym time rock climbing and rope climbing.

For which each student is assessed a $30 enabling fee. Enabling the school to hire a private climbing company on a contract basis to haul in the required equipment, to introduce, teach and permit the students to have a taste of those rather exotic enterprises. Our granddaughter, in her first year of high school, was not anticipating these events with even a modicum of enthusiasm. The harness, she groaned, is awful, really uncomfortable.

Yesterday, however, she proudly recounted that despite the bruise on her rear end, the challenge of hauling herself timorously at first, determinedly as matters proceeded, up a rope toward the considerable-height ceiling of the gymnasium was quite the experience. Some of her friends made it to the top, some of them trembling with fear from the height they attained.

She made it only to the mid-point before descending. Not discouraged, however. Strengthened obviously by the partial success of her efforts. And grateful to one of her girlfriends for the support she gave, by placing her hand encouragingly here and there, on a foot, a shoulder, an elbow for moral and emotional support.

Today, another try, though, so she can test her ability, endurance and strength against the physical and psychological challenge of reaching the top. Just, she said, so she can tell herself she prevailed.