By John Decoste (’77)

By being chosen to be among the captains of their respective Acadia swim teams at the start of this season, siblings Bo and Eliza Stokesbury-Price are continuing an Acadia athletic and academic tradition in their family that dates back more than 60 years and is now into the third generation.

Bo, a fourth-year student with a double major in neuroscience and biology, is a men’s swim team captain for a second year (and was an assistant captain the year before that). Eliza, a second-year engineering student, is an assistant captain for the women’s swim team. She will have one more year at Acadia before finishing her degree at Dalhousie.

In becoming captains, Bo and Eliza are following in the footsteps of their dad, Dr. Mike Stokesbury (’88, ’00), an Acadia biology professor and Director of the Atlantic Centre for Estuarine Research (ACER). Their mother, Dr. Lisa Price (’89), recently retired as a long-time psychology professor at Acadia. Throughout her career, Dr. Price inspired countless students with her passion for psychology and dedication to teaching.

As an Acadia student in the 1980s, Mike played for the soccer Axemen and served as co-captain of the team in his senior year. A generation before that, Mike’s dad, Dr. Jim Stokesbury (’60), played football at Acadia in the late 1950s and served as team captain.

Academically, after earning a PhD, Jim Stokesbury went on to a long career as a history professor at Acadia, including six years as head of the department, and also authored several books on military history. “Acadia meant a lot to my dad,” Mike says, “first as a student-athlete and later as a well-respected history professor.”

Jim Stokesbury passed on his love of Acadia – and his love of academics – to his three children. Mike has an older brother Kevin (’84) and an older sister Bria (’87), both of whom are Acadia graduates. Mike and Lisa, in turn, have passed their affection for the school on to Bo and Eliza who, in addition to their athletic achievements, are both Academic All-Canadians.

Mike is well aware of his father’s legacy and acknowledges it is very interesting to see his children continue the athletic and academic tradition. “Acadia is a great institution, with a long tradition of both academic and athletic excellence. I couldn’t be prouder of them,” he says.

Bo and Eliza describe being full-time student-athletes as “a juggling act at times.” Varsity swimming in itself is a big time commitment, including mentoring younger team members and helping with recruiting. “There are a lot of early morning practices, then afternoons and early evenings,” plus extra time spent at strength training, Bo says. Balancing that with their academic schedules “is doable, if your head and heart are into it, but it takes a lot of dedication.” Eliza points out the swim teams normally “train 20-22 hours per week, maybe more in some weeks.”

Mike and Lisa are willing and active volunteers with the swim teams, including helping with meets and practices. “We’re happy to be able to support the teams,” Mike says, “and we’re aware of the family tradition, and my family’s history here at Acadia.”

Mike finds it unusual that three generations of the family have all gone to the same institution. “I’m sure there are other instances of three generations, I just haven’t heard of very many. The unique thing is that it has been three generations of team captains, and in three different sports.”

Eliza admits she was kind of surprised to have been chosen as an assistant captain in just her second year. “It’s rewarding to have the confidence of the rest of the team. I was worried about the time commitment, but everybody has been really supportive.” She is also glad to have her parents’ support. “Mum and dad have always encouraged and supported us to be the best we can. It runs in the family.”

Bo, from the perspective of a fourth-year student scheduled to graduate, has had more time to think about his family tradition. “It means a lot, and it makes me happy to carry on what has become kind of a family legacy. We both want to make our family proud. We never knew our grandfather, but I hope he’d be proud of us, too.”

To Mike and Lisa, supporting the athletic endeavours of their children is something they are glad to do. “It goes by like the blink of an eye,” Mike says. “It seems like Bo was just getting started, and now he’s in his fourth year.”

 

Pictured up top: Bo and Eliza Stokesbury-Price, 2023-2024 Academic All-Canadians; and Dr. Jim Stokesbury.

Pictured above: Mike Stokesbury and Lisa Price enjoying family time with Bo and Eliza.