The only means of transportation in Chikopi & Ak-O-Mak's early years was the steamboat. From Burks Falls, Ontario, the 35 mile trip to Ahmic Lake began and passed through the Magnetawan, Ont.. locks.Ak-O-Mak founded as world's second swim camp – and remains as the World's only all-girl's swim camp. Rosemary Mann Dawson is Ak-O-Mak's first camper! When Matt & Lea Mann's daughter, RoseMary, turned 8 years old, Matt asks Hal Ulen (longtime Syracuse & Harvard swim coach) to serve as Ak-O-Mak's first director. Ak-O-Mak is indigenous for “across the water.”

As Ak-O-Mak (and Chikopi's) popularity grew, the program expanded to include more than“just”swimming. The other sports, Matt argued, would only enhance his swimmers' endurance, strength and fortitude. Matt encouraged many of his University of Michigan colleagues to join him up at the camps to coach their respective sports. More than half the Michigan coaching staff spent all or part of their summers at Chikopi & Ak-O-Mak, plus the future athletic directors of Nebraska, Indiana, Miami and Penn State.The likes of Fielding “Hurry Up” Yost (Michigan's Football Coach and longtime Athletic Director), Wally Weber (Freshman Football Coach), Ray Fisher (Varsity Baseball Coach) and Clifford Keen (Varsity Wrestling Coach), and Stephen Farrell (Varsity Track Coach) made frequent trips to Chikopi & Ak-O-Mak.Like father, like daughter. RoseMary adopted many of her father's coaching traits.RoseMary's contributions to Camp Ak-O-Mak go without being said. Her contributions to the world of women's swimming and women's water polo are equally impressive. After forming the Ann Arbor Swim Club in 1956, RoseMary went on to coach at the University of Michigan, coach at the University of Western Ontario, revive AAU women's water polo, direct the first few AAU overseas teams, and serve as the first woman on the Board of Directors of the American Swimming Coaches Association.