It’s been a full week. Lots of work. Lots of fun. The last two days I’ve had the pleasure of training a woman who I met at a flatwater SUP clinic in Washington this last spring. She brought strong foundational skills to the river which made it easy to apply when starting on whitewater. For me, it also brought some fun conversation about why we instruct SUP to begin with.
It’s kind of a quirky activity really–a “sport” that you can literally throw a cooler, a dog and a kid on the equipment if that’s your jam. Yet the reality is that both she and I have consistently watched people try…and fail…to be able to stand on their board. (** Reminder, early on I was quoted in the Bend Source Weekly saying “There’s no shame in being on your knees”…a quote that lives on as a joke at TC and with many friends). True, you can sit on your board and use it as a platform/dock on the water. To actually stand is challenging for many, for all kinds of reasons. This is the joy–helping people who are either physically challenged or don’t believe they can do it. When they do, it’s a huge win. I’ve experienced tears of joy when they do, and heard a lot of hootin’ and hollerin’. I’ve had first-time students who are really challenged at initially, but have become passionate about paddling and eventually helped lead socials and tours. This is why I also love instructing whitewater SUP. The same “drink the kool-aid kind of response”. It doesn’t have to be scary, starting small–maybe with some “butterflies” but eventually doing and realizing it’s okay. In fact, really fun! And confidence boosting.
This brings me to our conversation and the key take-away. Big freakin’ props to those of you exceptional athletes who are winning medals or getting sponsored being “the best” in your sport. To me, the accomplishment is just as real for someone whose life is so foreign to activity that standing on a paddleboard on the water is a crazy thought. It’s a big deal.
Sometimes things seem really hard. Impossible even. Don’t give up because you can’t win the marathon. Or even finish the marathon. Sometimes the “win” is simply training for the marathon, OR volunteering to hand out water AT the marathon. It’s all relative and I applaud anyone who wants to change or improve their situation. By reaching for THEIR stars.
Thanks for listening and I’ll see ya out on the frisky ripples.
Frisky Ripples 