Guess what? When I was 8 I ran the Main Fork of the Payette River, which is close to Garden City, ID. You know the story. I flipped over and hit my eye on a rock and needed 14 stitches! I loved kayaking, but after I was scared to get back on the river. I tried and tried to make myself be brave, but I was always still really scared.
But then, we came back to Idaho and I decided No More being scared! I already wasted 1 year being scared. That was enough. One day I just decided I was going to overcome my fear. And I did. I got in the water, my dad helped me get my perfect roll back and then I surfed and surfed all day. My parents couldn’t get me out of the river. The next day was the same. And the next. And the next. I learned a shove-it and I almost got a full spin. I was having so much fun. I was the old Maddy again. I flipped like 800 times and never missed a roll. I never swam. Not once.
Then I wanted to go run the Main again. My dad parked the RV at the take-out. He took so long to come back, my mom fell asleep. When he finally got back, Kenny, Dally, Cardy, me, my mom and my dad all got in our kayaks and went down the first rapid, I didn’t even get flipped, but my mom did!
The first big rapid is called Go Left Or Be Fired. My dad said, stay left. There were huge crashing waves and huge crashing laterals, I had to lean into the laterals. It was a really big rapid and I got flipped. I didn’t panic. I took my time, set-up and rolled up! Right in the middle of Go Left! We were having so much fun.
Next rapid was called Lunch Counter and it was easy. There was just a hole on the right you didn’t want to hit.
Then was Bennett’s Boof. Kenny & Dally hit this crazy huge rock and it boofed them right into a really meaty hole. I went around to the right of it and got flipped, and rolled up super fast. Dally told me I got huge air, kind of like a kick flip. I’m going to have to learn how to do a kick flip for real!
The next rapid was called Constriction and it was really easy too. Just some laterals that were fun, you just go straight down the middle.
Then we came to Mike’s Hole where I flipped and hit the rock last year. No-one told me before we passed it, but as I went by, I knew it. I yelled to my dad, “Is that where I flipped?” He smiled and said, “Yes.” I was so excited that I passed that spot.
There were a bunch of other rapids that lead us to MixMaster which I thought was super fun, it was a lot like Go Left. Really big waves and laterals that want to flip you, but it only got my mom!
The last rapid is AMF. You kind of start in the right of middle and then go back to the middle. I did awesome on this rapid, but got flipped on the eddyline at the end, and rolled right back up!!
When we got back I was so proud of myself because I overcame my fear!! So what are you going to do when something bad happens? Are you going to let it ruin the fun or are you going to keep trying to fix it? Because I let it ruin my fun for too long. I was so scared of kayaking, but then I fixed it. I finally said, “I’m going to be Maddy again.” I fixed it all. And I lived Happily Ever After!
Very cute blog maddy. Good job going against your fear. That they only way you get rid of your fear is going against it.
Well written young lady.
Maddy, I enjoyed your adventure tale very much. And when you were in(or is it “on” the water?) water, I could see and feel you right there. I’m just amazed at the courage it took to fight on and meet this challenge. You seem to have been born with a very strong spirit…it shows so beautifully in that wonderful picture of you at the very top of your blog. It is such a credit to your courage and skill and all the folks around you who guide you on this journey. And I’ll bet, without me saying it, that you know the Lord was with you in your kayak.
It must have taken you hours to write about conquering your fear. This real life story deserves to be published somewhere. Here, on your blog, is a very good start. I’d like to see it in “Highlights” perhaps. What a fine job you’ve done…all around. Congratulations!