Racing down the Kaituna river, side by side with friends, celebrating
Andy Duffs life – what better reason for the community of river people
to gather and go hard! This is one of my favorite extreme races, the
fourth year running, at 5pm everyone meets at the put in of the
Kaituna, rushing in from work, and from neighboring townships.
It is times like these that being elite kayaker is not always about
running the steepest rapid or surfing the biggest wave. For the first 3
days of the expedition I found myself paddling deep in a narrow gorge.
Each corner bringing a new kind of magic, no matter how flat the
stretch. Sleeping each night under the 600 year old Myrtles and Huon
Pines canopy. I began to feel the spiritual vibe of the land and how
small that makes me feel. Wondering to myself, how the indigenous
people of Australia (Aboriginals) lived so many years in
harmony…..releasing the intrinsic value of such a place.
With the World Championships about three months away, I have started to
outline my training and focus in on what I need to accomplish to become
the next World Champion. Of course, the process is the journey and the
ultimate goal is winning but you cant be so focused on the gold and
lose sight of the precious present and the enjoyment that kayaking
gives you on and off the water. I always keep in mind never to get too
serious because when I do I take the fun out of kayaking.
When Stacy Heer and I left for
Honduras
, I feared many things. I was worried about communicating in
Spanish, getting around safely, running into guerrillas (the kind with
machine guns) and any other situation where we might get in over our
heads. What I was not worried about was Colon Cancer.
