Fearlessness

We're adding a new category to our blog. The insane category.

Last Saturday Kevin and I took 26 teenagers and young adults whitewater rafting on the Ocoee River. 

In the week prior to the trip I'm pretty sure I answered the question, "What happens if I fall out of the raft?" no less than 5763 times. I kept having visions of that Kevin Bacon movie - The River Wild while mentally rehearsing scripts of what I would say to parents when I brought home a child that was seriously maimed or otherwise gravely injured.

You guys know how I feel about conflict.  arugments.  strife.

It makes my stomach ache. I break out in a cold sweat and my hands start to shake. 

But, regardless of my instinct to lock them in the nice, safe, dry van, I looked my fear in the face.

I stared that river down.

And I said: "Please take Kevin. Not me. He's lived longer than me. And the kids...they love me..."

Just kidding.

Anyway, rapids are classified on a scale of 1 to 5. One being the waves a baby deer makes when lapping water from a bubbling forest stream and five being waves reminiscent of those toward the end of The Little Mermaid when Ursula the Seawitch meets her well-deserved fate. 

Our crew kept to the class 3 and 4 rapids. I did promise their parents I would bring them home with all their arms and legs, you know.

We were about to start our watery adventure (or plunge toward imminent death) and I was worried - 5 seconds from calling a timeout. There were several reasons for this irrational fear. 


1. My rafters couldn't lug the raft down the ramp to the water.


2. One of them toppled into the water while climbing into the raft.


3. At one point the guide said, "This is going to be terrible if you guys can't paddle any better than this!" 


4. At another point the guide looked at one of my girls and said, "Honey, your paddle's not even touching the water."


About halfway through our run down the gauntlet of death, one of my girls slid out of the raft to float in a guide-approved stretch of calmness - and then couldn't climb back into the boat. In the process of getting her to the river bank so she could climb in, our guide ran us into a giant pine tree (being short came in handy) which launched girl # 2 into the water. They were dropping like flies.


Now I know why lifejackets and helmets are mandatory.


I have to confess that I was no help. completely useless. I had no idea what to do but try not to fall out myself.


Eventually, everyone made it back in and we continued on our way. By the time we reached the last rapid our paddling had improved 400% and our guide was no longer begging God to dry the river up like the Red Sea to save him from our ineptness at water sports. 


What can I say? I'm from Indiana. Its a landlocked state.


Check out our perilous version of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" below:

ITS COMING.

ITS HERE... This is my raft. I am the one in the front left - wiping 9 gallons of water out of my face after almost being swallowed alive by the river. 

Kevin is in the middle on the left - gray t-shirt. about to fall out of the raft.

Yep, he fell out. 

Kevin - 0

River - 1

[SIDE NOTE] Let it be known that Mandy Knight did not fall out of her raft at any point during this experience.

Looking death in the face - and giggling. Yes, they were giggling. No screaming in terror. No begging for their mothers. 

Our college kids flipped their raft....no casualties...unless you count one pair of water shoes, and Laura's big toe. 

My raft again - I've got the red t-shirt on in the front - doing my best to at least drown gracefully.

When the river bank finally came into view at the end I was exhausted. I turned to the kids - counted heads - and said, "Wanna do it again?" Dumb question - of course they wanted to. And I want to also! It was awesome....nerve racking...but awesome.

It looks like we have a new summertime tradition. And since no one needed stitches or an ER visit I count it a success. 

Until next time,

Mandy

P. S.   The Official List of Injuries Incurred by 28 People in 5 Rafts on 1 Trip Down the River   

          1 jammed big toe

          1 bruised knee (falling out of afore mentioned raft)

          1 swollen knee

          1 sprained foot

          1 smashed nose (paddle to the face)

          6 bruised arms (lifejacket burn)

          1 squished hand

          6 near drownings (remember the flipped raft?)

          3 chipped fingernails