The Best Part of Falling Down

Anya at Avid4 Adventure’s Stand Up Paddleboarding Camp

My daughter was nervous about the whitewater days toward the end of her stand up paddleboarding camp. When I say nervous, I mean really nervous. Like waking up twice at night for no reason and asking all sorts of off-the-wall "what-if" questions about every little detail.

She's the kind of kid that's good at nearly everything she does without trying too hard.  To work through this type of anxiety with her is unprecedented. Her experience was great, and the crowning moment for us all came on the last day when I had to pick her up early for a family vacation. I watched her fall off the board into the whitewater in Lyons. I held my breath to see her reaction, and by the time she made it back up river to me, she had already been through a line of counselors and new friends hugging her and giving her support . She was beaming.