What I Learned From Winning The Gorge Tech Race

If you follow my vlogs, posts, and other musings then you know I'm always A-OK with a 2nd place finish. I get a lot of seconds in various disciplines: surf, whitewater, sprinting, distance racing. To me this indicates that while I don't excel at any one thing, I'm pretty well-rounded as a paddler. This keeps my over-active brain busy and happy. The second places help me reflect on what went right and what went wrong, and give me direction on what to work on next. But the other day, at the 2019 Gorge Paddle Challenge, something strange happened. I WON!

Now, I'm going to share what I consider an INSANELY EMBARRASSING VIDEO of me. I had a brief moment where I considered asking them to take it off the internet. Then I reflected and thought, "Why don't I like this video of me? What about it do I find embarrassing?" When I identified what I didn't like about it I went on to wonder, "How can I turn this around into a learning experience, get a little vulnerable, and help others with it?" First, the video.

If it has trouble loading/playing, you can go check it out here:

https://www.facebook.com/WorldPaddleAssociation/videos/520869398686826/

Second, my analysis.

Holy f@cking balls that is hard for me to watch. I know we're all our worst critics, but ARRRGGHH!! I don't smile, I'm not happy. One of my bigger career wins, and I cross the line