Guide or Rescuer, This Applies to All of Us

While reading an article online I came across this paragraph and felt like it was relevant to not only the guides it is written to but to professional rescuers as well:

"From the moment we start strapping rafts onto the bus, we become scientists. Every second has a problem that needs solving. Every rapid has its own variables that we must take into account to lead us to a clean line. We analyze the situations before us, apply knowledge gained through experimentation, and execute hundreds of times per trip. We’re rockstars when we pull off a great trip and we should know that, but success should never give us a false sense of control over the river.

One of the best pieces of advice I’ve gotten in this sport was to “be a proud, humble badass.” The example I thought of was Bruce Lee who once said, “Knowledge gives you power, but character, respect.” What we do is dangerous and difficult and requires a tremendous amount of respect. We must always strive to further our knowledge so that we have the power to lay down stomping lines. But we must have the strength of character to know our limits and respect the dangers of dancing with the awesome physical forces of nature."

Read the rest of the article HERE