A Race for Life

Do not fail
To learn from
The pure voice of an
Ever-flowing mountain stream
Splashing over the rocks.

10,000 cfs of brown water ripping through a normally tame river corridor,
20,000 thoughts, tearing at my soul.

This was a weekend like no other.
Racing through big pushy water was the easy part, guiding the memories was like a long bad swim.

The 25th Annual Upper Clackamas Whitewater Festival was the biggest and hottest event of the season. 85 degrees with surging water slapping at the shore, while the roads, campgrounds, and banks were full of river enthusiasts of all types.
Kayakers were paddling rafts and rowing cats, while rafters were racing kayaks (okay so I raced slightly more than I swam…) – in short the whole community was given ‘er in the spirit of whitewater boating.

I strongly believe that nature, especially rivers, provide a template for understanding life. Which is why I feel it is worth the risk to share the following.
Exactly 2 years ago on a Sunday evening near Estacada immediately following the Festival I was married, 7 months and 10 days ago I was forced to leave my home and marriage.
7 months and 10 days ago I stopped drinking.
I’ve accepted that I can never drink again.
I didn’t like who I was and especially didn’t like how I treated people. I still have a long ways to go, my spiritual and psychological work will always continue.

This past weekend, it came as no surprise that the events I entered with my team were successful. The events I entered as an individual were not. Nearly the opposite was once true. The cloak of self centeredness is slowly lifting, the peace of listening to, and providing support for others, I pray will take it’s place. ORT is more than a rafting team. It is a group of guys that when the dust settles will listen, and when the gun goes off will sell out. Trust, listening, honor. Unknown variables in the alcoholic home.

All things change and end, pain is a part of life, things don’t always go according to plan, life is not always fair, people are not loving and loyal all the time. Accept these as givens and move on.
Blow your line in a Class V and give up? Or, paddle harder, maybe even take a bad swim and pull it off? I have found my soul. I've had the best job offers in my life without hardly even looking.

Good things will eventually come as a result of good intentions, bad things will happen to those who live in anger and fear. Again the river; look at the great events this year with guys like Bob, Kerry, Luke, Val, Brian, Deek, Eli, Paul, Mark, Mike……they have worked hard for the community. This has easily been the best season of whitewater competition and community that I have ever experienced.

As a team, the ORT Red and Gray boats won 5 of the 6 events they entered in the most competitive event thus far of the Western Whitewater Championship Series. What folks don’t know is that the boys do a 20 minute warm up run, stretch, and THEN run (10) 240 yard sprints while doing push ups and abs in the 60 second “break” in between sprints and then go out for flatwater training. We have consistently had 6-9 guys showing up for this….on 20 occasions.

Nationals are in 10 days. Teams are once again coming in stacked. We’ll give ‘em everything we got. Regardless of how we finish, we have ALL already won.

Stop and listen to the river.

Tim