Listen in or view the ZOOM on what guest host and fellow adventurer Alenka Vrecek describes as a ‘wild ride” with Susan Norman, author of Risk, A Life Saved by the River.
Susan is a former National and World Champion in both whitewater kayaking and rafting, and is considered a pioneer in these risky sports. She shares with Alenka, a former TWE guest, her love of the river; what it’s like exploring and competing worldwide; and the lessons she learned on the water.
Available also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube
Susan’s diverse background also includes whitewater canoeing, a career as a hydrologist with the US Forest Service in Lake Tahoe, California, as well as becoming a first-time parent to a four-year-old nephew at age 57. Much of Susan’s life was a result, she says, of her relationship with her mother.
“When I think about my childhood, it was definitely extreme highs and lows. What disrupted my childhood early on was that my mom contracted multiple sclerosis…she was bedridden by the time I was 10, essentially completely paralyzed, throwing my family into emotional financial chaos.”
—Susan Norman
As Alenka, a former ski coach and champion racer, responds in this chat, “Your mother certainly gave you an incredible gift. What you write in your book is that she really believed in you. She encouraged you to be yourself, and she was very proud of your achievements.”
Susan’s challenging upbringing led her to love nature. It was from this passion for the outdoors that she got involved with the paddling culture which became a strong foundation for her to this day. She’s turned this passion into coaching girls who want to take up the challenges and risks of whitewater raft racing.
Susan said that many girls training at elite levels often feel the high expectations and pressures from others. She didn’t want to pile on more anxiety and stress.
“The way I present it as a coach is that this is for you guys to have fun and play on the river. Work hard, but play in a team. You have to engage when you’re in a boat together to safely get yourself through a rapid. It’s a different kind of interaction which can get very emotional.”
Along with Susan’s adventures on the water, she and Alenka, discuss:
- Why connecting with athletes internationally is so important and fulfilling
- How she came to become a first-time parent to her four-year-old nephew at age 57
- How joining a writing group where her work was critiqued helped turn her adventures into a memoir
- How her relationship with the river changed her life and prepared her for future challenges
Join Alenka and Susan on their “wild ride” of a conversation and learn how important nature and a river can be in one person’s life.
You can find an excerpt of Risk here.
Photos Courtesy Susan Norman
For more information about Susan and Alenka:
Susan Norman:
Website: susannormanauthor.com
Instagram: susannormanauthor
Facebook: susannorman (log into Facebook to view)
Alenka Vrecek:
Website: alenkavrecek.com
Instagram: mother_len
Facebook: alenka.vrecek
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