Facing your Fears Fun: AdrHighnaline Sports

By Kristen Flowers

This expectation gives skydiving a lousy reputation, and it’s one Heather Whittaker, the owner-operator at Skydive Toledo, is looking to change. In fact, she welcomes anyone who fears heights to jump out of one of her planes. “It’s such a totally different feeling when looking out of an airplane door," Whittaker says. “You don’t get that feeling of falling. When you leave the airplane, you get the immediate feeling of floating.”

Twenty-five years ago, Whittaker was set up on a date by her mom and a church friend. Her mother and her friend wanted their children to fall in love and marry, so they arranged for them to go skydiving. These mothers questioned whether the couple would chicken out, but they didn’t. While Whittaker didn’t marry the man, she found a new love of free falling. She committed to the sport, and it’s become a key part of her life.

Facing Fears

Whittaker has seen people from all walks of life jump out of her airplanes. Teens turning 18 who are excited to be old enough to finally skydive, people celebrating birthdays, family reunions, bachelor and bachelorette parties, MakeA-Wish recipients and terminal cancer patients who want to experience the thrill before they get too sick. In her career, Whittaker has also helped people who want to conquer their fear of heights. This “exposure therapy” can help some individuals face their fears and improve their lives.

Justin Farrell, a mental health therapist in Southwest Washington, says the key to seeing if this approach is right for you is to run it through his “live, laugh, love” test when talking specifically about heights. “How often in somebody’s daily life are they going to have to deal with heights?” continued on page 22 he begins. “Suppose they don’t deal with heights daily. In that case, the fear probably doesn’t affect their ability to live, laugh and love, so I may not be encouraging that person to climb a mountain or jump out of an airplane because they can function in their life in a way that they don’t need to experience heights. Now, if that person is a professional window washer on a highrise building, we will have some problems, and they will not be able to work.” If you can’t do the things you love because of fear, it might be time to change your life.

Inviting Discomfort

For 9-year-old Slayter D., his love of motocross and desire to become a professional rider were more important than his fear of the sport. Ever since Slayter can remember, motocross has been a part of the family. Watching his dad ride gave him the bug. He asked for his first bike at the age of 2, and his wish was finally granted when he turned 3. At age 4, he entered his first race. That was the moment he had to face his fears head-on. While he raced through the course and over hills and jumps, he rounded a corner and wrecked. Unable to stop, another bike hit him, and he was pinned down and trapped under two bikes. Slayter remembers being scared, but he got up and continued in a sport he loves. Now he is sponsored by Washougal MX Park and has a message for anyone fearing an extreme sport: “Face your fears and try it.”

The “Just Do It” attitude is something Farrell believes is necessary if a patient comes to him with a desire to live away from a particular fear. Still, it becomes a personal preference on how quickly they want to change. He explains, “For example, jumping into the water, you can put your toe in a little more every time, and you will eventually get in there. Do you just take that initial plunge into the water where you can experience all that discomfort at once or do you do a little at a time? The more discomfort you’re willing to tolerate, the more change you are opening yourself up to.” Bottom line: Do something small outside your comfort zone if you want a minor change. If you want a significant difference, you’ll need to invite discomfort into your life until it doesn’t feel as traumatic as it once did.

Experienced Guides

Kim Wesson is a manager with the tour group River Drifters that takes families, work groups and people of all ages whitewater rafting in Oregon and Washington for full-day, half-day or overnight trips. Wesson started as a guide and saw firsthand how people came to face their fears. “[Fears] can come from various things like a past experience in the water or the need to be more comfortable. Regardless of the river we are on, our guides are experienced with a lot of time on the water. Additionally, our guides are really good at reading their customers and catering those trips to what people are looking for.”

That is one of the many benefits of River Drifters. Starting as a beginner is easy, especially if you have kids. Rafters can then progress to more challenging rapids and more remote, extended trips. Since River Drifters raft on many different rivers, they have something that will fit everyone’s needs or expectations.

“Whitewater rafting should be fun for everybody, and we hope to make lifelong boaters out of people and guests who return with us,” says Wesson. Kids as young as 4 can join their families on the river, and Wesson believes that exposing kids to rafting can instill a desire to spend time in nature that carries into adulthood.

“I am a mom myself, so in my private life, I take my kiddo rafting often. Some of my favorite guiding experiences out on the water are taking families down, especially with kids whose first time it is on the river because so many kids have an absolute blast rafting.”

Wesson also hopes the benefits outweigh continued from page 20 continued on page 24

Feature: Facing your Fears with Fun (cont'd) continued from page 22 people’s fears about whitewater rafting. “There is definitely a whole component of being outside and enjoying our natural environment in the Pacific Northwest, running fun rapids, and having that experience with your family and friends. [Rafting’s] got a lot going for it.” This means that rafters can enjoy some incredible landscapes, scenery, wildlife and the ability to stargaze on overnight and single day trips. Wesson believes that once someone sees the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, those fears will subside, and they will be able to relax and enjoy their experience. “I love opening their eyes to this experience and helping them fall in love with rafting and being on the river.”

Trying Something New

Taking a chance and trying something scary is the common denominator of these extreme sports. Ryan Huffman, manager at Washougal MX Park, says the most crucial part of doing something formidable is taking that first step into an unfamiliar world. After that, the difficult part is over, and the fun can begin. He sees this in the riders at his own park all the time. “Sometimes it’s a little overwhelming, but once they get in their first couple of laps, they are pretty stoked.”

Huffman had to overcome his own fear of riding quickly because Washougal MX Park is a family business. “It was in my blood, and I saw my brothers doing it. I wanted it really bad, so when I turned 5, I got to race, and everyone could see it was getting pretty serious.”

But fear cannot always be ignored, and Huffman acknowledges that. With all these extreme sports, there is an element of danger. Motocross riders race over hills, jump in the air and push the bike speed limits. Echoing the mental health principles Farrell touched on, Huffman says you must weigh the idea of risk and reward. Whether you want to take the leap is a personal choice, but Huffman believes people will like what they find when they do it. “It’s just fun!” he says.

Creating Community

A part of the fun for Huffman is the community. The riders and their families gather together at the track, which becomes just as much a social event as a sporting one. There are barbecues, campouts and a chance for kids to learn to ride. These kids often grow up without fear of the track and can’t wait to get on one themselves.

High-risk sports tend to bring people together, and Whittaker from Skydive Toledo wholeheartedly agrees with that. In fact, for her, it’s the best part of the job and what keeps people returning to her business. “We call ourselves the island of misfit toys. Everyone has stuff about them that is so fascinating and quirky. It’s a wonderful feeling to be part of that family.”

Embracing the Experience

Whittaker has seen people from all walks of life, but the commonality is that they all enjoy the same thing; they know what it’s like to feel the absolute terror of jumping out of an airplane, starting to enjoy the fall, then falling in love with the extreme sport.

Ultimately, many people say it’s the best thing they have ever done. “When you’re done, you’ve got this huge bond with the person or people that you were jumping with, so it’s not uncommon to see [a group land and start] high-fiving and hooting and hollering, and they can’t wait to go inside and watch the video [of their jump]. It’s a wonderful feeling of comradery with yourself, the sky and the people you are with.”

Facing a daunting experience can push a person past their comfort zone, and that’s the point—whether it’s whitewater river rafting, skydiving or motocross. While there is risk involved, it’s more likely that fun will be had, a new skill unlocked, and new bonds forged. And as an added bonus, you may walk away a little less afraid. The only way to see for yourself is to take the leap, jump in the water or race off on a bike. And who knows? A new you might be waiting on the other side.

Kristen Flowers hosts the morning show Nick and Kristen in the Morning on 99.5 The Wolf. She lives in Vancouver with her husband, daughter and three cats. She loves crafting, making pottery, eating ice cream, reading and watching documentaries. She’s also currently in grad school to become a marriage and family therapist.

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