An airport lobby has to be the perfect place to people watch. It’s fascinating. The cool collected business travellers, the parents shepherding over excited children or the long distance layover travellers trying to get some precious rest in this retailers' paradise. Each of them with a story to tell, longer than any flight.
The airport is one of those environments that has the ability to extenuate every emotion within us. A place filled with love filled reunions and the hardest goodbyes. Whilst sitting in the airport, fresh off my expedition, I saw deep levels of stress and anxiety. We talk a lot about how stressful traveling is, but in that moment, after experiencing a trip where high levels of stress were normalised, I didn’t understand what all the fuss was about. In real terms, the airport is a really low risk environment. You have food, water, shops, power, wifi and a willing team of employees and volunteers that are on hand to help you with any issues. Scared about missing your flight? Pretty hard to do, they even give you 15 seconds of fame to remind you when you cut it a bit fine. Mange to actually miss you flight? There will be another one. It made me think about risk and how much my association with it has changed since exploring extreme sports. As I watched travellers rush around, I realised how differently I now approach stressful situations. My experiences in extreme sports have redefined my relationship with fear and risk.
What Kayaking Has Taught Me About Fear
I have never been the kind of person that shies away from taking risk. Much to my mother’s despair, there is something about risk that is intriguing, exciting even. In the pursuit of living, you have to experience danger to remind yourself you are alive.
Adrenaline Junkie – I hate this term, others have coined me as one for a long time. It’s an ill-conceived label from those who don’t understand what I do and why I do it. It suggests that I seek just the rush. Whilst I definitely experience adrenaline, it certainly runs deeper than that. Let me try and explain.
Whitewater kayaking isn’t just about navigating rivers. It's about constantly facing the unknown, managing the fear of capsizing, being stuck in a recirculating hole, being pinned, being injured and as a leader, managing the fear of everyone else. The fear is real. There’s a moment, as you paddle towards a drop, when you don’t know exactly what’s ahead—how fast the current is, how steep the descent, or what obstacles lie hidden just beneath the surface. Yet, it’s this very fear that sharpens my focus. In kayaking, decision-making is fast and constant. It’s a high-stakes environment where one wrong move can lead to a dangerous outcome. This has honed my ability to make quick, decisive choices under pressure.
But knowing the risks, why am I still ok to take them?
Like everything, it takes time to build skills and experience. It’s been over 6 years since I first hit the rivers, in the grand scheme of things, not a long time. For perspective, the average years experience on my recent expedition was over 40 years. But I have learnt a lot of lessons, made a lot of mistakes, and I didn’t always understand the risks.
My journey to becoming a skilled kayaker started off with a rapid development, I became addicted. Paddled as much as I could and levelled up. But this came with an ego. I make no excuses, I became an arsehole. I became fixated on making sure river after river was more difficult than the last. Surrounded myself with those who would massage this ego of mine. I lied about my experience to get them to take me with them on their river trips. Looking back, it was really unsafe. I wasn’t aware of the risks.
There was a moment this changed, I found a mentor. A mentor that would go on to coach me to be a leader and go onto inviting me on the trip of a lifetime. It all changed when I became responsible for others on the river.
Rivers and rapids are graded, Grade 1 (easy)- Grade 5 (extremely difficult). They represent the technical challenges and dangers you might face. I believe you can coach anyone up to the level of grade 4. With coaching, commitment, and some Dutch courage this is within the wheelhouse of any budding paddler. However, the step up to Grade 5 is another beast.
By committing to a Grade 5 rapid, you are accepting the risks and, for the first time, putting your life in your own hands. I have become hyper aware of the potential consequences of the risks I take on the river and as a kayaker willing to perform at this high level, I need to have the mental ability to accept the risk and execute the challenge in front of me. No-one can make that decision for you, it has to be a personal choice. A choice dictated by a rapid analysis of personal performance, experience led learning and, sometimes, if you had a good sleep the night before. The experience is liberating, the post river/rapid high engulfs your entire body. A feeling the trumps any. Its the feeling of being alive. I am deeply lucky to have these experiences shape my understanding and develop me as a professional.
The Lessons Fear Has Taught Me
This has translated directly into my professional life. In high-pressure meetings or moments when I have to make a tough decision, my experiences on the water have taught me not to freeze in the face of uncertainty. Fear isn’t something to avoid; it’s something to respect and channel. When I’ve faced high-stakes situations at work, I’ve been able to draw on that same ability to process risk, remain calm under pressure, and make quick, informed decisions.
Fear is an inevitable part of professional life. Whether it’s taking on a challenging project, presenting a new idea, or leading a team through tough times, fear always lingers in the background. But I’ve learned that the best way to manage fear is to face it head-on, use it as a motivator, and keep moving forward.
Here’s what I’ve learned through extreme sports that has directly impacted my career:
Quick Decision-Making Under Pressure: Whether I’m making a snap judgment on the river or in the boardroom, I’ve learned how to process risks quickly and effectively.
Building Resilience: The ability to keep going even when things get tough is something I’ve refined through performing in the toughest of environments. In business, that same resilience is crucial when facing setbacks or roadblocks.
Risk Management: Extreme sports have taught me to assess risks and act with confidence, a skill that’s indispensable when navigating complex projects or making critical business decisions.
Trusting My Skills: In both sports and work, confidence in my abilities has been key. When you trust your training and instincts, whether on a river or in a meeting, you can navigate challenges more effectively.
Managing Ambiguity: Just as the river levels can quickly rise or fall, the business world is full of uncertainty. Learning how to stay calm and adaptable in the face of the unknown has been one of the greatest lessons I’ve taken from extreme sports.
When I reflect on my professional journey, it’s clear that my extreme sport experiences haven’t just been about adrenaline or thrills. They’ve been about developing a mindset that embraces fear as a necessity and beneficial part of the growth process. The challenges I face in sports parallel those I face in my career—and by learning to manage fear in high-risk environments, I’ve become more adept at handling fear in professional situations.
In the end, I’ve discovered that fear isn’t something to avoid—it’s a catalyst for growth. It challenges us, sharpens us, and pushes us to discover what we’re truly capable of. Whether on the river, in the boardroom, or in an airport waiting lounge, embracing fear has taught me how to truly live.
What fear you’ve been avoiding? How can you face it and let it fuel your growth?
I could not agree more about how learning to deal with potentially life changing situations in adventure sports and making good decisions within a very stressful environment in sport helps you to deal with stress and decision making in the workplace.