Fear is every athlete’s best friend and greatest enemy. With too little fear, athletes get hurt. With too much fear, they never reach their potential. Dealing with fear is a balancing act.

Daylight was fading fast. As each minute ticked by, my worry rose. Come on Dakota, where the hell are you? “DAKOTA!!” I shouted into the dark. No response. Nothing. I could see down the tracks a ways. Just more snow, no footprints.

Somehow, without ever having been in a whitewater kayak before, I drove 13 hours round trip in a single day from Kentucky to North Carolina and back, to pick up a bright green boat.