Lesson 10/10: It’s Fun—That’s Why We Take on the Challenge
The final piece of advice I must add to these lessons is simple: have fun.
This might sound a bit abstract, but some athletes become so obsessed with chasing numbers that they forget why they started canoeing in the first place. In other words, they strip the joy right out of it themselves.
Amateur athletes already have a mountain of responsibilities before they even get to their few—or dozen-plus—hours of weekly training. They work 50 to 60 hours a week and attend endless meetings. On top of that, they have to take care of household chores, yard work, and volunteer commitments.
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In that sense, professional athletes have it easy. They train 30 to 40 hours a week and even take occasional naps in between. They can leave everything else—like managing their diet and sleep schedules—to their support staff.
Yet even those pros say the same thing: if canoeing ever stops being fun, they would quit the sport and get a "real" down-to-earth job.
We take on the challenge of canoeing precisely because it is fun. Let’s ease up on the grim faces, smile a little more, and enjoy the paddling.
That wraps up this 10-part series! Which lesson resonated with you the most? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments, and thank you for following along on this journey.
