Instructor Seminar -- chasing my Olympic dream

After two good days of working on technique with Sam Davis and Scott Strausbaugh (former Olympians), Vicki talked me into running the first rapid on the Olympic course of the Ocoee. She said it was a couple of fun waves and then an easy eddy to catch on river left. She was right. It was fun. But the easy eddy to catch was on river left and the easy exit at the Whitewater Center was on river right. I would have to ferry across the current or hike around to the bridge with my boat to get there.

I decided to attempt the ferry even though the Ocoee and I don't exactly have the best relationship. My first attempt didn't get me out of the eddy, so Scott Mann, who is training for Nationals, Worlds and the next Olympics, and who helped us with the second day of training, tried to talk me through the ferry. I found myself sideways on the eddy line and then I found myself traveling downstream with the current. Screaming. Henry and Jack yelled at me to paddle as I screamed past them. Scott chased behind me telling me to catch the eddy on the left. Aaaah's were interspersed with Help Me's as I approached Smileys ledge. The paddler in the hole there saw/heard me and took off downstream. Scott continued to chase, telling me to eddy left. Still screaming, I went over Smileys Ledge. A face full of water stopped me from screaming and I caught a river left eddy, thus ending the pursuit of my Olympic dream. Scott caught the eddy, too, and helped me crawl from the kayak to the big pile of rocks next to me after my knocking knees had slowed to more of a twitch. I thanked him and wished him well in the upcoming team trials before carrying my boat up, across the bridge and back down like I should have done in the first place.