Well, after nearly a year of “page under construction” on my newish website blog page, I’m finally getting the monkey off my back and writing the first one.  I’m hoping, like most things, that the first step is the hardest and after this one, the blogs will all fall into place and the words will flow like a mountain stream, or an avalanche.  Avalanche is on my brain lately due to the huge winter storms that have been hitting the Northwest and more specifically, Ketchum, ID where I live.  There have been multiple slides in the past three days on the ski hill, over a house, in the backcountry and over people.  Thankfully, no one has been hurt yet but it has made for really exciting work with the fire department this week.  The backcountry pack with transceiver, shovel and probe has stayed close to the front door lately.

I guess I’ll divert quickly to give a quick lowdown of myself.  If you’re reading this, you probably know me, so pardon if some of this is old news to you.  I’m an Idaho resident, professional athlete, coach, part-time firefighter, EMT and most recently, a world champion for the first time in my life.  I’ve been avoiding real jobs for most of my adulthood.  The closest thing I had to a real job was managing climbing gyms in California in the late 90’s.  It was a blast, but my wanderlust was calling and invitations to go to far away places were rolling in.  Adventure racing, whitewater rafting, outrigger canoeing, rock climbing and mountain biking have all fueled my need for exploration, excitement and physical movement. I’ve been able to form a career around those various sports and make a decent living at doing what I love.  Like any job, there are parts of it, such as writing a blog, that are not all fun and games.  There are plenty of days where I look at the training schedule from my coach and cringe.  Times like winter in Ketchum when my friends are going powder skiing and I’m inside on my bike trainer because it’s my job.  Those are not the standout highlight days of my career.  What does stand out are the two full passports I have from travel to exotic places, podiums and big cardboard checks, friends all over the world and the joy of being out in the wilderness for long periods of time.

Part of what I do for a career is really selfish.  I love racing, I love traveling and I love the excitement of being a professional athlete. I do a lot of those things for myself.  However, there’s another big motivation that keeps me involved with sponsors, coaching locals, contributing to articles, writing a blog.  That motivation comes from my love of seeing other people get excited about the outdoors, about athletics and about pushing their own limits.  I know what sports have given me and I can trace the lessons and impacts all the way back to my high school cross country running days.  I get a big kick out of seeing the lights go on for other people and in some way contributing to their experience.

I’ll do my best to keep this thing updated and if you feel so inclined to comment or ask a question, feel free.   Thanks for tuning in.

Rebecca