Adventure has always been a part of my life. Until recently, however, I did not realize how influential it has been in shaping my life’s philosophy and forging me into the person I’ve become and the Dad I’d like to be.
I have always been athletic. Sports have been a part of my life since I was young. I played football and soccer, basketball and baseball. I was actually pretty good, managing to earn a scholarship in Football at the University of Colorado and play briefly in the NFL. Although I grew as a person and found success throughout my sports career, in many ways I believe it also held me back.
Success bred a fear of failure and from that, an uncertainty and unwillingness to try things I was not necessarily going to be great at. I was athletic but lacked the adventurous spirit that would later become the key to my growth, physically, mentally and emotionally. It wasn’t until later in life that I began to realize the importance of an adventurous spirit and willingness to not only accept, but to seek challenge as a means of maximizing my human potential.
I began to participate in endurance sports, an area foreign to me as an athlete and certainly, at nearly 200 pounds, not something I was built for. I found that by taking on these uncomfortable physical challenges, I was also encountering and overcoming mental and emotional road blocks. My perception of who I was and what I could accomplish was expanding through experience and challenge – through adventure.
The perfect example of this is their participation in the Beaver Creek Ski School Programs. The instructors there impress upon young minds the importance of simply trying. They teach that when you fall it is ok, just as long as you get back up. At their age, this is a valuable life lesson and the first step to a satisfying life of adventure!
-Ryan Sutter