My Experience Of Extreme Sports : River Rafting

Recently, I had gone out-of-town for New Year and decided to do River rafting which is an activity in which an inflatable raft is used to navigate a river. The members on the raft play a crucial role in navigation. It is a challenging activity and needs quick body movements and thinking. In the raft, there is person who acts as a guide in the river.

It is an extreme sports which is considered as fatal depending upon the roughness of the river and the rapids it has.

Rapids are nothing but the rough waves which are formed by the river.

I have a water phobia ever since I was small. In last few years, I have been trying to overcome my fear of water by trying to do water sports.

I had absolutely no idea about river rafting. I did some research and then I came to know how scary and thrilling it is.

But still I decided to go and do it. For me, It was important as I wanted to overcome the fear of water.

River rafting starts by the instructions the guide gives us. He spends few minutes explaining the dos and don’ts of rafting.

We all were total of 7 people on the raft including the instructor. 

As soon as we entered we did a little trial of the instructions and then we did Namaskar to the river and started with the rafting.

The 12 km rafting course in my life was one the most exhilarating ride I have ever gone through.

Rafting needs a lot of strength, quick movements and very important, quick thinking. 

For me, it was a roller coaster ride of emotions. I was feeling the thrill and fun of it and as well as I was extremely scared of the rapids. So much so that, I started to tremble and shiver in mid of the course. 

 Even though my mind was not that scared but my body and heart was really scared. This was because I was scared of falling in the water. As I don’t know how to swim , I was scared of the consequences.

Due to this, I was put in the extreme front of the raft. So I would enjoy the ride without falling of the raft and getting scared.

After that, the ride was really fun and thrilling as well. I had fun sitting in the extreme front and not getting scared of falling and also I enjoyed the rapids much more than I thought I would.

But still I got a little bit anxious, but thanks to my dad that anxiousness was gone.

After that, I even got into the river with the help of my father and I was floating due to my life jacket. 

River Rafting helped in over coming my fear of water a little bit. 

If you ever want to over come your phobia, try to do things which you are phobic to. Once you get the confidence you will be able to do it. You just need a little bit courage.

River rafting is surely not for everyone. But it is fun and exhilarating ride one must not miss.

SANIYA P. RANE