Ep. 1084: Susan Norman - RISK: A Life Saved by the River
Adventure Sports Podcast
Curt Linville
4.6 • 580 Ratings
🗓️ 24 June 2025
⏱️ 53 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Paddling: Susan Norman's Journey Through Adventure Sports – Building Emotional Resilience, Healing Trauma, Empowering Women, and the Transformative Power of Nature and Community.
Curt Linville interviews Susan Norman, an experienced paddler and author, about her journey through adventure sports and its profound impact on emotional health and resilience. Susan shares her early experiences with paddling, the challenges she faced in her personal life, and how outdoor adventures helped her cope with trauma and become a parent. The discussion highlights the importance of community, the empowerment of women in adventure sports, and the healing power of nature. Susan's story serves as an inspiring testament to the transformative effects of engaging with the outdoors.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Adventure and Healing
03:09 Susan's Journey into Paddling Sports
05:56 The Impact of Adventure on Mental Health
08:58 Facing Fears and Building Resilience
11:57 The Role of Community in Outdoor Sports
14:58 Transitioning from Competition to Parenting
17:54 Parenting Challenges and Outdoor Solutions
20:54 The Connection Between Nature and Healing
23:53 Rivers as Living Entities
26:45 Empowering Women in Adventure Sports
29:40 The Journey of Parenting and Adventure
32:52 The Importance of Resilience in Life
35:39 Conclusion and Reflections on Adventure
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | That's what I think is so interesting about, well, so powerful about outdoor adventure, |
| 0:08.0 | is you can face your fears and escape your fears at the same time. |
| 0:14.0 | Episode 184, Risk, a life saved by the river. |
| 0:26.8 | So I am very excited today to introduce Susan Norman. |
| 0:40.1 | And one of the wonderful benefits of being a host for the Adventure Sports podcast is that I get the chance to get to know amazing people a little bit at least, and I'm really excited today to hear Susan's story. I think that what she's going to share is going to be very |
| 0:45.4 | compelling, heartfelt, and maybe motivational. It has a lot to do with the reason why we promote |
| 0:54.0 | outdoor adventure. So Susan Norman spent a lot to do with the reason why we promote outdoor adventure. |
| 0:55.0 | So Susan Norman spent a lifetime doing paddling sports, whitewater kayaking. |
| 1:02.0 | She did it both professionally. She did rafting as well. |
| 1:06.0 | And she also did it just as a hobby for fun. |
| 1:10.0 | But she's written a book about how the adventure life can be so restorative in healing and provide resilience. |
| 1:19.6 | And I'll let her fill in all those gaps. |
| 1:21.9 | But Susan, welcome to the Adventure Sports Podcast. |
| 1:25.0 | Thank you. |
| 1:26.1 | Very happy to be here. |
| 1:27.8 | So where are you calling from? |
| 1:30.3 | Where are we talking to you today? |
| 1:32.0 | Well, I have the great fortune to live in Lake Tahoe, California. |
| 1:35.5 | Oh, beautiful place. |
| 1:37.5 | Beautiful place. |
| 1:38.3 | So are you on the shore of the lake? |
| 1:42.4 | No, no, but I am almost on the shore of the upper Truckee River, which is almost just as good. |
... |
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