Senior Callan Fox is an adrenaline junkie. She loves roller coasters, horror movies and horseback riding. When she first went to a whitewater kayaking camp, she fell in love with the excitement rush the sport gave her.
“I decided to go up to North Carolina and take some lessons because [my sister] was a little bit more into it than I was,” Fox said. “Then, that made me obsessed with it, and I continued at camp, and so on.”
Since she visited this camp in the summer of 2020, Fox has explored several different styles of kayaking.
“I’ve gotten into freestyle kayak, where we do a bunch of tricks,” Fox said. “I also do racing, something called kayak cross where you go off a platform, and slalom [a type of kayaking in which participants navigate hanging poles in whitewater rivers].”
In addition to physical strength, mental focus and balance, Fox has found that whitewater kayaking is unique in its connection to the river.
“Being aware of the river is a really important thing,” Fox said. “When I’ve helped teach other people how to start kayaking, we’ll have a big talk about what different river features are and how the river will affect your boat, how to kayak safely.”
As there are few opportunities for Fox to whitewater kayak in Dallas, she goes to a park in Oklahoma City over breaks and the summer.
“I’ll warm up, flip over, flip myself back up a few times; it’s called a roll,” Fox said. “I’ll make sure all my muscles are warm, and then if I’m in Oklahoma, probably start by just paddling down with the channels, getting a feel for my boat that day, how I’m feeling, and then I’ll spend time at one specific feature, practicing tricks or boat control in general.”
Fox also studied abroad at the Alzar School in Chile during the second semester of her junior year, where she whitewater kayaked around three times per week. Her time abroad gave her the opportunity to experience different rivers.
“One of my favorite rivers that I paddled on was the Río Paloma in Patagonia, Chile,” Fox said. “This was when I was abroad last year, and I would say it’s the most memorable because it’s definitely the prettiest river I’ve ever kayaked on. It’s bright blue, a glacial fed river, and it’s unlike anything I’d ever seen before, because of its a giant canyon walls.”
Fox has also gotten to kayak other rivers while on vacation. Her experience kayaking in Canada particularly stands out to her.
“My time on the Ottawa was also huge for me,” Fox said. “It really helped me learn a different type of water, and it’s such a safe river for how scary it can look.”
Through her many experiences whitewater kayaking, Fox has gotten to know several people in the sport.
“It’s a really interesting community, because it’s a recently added Olympic sport, so people are finding out more of what it’s like,” Fox said. “It was added to be a more high speed, more entertaining version.”
Despite the great memories and experience Fox has gained from whitewater kayaking, she has faced several challenges with her successes. One of the greatest challenges for her has been the aspect of fear.
“I’ve had to trust myself a little bit more when it’s higher risk environments,” Fox said. “So, I’ve gotten some of my certifications, safety things for myself and I’ve just practiced a lot with how to be safe and how to rescue myself. I think that has given me a lot of comfort.”
After nearly six years of whitewater kayaking, Fox has learned a multitude of valuable lessons that apply to her life outside of the sport.
“The main thing kayaking has taught me is to only focus on what I can control,” Fox said. “That it’s okay to make that call if I don’t want to do this, this day, because it’s not the best for my safety or not my best interest.”
