Rafting, paragliding, mountain biking, rock climbing and parachuting could sound somewhat scary for many people. Extreme sports are often associated with danger. However, a major proportion of accidents in extreme sports are caused by human mistakes, instead of defects in equipment. Often, experienced people could make numerous wrong decisions, just like novices. In this case, we should practice exciting sports without exposing ourselves to unnecessary risks. It should be noted that we should get proper training.
Sports can’t be learned only by reading and although we can read hundreds of books and websites dedicated to specific sports, we are still lesser than novices if we haven’t practiced them. It is better to practice immediately, although we lack some of the basic knowledge. When doing extreme sports, we are not risking our money and equipments, but also our lives. In this case, we should get proper training and learn about essential knowledge while we are practicing it. Some people can manage to grasp basics with just a couple of training sessions.
In this case, we shouldn’t get obsessed by reading and get petrified by fear. Many people just stop in the reading stage for years. They could pretend that they have huge interest about extreme sports, but fear causes them to delay the start. If we want to start sports, it is important to start a training course and overcome the fear. In this case, we should get lesson from professional instructors to get the best and safest ways to fight the fear and get into action. If we are still feeling uneasy and afraid, even after more than a few sessions, then extreme sports may not be appropriate for us.
There is also a possibility that we overestimate our skills. This could happen both to novices and experts. Overestimating our skills and underestimating potential risks may result in dangerous things. We could drive too fast, ride on very steep paths and make very risky jumps. We should know whether an action will lead to something good or bad. Each day, we see drivers who overestimate their skills and suffer numerous accidents. In this case, we should stay on the safer side and try to take less risky paths if we find it more sustainable.
As an example, we could take a few more tandem flights with experienced paragliders if we are not certain that we understand all the basics and essentials about paragliding. When performing extreme sports, we shouldn’t be deluded with ego. If we are seeing real danger and there are things that are genuinely wrong, then we should delay our activities and turn back. It is better to fix the problems, instead of trying too hard and doing risky things. We need to learn to judge the consequences. If we have doubts that the parachute will open, we should do everything that’s necessary to make sure that it will open. We should start only with the most essential and avoid doing unnecessary thing.
