A trainingcamp that took me back to where it all began for me: Camping De La Fontaine. We stayed in a tent, used communal facilities, and shared every meal under the blazing sun with a strong wind. Dishwashing was divided into morning, afternoon, and evening shifts. Everything felt like it did in the past, only this time I was the one in charge—or at least, I tried to be.

The water level was high, possibly the highest I had ever seen. There was concern beforehand about whether it would even be possible to navigate the river. The challenge was immense. Due to the high water pressure, rescuing swimmers from the water would have been extremely difficult. For this reason, we divided the river into different segments, each one more difficult and challenging. The goal was to navigate as many parts of the river as possible with as many paddlers as possible, but mainly to ensure that everyone challenged themselves. There had to be moments when fear gave way to courage and bravery.

Sometimes things went wrong, but it was incredibly inspiring to see how everyone just kept going after each mistake. How everyone persevered. It was my personal goal to motivate, push, and inspire everyone. But it quickly became clear that I wasn’t the only one with that idea. The entire group supported and motivated each other throughout the camp. Victories were celebrated together, and fears were conquered together. Routes were intensely discussed, and lessons were learned from mistakes. Everyone learned a lot, including me.

I learned what it means to be responsible for others. To make choices, even the difficult ones. To keep a cool head in every challenging situation. But also, what it feels like to pass on knowledge and how we can become better together.

About 18 years ago, I was here for the first time. Now, I’m a bit older, perhaps a bit more experienced, and with a completely different group. But in the end, after 18 years, nothing has changed. Nature and adventure. Sun and wind. Blue water and smooth stones. A whole bunch of chaos. Young and old.  
A whole lot of fun.

Bram Sikkens