On Letting Go & Surfing Rivers: Brittany Parker

River surfing, a niche but growing sport, has taken Brittany Parker from one river to another since 2011, from successful competitions in Colorado, to completing a first descent of the Zambezi River in Africa by stand up paddleboard, to co-founding an instructional river surfing business called RVR 2 RVR. This year, things started off really promising for Brittany-- but then it all changed.

For Brittany, this past season has been one full of trauma, change, transition, growth, and-- as you’ll hear time and again in this episode-- letting go. Because when we go through big changes-- and especially when they’re unplanned-- the key to moving forward is all in how well we can let go of the expectations that were, to make room for what comes next.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

About Brittany’s new-to-her 1994 Ford Coach House van
What river surfing is, and how Brittany first got started doing it
How Brittany went from being a novice to a competitive river surfer
The accident that changed the course of Brittany’s year in a big way
How her close friend and business partner Natali helped Brittany

using her Wilderness First Responder training
Brittany’s current journey of healing
The importance of tuning into your body, no matter your health
Her insights on letting go of expectations
Brittany and Natali’s whitewater SUP instruction and excursion

company, RVR 2 RVR
Brittany’s advice for anyone out there wanting to try something new,

take a risk, or get out on the road.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Brittany Parker - @bp.surfs on Instagram and her blog, bp.surfs
Listen to Brittany’s new podcast, Ride The Swell
Natali Zollinger - @natalizollinger on Instagram
RVR 2 RVR - @rvr2rvr on Instagram
Badfish SUP
And She’s Dope Too
Interested in becoming Wilderness First Aid or Wilderness First

Responder certified? Find a Wilderness Medicine course near you.
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Episodes air weekly on Fridays-- subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode. Follow along with Laura Hughes on Instagram (@howsheviewsit) and see more of her work through her website, How She Views It.

Music is by Logan Nickleson, Josh Woodward, and Hyson via Free Music Archive using a CC by A license. Additional sound by Herbert Boland via Free Sound using a CC by A license.

WOTR podcast cover artwork designed by Dani Opal.