Almost every activity we do, from crossing the street to dangling off a cliff by ropes, involves an element of risk. We can be hit by a truck as we attempt to walk to the store, and if we are on a bicycle, that risk seems to be even higher.
And when we engage in perilous sports, such as skiing the steep runs at Whistler Blackcomb, waterskiing on a local lake after a few brews or kitesurfing on Howe Sound, we are at greater risk of injury.
Squamish residents, in general, seem to embrace life to its fullest. We eagerly buy climbing equipment and mountain bikes, ready to challenge ourselves, to get to that point where there is a sharp intake of breath and we must forge ahead, despite our nerves. It feels like we are most alive at these moments when we overcome fear and challenge ourselves. The more athletic Squamites push their bodies to the extreme for sports like vertical trail running or mountain biking through dense forest trails. When the training intensifies and the race competition is fierce, the risks multiply.
There’s a reason there seems to be a physiotherapy clinic on virtually every corner in downtown Squamish. As a group, we are keeping local physiotherapists in business by engaging in activities that are almost certain to cause injuries, from ankle sprains to broken collarbones that require rehabilitation programs to put us back in the game. When we see someone on crutches, the question, as mentioned in the “Risky living” feature article this week, is not “How did it happen?” but “When will you be able to ski/cycle/climb again?”
But this isn’t a bad thing, even if our activities lead to permanent injuries or death. Consider the alternative. If we fear the possible outcomes of any activity, we would never leave our homes, meet other people or enjoy the fresh air of a bike ride to the beach. We would never ascend to heights that allow us to view the mountains surrounding the glimmering water of Howe Sound.
Although we spend most of our lives denying it, and we act shocked when anyone reaches death even at the end of a normal 84-year lifespan, we are all mortal. We will eventually die. Our mission is to live life to its fullest, to enjoy every day like it could be our last – because, eventually, it will be.
– Editor Christine Endicott
