I remember when Brian and I switched health insurance a few years ago, looking specifically at which plan had the best emergency medical coverage. Because it turns out, playing the mountains has a little bit higher risk of injury! Of course, we always work to manage and minimize risk, but sometimes part of the fun is taking a few risks.

As I write this, I’m lying here icing my foot with crutches propped up nearby. I spent three hours in the ER last night after falling and having my 300 lb motorcycle land on my foot. It was stupid. I was in my yard, heading out for a ride. I went to get on my very tall bike and didn’t notice the hole on the other side of it. I went to put my foot down on that side and there was no ground underneath me. My bike tipped and I was too off-balance to jump away. My foot bent sharply back when it hit the ground and my bike landed right on top of it. To add insult to injury, I landed in a big pile of dog shit that the neighbor’s dog was kind enough to leave for me. GROSS. Luckily, I was wearing my reinforced motorcycle boots, so I just sprained my ankle and didn’t break it. Always wear your gear!!

Now this was just a dumb mistake, but it has given me some time to reflect. Most of the sports we are involved in have a higher risk of injury. Dumb mistakes turn into big injuries pretty quick. Downhill skiing injuries (especially tibia/fibula fractures) are the main injury treated at the hospital Brian works at. Riding dirt bikes? Pretty obvious potential for injury there. Dirt bikes are big and heavy and go fast over rugged terrain. Heck… even hiking has a high risk of slips, trips and falls. I could carry on for days about all the injuries I’ve seen in the backcountry.

So why be involved in these sports if there’s a chance of getting hurt? I have heard a ton of people say they won’t downhill ski or snowboard anymore because they are afraid of getting injured, or they have been injured in the past. Personally, think it’s just the price of having fun. Adding in some risk is just living life to the fullest. You just have to evaluate the risks and decide if it’s worth it for YOU. Everyone is different. I would never go base jumping, for example. I’m scared of heights and I think those guys are nuts!! But that said, they love the rush and the bigger risk. Some people would never go down a double-black ski run. I do, because I love the challenge. Personally, I would rather take the chance I might get injured doing something I love, than to not do it at all. I am smart and minimize the risks. I wear protective gear. I (usually) look before I leap and think strategically. But I’ll still get out there and do it if I think I can do it relatively safely.

I love trying new things and you just never know unless you try. Everyone has their own personal limits. Find them, explore them and push them! And if you fall down, get up, dust off and evaluate what you could do better next time. Falling down is just part of having fun. In my case, it’ll be a couple weeks before I get back on my feet, but you can bet I’ll get back on my bike as soon as I am!