Aging Adventure Athletes Assess Achievements and Alter Aspirations to Maintain Self-Esteem

• Published in: Frontiers in psychology Vol. 9; p. 225
• Main Author: Buckley, Ralf C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Frontiers Media S.A 28.02.2018
• Subjects: extreme; health; kayaking; nature; outdoor; Psychology; rafting; outdoor; nature; rafting; observation; kayaking; health; extreme; participant
• ISSN: 1664-1078; 1664-1078
• DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00225

Achievements and capabilities influence the self-esteem of skilled adventure athletes. Self-esteem affects individual mental health. Aging commonly reduces adventure capabilities. To avoid loss in self-esteem, aging adventure athletes are forced to adjust their aspirations. Here, I examine this process using participant observation, ethnographic and autoethnographic approaches. The qualitative data for this analysis are derived from 60 years' experience in outdoor adventure activities, and ∼30,000 person-hours of participant observation. I argue that individuals assess their own capabilities against a set of specific feats. For some activities, successful completion of a specific feat is known as nailing it. The selection of these feats depends on factors such as activity and geographic location, as well as individual experience and peer comparisons. I examine the detailed process using a single feat repeated over a period of decades, the bubble-line kayak run through Lava Falls on the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River. I compare other examples of nail or fail to construct a general framework for self-esteem in aging adventure athletes, with both physical and psychological feedback loops. I also identify two key thresholds, as aging adventure athletes recognize their declining skills. These may apply to aging more broadly, beyond outdoor adventure.