Australian military includes extreme sports as part of training
I learned a lot about my own cognition, stamina and decision-making from whitewater kayaking.
Adventurous Training Wing is the ADF centre of excellence for this adult learning in a reality based experiential environment. Whilst technical skills on a snow covered mountain, river, in a cave, canyon, or at sea are important; they are not the purpose. The purpose is to use that environment and the peers within a group to enhance their self awareness, impacts of behavior, cognition under combat stress, and how to deal with it all.
I like this idea. I learned a lot about my own cognition, stamina and decision-making from whitewater kayaking. Not all of it was good — once, as I approached a nasty rapid on the Cheat River, very tired after several days of hard paddling and distracted by off-river troubles, I idly stroked left when I should have stroked right. I wound up upside down in a big rapid with some broken ribs.
Adventurous Training Wing is the ADF centre of excellence for this adult learning in a reality based experiential environment. Whilst technical skills on a snow covered mountain, river, in a cave, canyon, or at sea are important; they are not the purpose. The purpose is to use that environment and the peers within a group to enhance their self awareness, impacts of behavior, cognition under combat stress, and how to deal with it all.
I like this idea. I learned a lot about my own cognition, stamina and decision-making from whitewater kayaking. Not all of it was good — once, as I approached a nasty rapid on the Cheat River, very tired after several days of hard paddling and distracted by off-river troubles, I idly stroked left when I should have stroked right. I wound up upside down in a big rapid with some broken ribs.
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
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