Disclaimer: In Real Life is a platform for everyday people to share their experiences and voices. All articles are personal stories and do not necessarily echo In Real Life’s sentiments.
My name is Wan Muhammad Firdaus. I was born and raised in Malaysia. I come from kampung chulek, Gopeng. I am 25 years old right now and I work as a river guide in kayaking. I started rafting when I was 17 to 18 years old. You could say that I’m generally a kayak enthusiast. I represented Malaysia a few times in several competitions.
[Image taken by the author]
From there, the Gopeng team invited me to join them and represent Malaysia to compete in Indonesia. We first went to Selokek, Indonesia. Then, we joined a competition at Alas River, Indonesia, Acheh where we won second place as a team. For solo races, I competed in Asahan River, Medan… That was in Indonesia as well and I won fifth place for that.
When Something Unexpected Happens
[source: Tom Fisk on Pexels]
“Experience paling dahsyat bila saya turun air besar di Sungai Kampar. Dia rasa lain dari air kecil sebab lagi extreme. The rougher the waters, the harder it is to control the kayak”
The boats could overturn if the water is too rough. This could also happen if there’s a broken dam with the water overflowing.
This happened to me two or three years ago at Sungai Kampar and it was a moment that I will definitely remember forever.
I remember feeling panicked and nervous because I was dealing with other people’s lives. There were about eight people and the boat overturned at a particularly rapid area. There were four kayaks and while they weren’t completely overturned, everyone on them had been thrown off into the rapid waters.
The Waters Can Be Deadly
There are levels of difficulties for specific river streams that we would not suggest for beginners. We categorise these streams by classes.
For example, class four or five are considered extreme and dangerous. This is because the streams are rapid. There are also a lot of ‘holes’ among the rocks that could cause people to be misdirected. When that happens, people can drown in those holes.
[source: Sukh Winder on Pexels]
Enjoying The “Kayak” Life
It took me two years to truly learn the ways of the water, and even then it is still not perfect. But in the end, it allowed me to feel comfortable with kayaking and rafting.
And I didn’t do it alone, of course. My friend, Sam taught me everything from A to Z.
Considering how comfortable I am with the waters already, I do hope I get to go further in this sport.
[Image taken by the author]
If God is willing, I may even present Malaysia for an Olympic-level competition.
For more stories like this, read:
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