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Written by Debbie Jacobs
OH MY GOD A GIRL!"Such was the cry I was met with when I
arrived to meet our group for a 5 day canoe trip down New
Zealand's Wanganui River. "Are you sure you know what
you're doing?" a wary fellow in his 50's exclaimed. I assured
him that since I knew a heck of a lot more than he did, it was
in his best interest to stick with me.
The rest of the group, a collection of 10 men and women from New Zealand, looked on with some
amusement and guarded concern. This fellow had voiced what
many of them had inwardly felt when they discovered that their
guides were `girls'. Some had assumed that Sue, a nursing
student in her mid-twenties, and I, a `Yank' only a bit
older, were the greeting committee. I suspect many hoped at best we
were the cooks and at worst that we were driving the bus. Discovering
that they were heading out for an adventure under the guidance and
protection of two young women was not what they had imagined
when signing on for the 80 kilometer paddle through one of New
Zealand's newest river parks.
This immediate shock upon discovering that they are trusting their
lives and limbs to a `girl' is something I have become used to
when meeting groups of clients for the first time. Working as a
white water raft guide in the United States I have seen the covert
glances as the names of guides are called out for each group of
paddlers:
The men in the United States are rarely so blunt as to come right
out and ask me if I know what I'm doing, but they are not alone in
their concern. The women often share their uncertainty as to
whether they can put their faith in a female guide. It doesn't
take long before I'm asked, "So...how long have you been doing
this?" To which my standard response is to look at my watch and reply
"Oh, since about 8 this morning," hoping that a bit of levity
will calm people's nerves.
Sometimes knowing that I've been guiding for 10 years helps allay
fears, in other cases it's not until we've made it down the
last rapid, loaded the boats and are safely ensconced back on the bus
(which I may also drive, prompting someone to worry aloud about
`women drivers') that my crew sighs with the relief of having
survived not only the river, but me.
Leadership styles vary from person to person. It is difficult and
perhaps dangerous to generalize the variations according to
gender, but the fact remains that men continue to be central
figures of authority in most of our lives. While many of us have
strong female role models, the heroes of young Americans are
typically male sports figures and action film stars. There are fewer
`scripts' for women assuming leadership positions commonly
held by men.
Fortunately my experience has been that it is not employers and
co-workers who are resistant to seeing women in leadership roles.
Quality tour and guiding companies know that good judgment,
experience and attitude play a greater role in hiring a leader than
does gender. Instead it is the clients, the men and women who
arrive nervous and excited to experience an adventure, whether
it's on a rock, in the mountains or on a river, who have
envisioned a strong, fearless leader who does not have breasts.
I led my first trip for a group of women 20 years ago. Today I
organize and lead trips for women over 40. Along with being great
fun, these exclusive groups allow women the unique opportunity
to see other women in positions of power and control, to witness a
group of women working out problems and dealing with the host of
challenges encountered on a river trip or while traveling abroad.
By supporting each other and being open to seeing women in
leadership roles, women help each other to succeed and achieve
more than they thought possible. As more and more women
become visible in outdoor recreation and leadership I suspect the
day isn't too far off when we're met with the exclamation
"OH GREAT, A WOMAN!" As for the fellow on the canoe trip in
New Zealand; I had to rescue him and his canoe after he flipped in
the first rapid, but it wasn't until I barbecued a perfect medium
rare steak that he was truly impressed. Go figure.
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