Our guest blogger this week is Audrey Wilson, Program Coordinator for Casting for Recovery Utah. She is a two-time winner in the GoPro Mountain 2 Fly X-Stream Games. She shares more about her experience in this week’s blog. Congrats, Audrey! We’re so glad you are part of the CfR family.

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I was overwhelmed with gratitude. I knew I could do it. I just had to see it through to truly believe it.

I won the GoPro Mountain 2 Fly X-Stream Games two years in a row, in 2019 and just recently in 2021. We all know what happened in 2020.

In 2019, it was the first time in a long time in my life that I felt free. I let go of some of the liabilities that were holding me back in life, and opened my heart to what truly matters – allowing myself to prioritize loved ones, time towards pursuing my goals and dreams, and most importantly freeing myself of limiting beliefs that were holding me back from truly being me.

Since then I’ve been increasing my practice and improving the quality of my practice sessions. I understand more than ever that if I want to reach high levels of performance in anything, I can’t do it alone. This past year I’ve worked tirelessly alone, but I’ve also worked alongside with a coach and teammate. I’ve also worked on my self image – truly believing I can succeed, focusing on quality and positive practice sessions, not the negative, surrounding myself with wonderful people, and serving others.

The opportunity I have to serve CfR keeps me grounded. It gives me perspective. It reminds me that any one of us can experience extreme challenges, but if you push yourself a bit and contribute positivity into the world it’s amazing what can come your way. The women of CfR are truly courageous and inspiring, and the gratitude they have for the experience they receive through the program radiates out to the world. My many years of involvement, and my leadership in the program in recent years is priceless.

In June of 2021, the games were on. I visualized each of the three rounds, and how I needed to perform. I set personal goals for myself. I touched base with coaches, mentors, teammates, and of course, Colorado fly shop gurus. I’m a Utah gal after all! 

Round one, I set out to hit every single target and cast all of the distance rounds within the established timeframe. Although I did not hit every target, I outscored the men and women by 1000 points.

Round two, I landed on top for the women going into round three to fish! After picking my boat position, I decided on what two fly patterns of the total six flies I could take. After two early snafus and losing half of my flies, I made quick adjustments. My boat partner and competitor were encouraging and motivating as I watched him pull in fish after fish! 

I will always celebrate that moment. It’s unforgettable. I also celebrate the smaller wins, and even more importantly the losses I’ve also experienced that got me to this point. I’ve not won or even placed in every competition I’ve done. I’ve competed in the Go Pro games for six years, and I’ve placed second or third prior to the two wins. I’ve also competed in countless other competitions, and I can say I’ve lost more than I’ve won, especially earlier on. It’s taken years of ups and downs, life changes, learning from and watching others, and perseverance to get to this point. But I love this game. I would encourage anyone to pursue what they love, and celebrate the entire journey along the way. It makes the bigger wins that much sweeter.

After four hours, I ended the round with seven fish to the boat and one 12” fish to measure, 21pts. I wasn’t sure where I might land in the ranks, but I remained positive and optimistic while reliving the fast whirlwind of a fishing round. 

It was time to hear the results at the podium. They called the third place woman, it wasn’t me. They called second place woman, it wasn’t me. With a big grin on my face and filled with emotion, I heard my name called last as the 2021 champion.