Meet Don Martin

 

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Don Martin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

DON, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

After watching a friend of mine drown in front of me on a whitewater kayaking trip in 2000, I decided it was time to make a difference and start educating the general public about river safety. My mission was to teach the public about river rescue and river safety and offer simple solutions to river safety concerns. Today, I am a certified Instructor and have teamed up with the American Canoe Association to spread the word regarding river safety, river rescue, and swift water awareness.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

Since 2000, I have owned and operated River Recreation, a whitewater rafting company based on the Wenatchee River. I am passionate about sharing my love for the river with new people. Whether it be a guided trip down the rapids on the Wenatchee River, instructing a Boy Scout Merit badge class on river safety, or teaching a river rescue class, my passion for the river and river safety makes me stand out from the rest. I first found my passion for the river in 1992 in Alaksa as a young river guide working my way through college. Since then, I have traveled all over the US, Canada, Mexico, Central America, Ecuador, and Peru, rafting and kayaking my way down some amazing rivers. I am proud to have built my reputation on everything river: Not only do I provide guided trips down some of the best whitewater in the state of Washington and teach classes, but I am also a raft and kayak dealer and an inflatable craft repair facility repairing rafts, kayaks, SUP’s and just about anything that floats. Recently, my focus has been on incident response, incident preparedness, and risk management.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

My advice is to follow your heart and your passion. Jumping in with both feet can be scary, but in the long term, it will be very rewarding. Take the class, step out of your comfort zone, and try something new. If you love something, go with it. When things get tough, be ready to make hard choices and sacrifices.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

I am always looking to branch out and make meaningful connections with anyone in the outdoor education or outdoor experiential field. I have a great passion for the river and always look for those who share my passion for not only the river but also safety and preparedness.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

All photos are property of River Recreation. www.riverrecreation.com

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Leadership Development
Where does your self-discipline come from?

One of the most essential skills for unlocking our potential is self-discipline. We asked some

Productivity
Tactics & Strategies for Keeping Your Creativity Strong

With the rapid improvements in AI, it’s more important than ever to keep your creativity

Productivity
Working hard in 2025: Keeping Work Ethic Alive

While the media might often make it seem like hard work is dead and that