Anna Levesque is watching a lot of Star Wars these days. It鈥檚 not that the longtime pro kayaker is bored. Sure, most of the river put-ins are closed, effectively shutting down whitewater kayaking near her hometown of Asheville, North Carolina, but she has plenty to do. She can paddle against the current on a mellow waterway that鈥檚 still open to the public for a good strength workout. She听practices yoga daily听and runs a thriving coaching business. But there鈥檚 something about those Star Wars movies that captures her attention.听
鈥淚 love the idea of the Force听and trying to find balance,鈥 Levesque says. 鈥淎nd I think now, with everyone at home, is the perfect time for all of us to find that same kind of balance in our own lives.鈥澨
Levesque is a legend in the whitewater-kayaking world. Born in听Ontario, she听has been named to the Canadian national team five times and won a bronze medal in the World Championships in 2001. At 46, she still courts a host of sponsors and paddles听whitewater听regularly. In recent years, she鈥檚 hosted a series of in Barbados, Costa Rica, and the Blue Ridge Mountains听and has published听books and DVDs for would-be female kayakers. Her personal coaching听blends whitewater with stand-up paddleboarding, yoga, and meditation, for a holistic approach to mental and physical wellness. 鈥淲hitewater is the perfect scenario to learn about yourself, because on a certain level, you have to let go of control and face your fears,鈥 Levesque says. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what I originally loved about kayaking鈥攜ou have that exhilaration from being scared, but you have to act in spite of that fear. It鈥檚 a great way to cultivate courage, which is being afraid of something and doing it anyway.鈥澨
Levesque says she has always battled with fear and self-doubt, even when she was standing on the podium during her competitive days. She grew up skiing in Ontario听and played traditional team sports, but she didn鈥檛 discover听kayaking until she was a sophomore at the University of North Carolina at听Chapel Hill.
鈥淚 was never superconfident, even when I was running really hard stuff at the peak of my career,鈥 Levesque says. She picked up and meditation to help calm her mind during competitions. 鈥淥ur brains are designed to assess threats and dwell on the negative as a protective measure. The key is to not buy into those thoughts. That was my path as an athlete鈥攖o recognize and face that self-doubt. Now it鈥檚 my work to help other people find that courage.鈥
For Levesque, developing courage is an ongoing process that she continues to work through, whether it鈥檚 on the water or creating content for new paddlers. She says the first step is building a sense of self-awareness so you can recognize when negative thoughts start dictating how you react to a situation. This begins听with taking stock of your physical imbalances, something that鈥檚 important for older athletes who can be plagued by injury and fatigue. And now, when our routines are disrupted, is an opportune听time to do that.听
鈥淭hat was my path as an athlete鈥攖o recognize and face that self-doubt. Now it鈥檚 my work to help other people find that courage.鈥
鈥淎 lot of athletes are Type A听personalities who are built to work hard toward听a certain goal.听But that sort of singular movement can lead to tunnel vision and injury,鈥 Levesque says.听鈥淵ou have to be willing to open your mind to new movements and new ideas.鈥澨
Levesque still loves Class IV rapids, and she often paddles North Carolina听rivers like the Green and the North Fork of the French Broad. But she also mountain bikes, which helps work opposing muscles and joints, and she鈥檚 just as likely to hop on a SUP听for a yoga session as she is to bomb whitewater.
鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing like doing yoga on a paddleboard to make you aware of the imbalances in your body,鈥 Levesque says. If you鈥檙e not on that level, she says, practicing a can also help, as long as you鈥檙e choosing the right kind. 鈥淎thletes are usually drawn to power yoga because it feels like a workout, but if you鈥檙e working hard in your chosen sport, find a practice听that offers countermovements,鈥 she says. For instance, kayakers typically have tight hips, shoulders, and chests, so they need to practice yoga that and hips. Cyclists tend to have overworked quads and weak glutes, so their yoga practice should strengthen the posterior chain while stretching the front of the legs.听
Levesque practices and meditation for more than an hour every morning, which she admits can feel overwhelming to athletes new to the practice. Yet she insists that anyone can do it. 鈥淪mall听actions that you take consistently deliver compounding interest,鈥 she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 better to do ten听minutes of yoga four times a week听than an hour of yoga once a week. And now is the time to begin that practice. I see an opportunity here. When there鈥檚 so much doubt and uncertainty in the world, being generous to yourself is important. Focusing on what you can control听and letting go of what you can鈥檛听is important. You can鈥檛 control what happens to you, but you can control how you respond.鈥澨