How I Found River Running - Cassie
My first memories of the river are when my dad treated the family to a day of commercial rafting. I was about 7, although my memories aren’t that clear, I remember thinking falling in the river would be fun. Then I saw some swimmers puking up water on the shore and realized the river is a strong force of nature and to be respected. A few years later, with no other rafting experience, my father went on to buy a raft. We had a few “adventures” with some major type two fun, then the raft was sold and I hadn't really thought about rafting until many years later, until I met a male kayaker in 2014.
He took me paddling and introduced me to some of my best friends, also known as the “Chi-Chis”. The first few years I was getting into whitewater, I identified as a stand up paddle boarder. However, after countless swims, aches and pains I moved to a raft. The Chi-Chis taught me the ins and out of multi-day river trips. They took me on my first trip down the Colorado River, from Westwater to Powell. It was a hoot. I didn't bring sunglasses, we found a dead body, and we had a stern talking to from a ranger (oops). My next overnight river trip was 24 days on the Grand Canyon. This trip was the first time I captained my own boat and fell in love with rowing.
Although the relationship eventually fizzled out, my love for rafting only grew stronger. I was afraid I would lose my river community when we broke up, but boy was I wrong. I was single and just about any raft guide was happy to take me down the river. One of those raft guides was Curtis Berklund, a friend I had met on a river trip many years before. He worked for a company called Elk Mountain Expeditions (EME) based out of Aspen. EME took me in, they let me paddle on their commercial trips and stay at their boatyard. So I moved to Aspen, Colorado, and by Summer 2020 I was in my rookie year guiding at EME. By 2022 I had become a class IV guide and one of only three women to ever guide a section called Slaughterhouse. To this day I plan on continuing my career as a Professional Raft Guide.
As someone who grew up playing sports, rafting has become my ultimate outlet. It challenges me both mentally and physically, pushing me to new heights with each trip down the river. Yes, there are moments of fear and uncertainty, but the sense of accomplishment that comes with it is unparalleled. There are many places that can only be accessed by river, and that to me is the most magical part of rafting. In a world filled with chaos and uncertainty, the river remains my constant. It's where I find solace, where I find freedom, and where I find myself. And for that, I am forever grateful. Never would have I ever guessed it would have provided me with the opportunity to compete as Team USA and I am so excited for what’s to come.