Jackson Anderson is a self-described jack-of-all-trades. At any given moment you can find the 11-year-old enjoying everything from mountain biking and rock climbing to playing video games with his friends and even beatboxing! He explains that, as someone with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), he gets bored easily with any one activity. Yet, when he does discover something he’s interested in, he can absorb himself in it for hours on end.
He also has an incredible mind for risk assessment. He understands that fear is part of outdoor experience, and knows when to follow his keen intuition. When approaching any task, whether it’s navigating a mountain trail or settling down to a school assignment, he naturally applies what’s known as the Risk Matrix. He describes an accident that took place during a group mountain biking activity and how it influenced the way he views the sport.
After listening to this episode of The Avid Adventurer, you’ll understand why host Dave Secunda believes Jackson has a bright future in risk management if he wants one. Jackson shares his number one rule for parents to follow when deciding whether to enroll their children in outdoor activities, and the most important thing to remember once their children are enrolled!
Quotes
- “I am a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to a really odd skillset.” (2:15 | Jackson Anderson)
- “Because I have ADHD my brain gets incredibly bored when I do too much of the same thing. I’ll be playing video games and think, ‘I’m bored of this.’ And then I’ll go hang out with friends or something and say, ‘I’m bored of this.’ And I’ll go back to playing video games.” (6:43 | Jackson Anderson)
- “That is one of the pros of the type of ADHD I have. If I want to, I can stay focused on one thing and not even notice if something else happens.” (8:30 | Jackson Anderson)
- “Being scared is a thing. It’s going to happen.” (13:52 | Jackson Anderson)
- “Sometimes my brain just says, ‘No.’ Even if I’ve done stuff that’s worse than that and been fine.” (15:12 | Jackson Anderson)
- “I look at something and my brain, no matter what type of thing it is, even if it’s writing or reading or something and my brain says, ‘How can this go wrong? What happens if this goes wrong? And what is the probability of it going wrong?’” (17:09 | Jackson Anderson)
Links
Avid4 Adventure website: www.avid4.com
Avid4 on Instagram: @avid4adventure
Avid4 Adventure on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@avid4adventure
Email the host: podcast@avid4.com
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