Susan Norman – A Life Saved by the River: Risk, Adventure, and the Power of Trusting Yourself

In this episode of the Tough Girl Podcast, we meet Susan Norman — a former National and World Champion in whitewater kayaking and rafting, hydrologist, coach, and now author of RISK: A Life Saved by the River.

Susan’s story is one of courage, flow, and resilience. From the roaring rapids of international whitewater competition to the quiet, uncertain waters of parenting her young nephew, she’s navigated life’s toughest challenges with the same instinct, grit, and grace that made her a world-class paddler.

Now retired from her career with the U.S. Forest Service and living in Lake Tahoe, California, Susan reflects on how rivers shaped her identity — not just as an athlete, but as a woman learning to make her own risk assessments, trust her judgement, and face fear head-on.

In this conversation, Susan opens up about:

• Finding belonging and strength in the early days of women’s paddling
• The lessons whitewater taught her about resilience and decision-making
• Her journey into writing and how storytelling became an extension of adventure
• What it really means to take good risks — on the river and in life

Get ready for a deeply thoughtful episode about flow, fear, and finding freedom through the wild power of water.

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Show notes

• Who is Susan Norman
• Living in Lake Tahoe, California
• Working for the US Forest Service
• Being retired for 7 years 
• Starting her journey and learning new creative writing skills
• Book: RISK: A Life Saved by the River 
• Her childhood (with her twin brother) and early years 
• Her interest in rivers and how her father inspired her 
• Her transition from teenager to adult 
• White water paddling as an amateur sport 
• Competing as a teenager 
• Jamie McEwan 
• Wanting to increase her skill set
• Going to high school in the early 1970s 
• Not having many older female role models 
• Dads and daughters on the river 
• Forming a tribe and connecting with the other girls during her teenage years 
• The relationship with her mum who was diagnosed with MS 
• Being raised by a single father 
• Replacing family with the paddling community 
• Being part of the first wave of women getting into a high level of paddling
• Paddling amongst the best paddlers in the world 
• Analysing and making decisions based on her own risk assessments 
• Learning to trust her own judgement
• A life saved by the river 
• Working with a writing coach 
• Telling her story, while raising her nephew
• Taking her nephew on river trips 
• Taking 6 years to write the book 
• Trying to figure out how to raise a child 
• Facing hard things and not being able to see a path through 
• Not knowing how things will turn out and taking it one day at a time
• Taking challenging in small steps
• Giving an ultimatum to her partner 
• Going through the teenage years
• Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD)
• Adventuring with children and why you should go as soon as you