What a 20-mile canoe race taught me about teamwork, and tackling engineering challenges.
Liz Ruchte
About a year ago, my dad and I participated in the Gator Chase, a 20-mile canoe race that’s part of the larger Texas Water Safari series. The full Safari is a legendary 260-mile race down the Guadalupe and San Marcos rivers, widely considered one of the toughest endurance races out there, so major kudos to the athletes who take on the whole thing each summer. The Gator Chase is a shorter section and often serves as an early-season warm-up for those who will be competing in the full race.
Both my dad and I had only ever rowed or canoed recreationally. The idea to compete together came partly from the friendly competitive streak that runs in my family and partly from the fact that my dad had just finished building his own canoe. What better way to break it in than a 20-mile run down the Guadalupe River?
(Handmade cedar strip canoe)
We did our novice best to prepare. We took the canoe out on the water a handful of times to test things: seat placement, paddle feel, balance. Usually about an hour on the water each time. It wasn’t intense training, but it gave us enough confidence to know we could take on the challenge. We knew there would be unknowns, and honestly, we welcomed them.
One thing that became clear pretty quickly was that we were a bit out of our league. Many of the competitors were seasoned paddlers using this event to prepare for the full race later in the summer. The course had more obstacles than we expected: trees, stumps, a “cut,” and even a literal fork in the river with no clear guidance on which way to go. At one point, and possibly more than once, our canoe completely flipped, leaving us waist-deep in the water, working together to right the boat and get back on course.
(Liz and Ted finishing the Gator Chase)
I knew we'd face curveballs and unexpected challenges. But I never doubted we'd reach the finish.
When I reflect on that experience, I realize that in the months leading up to the race, and even as we pulled up to the starting line that morning, I never once questioned whether we would be able to complete the course.
I’m truly proud of what we accomplished, but the experience also left me wondering: Why was I so confident going into this? I knew it wouldn’t be easy. I knew we’d face curveballs and unexpected challenges. But I never doubted we’d reach the finish line.
The answer is simple: trust. Trust in myself, and most importantly trust in my teammate.
We didn’t have all the answers, and our preparation wasn’t perfect. But we trusted that we could figure things out together. Pivot when needed. Adapt to whatever the river throws at us and keep moving forward.
I often find myself thinking about that experience in the context of our work. Unlike my canoeing experience, our team at Pump is made up of incredibly seasoned engineers with deep experience across challenges, products, and industries.. They are some of the most talented engineers I’ve worked with throughout my career, and that expertise gives us a strong foundation when approaching any new project.
We’re also not naïve to the fact that every client and every project is unique. Nothing is ever a simple copy and paste. Each project brings its own twists, challenges, and discoveries along the way. Sometimes those moments feel a lot like flipping the canoe.
At Pump we can take on any challenge and provide thoughtful, impactful solutions for every project and client we work with.
What’s most important, just like on the river, is trust in the team. The confidence that we can navigate challenges both individually and together, adjust when needed, and keep moving toward the finish line while delivering real value and meaningful solutions for our clients.
I have no doubt that at Pump we can take on any challenge and continue to provide thoughtful, impactful solutions for every project and client we work with. We’ve been in the canoe a lot, maybe not on this river, and we might get wet along the way, but we are up to the challenge.
