Every year in pamplona, Spain, hundreds of people run alongside 1,300-pound (600-kilo) bulls, just for the fun of it. And every year at least a few of these people are injured, some seriously. yet this does not stop people from participating in the event.
What is it that drives some people to embrace extreme risks, while the rest of us run to the safety of the sidelines? Lester Keller, a longtime coach and sports-psychology coordinator for the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, says that not everyone has the mental character to excel in dangerous pursuits. He notes that most of us reach a point that limits our appetite for extreme risk and, as a result, our ability to perform well in dangerous conditions. But others have a much higher tolerance for risk. Take the example of Daron Rahlves, a top U.S. downhill ski racer. "The high element of risk makes you fell alive, tests what you are made of and how far you can take yoursafe," Rahlves said in a previous interview with U.S. Ski team Staff. "I'm not looking for danger. I'm in it for the challenge, my heart thumping as I finish, the feeling of being alive," he said. " I definitely get scared on some of the courses. It just makes me fight more...That's when i do best.
The fear that driver many people away from the risks of extreme sport may be the same ingredient that keeps others coming back for more. Mountaineer AL Read has logged many notable first ascents over the course of his climbing career. Having climbed for over 40 years, Read says no longer pushes to the extreams as he once did--but the feeling is still vivid. "I can remember when i was getting into situations where i thought that at any moment i could be killed," he told national Geographic News. "...I would say, '...I'll never do this again.' But we'd get back down, and when we were safe we'd say, 'Man was that great!'" he recalled. "You forget how scary it was, and you go back again."
In addition to not being afraid of risks, certain people may perceive risk differently from others. Shane Murphy, a sports psychologist and professor at Western Connecticut State University,has worked with Olympians and other athletes. He says he is truck by the way they redefine risk according to their skills, experience, and environment. He worked with a group climbing Everest without oxygen, which to him was the riskiest thing anyone could do. But the climbers took every precaution to prepare themselves for this climb. As Murphy describes it, "To them it was the next step in an activity that they've done for years. They weren't going out there to get hurt." Murphy said the perspective of extreme athletes is very different from our own. "We look at a risky situation and know that if we were in that situation, we would be out of control," he said. "But from the athletes' perspective, they have a lot of control, and there are a lot of things that they do to minimize risk." Statistically, mountain climbing is not as risky as people think it is. Our perceived risk of the sport leaves the majority of us at the bottom of the mountain.
Another key aspect of risk perception may be something referred to as "the flow" or "the zone." It is a state in which many athletes describe becoming absorbed in pursuits that focus the mind completely on the present. "Something that makes you begin climbing, perhaps, is that your adrenaline flows and you become very concentrated on what you're doing," Read said. "After it's over there's exhilaration . You wouldn't have that same feeling if the risk hadn't been there. " Psychologists note that some people seem to have a strong craving for adrenaline rushes as a thrill-seeking behavior or personality trait. As a result, these types of people may always be driven to adventures that others consider extreme. "I can enjoy hitting the tennis ball around, because that's my skill level," Murphy said. "But others might need the challenge of Olympic competition.