Rains earlier in the week had swollen the waters of Dickenson County’s Russell Fork River, but with years of experience and training Mike Brown was confident as he set out down the Russell in his kayak. With an adrenaline rush equaled only by satisfaction Brown, who is an instructor of graphic design at Southwest Virginia Community College, navigated the river, unaware of the danger ahead that would catch him completely off guard, forcing him to put all his skills to use as he found himself fighting for his life.
Ahead was a hole in the water-a reversal as it is known among river enthusiasts, created by the water rushing over rocks or a ledge causing a depression and creating a trap, snaring objects in an out-of-control hold. With no warning Brown found himself in the swirling mess and for the next fifteen minutes he would battle the havoc, three times being flipped and finding himself beneath his kayak, and three times performing combat rolls, forced rollovers that maneuvered the kayak back into an upright position. With fatigue setting in and years of training under his belt Brown considered all options in a situation that had now become a matter of life and death.
“I found myself upside down, submerged in the river with my kayak above me,” Brown recounts. “I performed what is known as combat rolls, forcing my kayak to roll back in an upright position. After the third time, and knowing I was becoming physically exhausted, I made the decision to leave my kayak. I found myself being carried by the current but able to better control my situation, and then about a mile from where my kayak became stuck I found an eddy where I could make it up on the river bank.” Sometime later Brown, along with the group he was with, recovered his kayak, finding it about four miles down stream poised in a calm whole of water.”
Mike Brown began his college career in 1985 while still in the eighth grade, enrolling in summer courses, a practice he continued throughout his time at Richlands High School. “I’d pick up a class during the summer,” said Brown. “I began with a weightlifting class and then started taking some of the basic English and math courses I knew I’d need to complete a degree, and that would also help me with various high school subjects.”
Graduating from Richlands High School in 1990 Brown immediately enrolled at Southwest to work toward his degree. “I graduated from high school and four days later began college classes,” he says. “I took drafting courses that the college offered that summer.”
College was a comfort zone for Brown, coming to work with his mother Alice Brown, a psychology instructor for the college. While he was very young the halls on the hill were familiar surroundings-a second home. This early exposure to a college environment gave Brown a unique vision of education and an easier transition when he eventually transferred to East Tennessee State University. “After I graduated from Southwest with an associate degree in Drafting Design in 1992 transferring to ETSU was a very easy transition. I had communicated with ETSU and planned ahead, things I encourage my own students to do,” Brown said. “I also took classes that I knew would transfer. This is very important for all students to realize, to take courses that will be effective at their transfer institution.”
Graduating from ETSU in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in Design Graphics Brown immediately began working on his master’s degree through ETSU and shortly received an invitation to return Southwest and teach basic Windows and Excel as an adjunct professor, a door that opened to a full time instructor’s position with Southwest in 1998.
Between this time and completing his master’s degree from ETSU Brown felt he needed to get involved in some physical activities to help him stay in shape. “I started weightlifting and began rock climbing classes and loved it,” he says. “I loved being outside and getting involved in different activities.” Brown credits the rock climbing and rappelling classes with boosting his confidence. “I had a little bit of a fear of heights, but through these classes I developed my confidence.” Brown surprises fellow rock climbing enthusiasts when he tells them he teaches computer classes at Southwest. “It’s like, ‘hey the geek can climb’ I get a kick out of that,” Brown says. “I’ve met a lot of new people, and developed some strong friendships. This is a sport where you really rely on the people you’re with and this grows some close bonds.”
Brown’s enthusiasm for the sport led him to teach rock climbing and rappelling classes at Southwest. “Climbing and rappelling has opened a lot of doors for me and encouraged me to participate in other activities such as snowboarding, skiing, and kayaking.” He also found that he learned a lot from his subsequent adventures. “Situations can be thrown at you from out of nowhere,” said Brown. “You need to be prepared to deal with them. These types of activities prepare you to deal with many different types of scenarios.”
To improve his skills and make him a more capable climber Brown invested time in safety classes sponsored by various institutions. “The first safety class I attended was primarily for firemen and rescue squad personnel,” said Brown. “The class was sponsored by the Virginia Volunteer Rescue Squad Association and at the completion of the class I earned a certification in vertical rescue.”
Brown’s many certifications, compounded by years of experience and other training, gives him the ability to provide his students the best climbing and rappelling encounter possible. “I’m very confident I give my students the experience, the thrill, and the training, all in an informed manner and a safe environment, needed to learn the basics of rock climbing and rappelling.”
For additional information about the rock climbing and rappelling class contact Mike Brown at 276.964.7703 or 276.964.7229, email at mike.brown@sw.edu.