P+P: What would people be surprised to learn about you?
RSS: It's no surprise to most that I love water. I've been surfing and skiing and splashing in beaches and pools since before I was walking. [...] What may surprise people is that one of my first encounters with the sea nearly ended very, very badly. It was certainly something that probably should have made me avoid water altogether for the rest of my life. As a young child, I was caught in an undertow while vacationing on a North Carolina beach. After my older brother got sucked-in trying to pull me from the current, my mother grabbed my arm and yanked me to safety. I was rushed up the beach and checked out and after I came to, I was taught a life lesson that I will never forget. While sitting in the sand, still in shock and with tears of fear still on my face, my father looked down at me and said softly, "You know, at some point you're going to have to go back in the water." It was a subtle, but powerful message, one that's stayed with me and I return to often: In life you will face some tough times and scary moments, but to overcome and succeed, you have to get back up, dust yourself off and try again.
- People:
- R. Scott Sutton
- Places:
- Dallas