Which line exactly do you mean that doesn't fit the rest?
Sorry.... this always happens to me when keep commenting on so many threads at a time. This is the one;
The words of encouragement coming from my peers and advisor did nothing for me.
This is not grammatically incorrect or even lacks clarity. I wish you presented it in a more creative way... Just a thought :)
If I added something like At first, I thought the change from my normal style to this type of rappelling was beyond my abilities, but once I experienced it, I knew I could handle unforeseen challenges. would that help clarify how I feared the change but I surpassed it?
I think it's better you tell about the change at the beginning of experience.I mean while you begin to talk about your experience (don't wait until you finish telling them the experience) Take the focus "need for changing your style"