I have always loved sports and, while a student, considered the gym to be my second home starting back when I attended Point Grey and Lord Byng Secondary Schools in the late 1950’s and 60’s. Since I was in the gym all the time anyway the PE staff put me in charge of PE equipment for intramurals at lunch hour and after school. I played on the school basketball, soccer, track and field and badminton teams, and received the PE Service medal and block award in my senior year.
I was good at sports and enjoyed teaching and coaching, so Phys Ed seemed like the natural thing to pursue. While at UBC, Varsity Gymnastics took a lot of my time and I was active on the PE student council. After graduation from UBC in 1971, I was fortunate to get a position in Vancouver teaching Grade 7 and Phys Ed. This was the beginning of a very rewarding career in the education system. In 1973, I completed my MEd Degree in Curriculum and Supervision.
One of the great benefits of teaching today is the great variety of positions you can experience. Quite honestly, no two years are the same. In my career, other than being a classroom teacher, I was assigned to the Board Office in Curriculum Studies, had many years as Department Head, enjoyed many coaching responsibilities, chaired and participated in numerous committees, and held the position of Vice-Principal. Perhaps the most interesting challenge during the 80’s and 90’s was conquering this challenging new invention called the computer – from pencil and paper to keyboard and screen!
At age 58 and after 32 years of teaching in Vancouver and Richmond I retired in 2003 and began my second career as a community volunteer.
In September of 2003 I began a 10 year relationship as volunteer and coordinator of the Richmond Terry Fox Run. In 2009, my wife and I were heavily involved with the new Richmond Olympic Oval and were volunteer managers for many Long Track Speed Skating events in preparation for the Olympic Games in 2010. Since then we have become Olympic Oval Ambassadors giving tours to visiting delegations from all over the world as they come to see one of the most successful post Olympic venues ever built.
Perhaps the most rewarding venture for my wife and me has been the founding and coordination of the Forever Young Club – a walk/run club for seniors 55+. Three times per week we gather for an hour of exercise and an hour of coffee. We have 140 members on our mailing list – some with heart conditions, arthritis, cancer, diabetes and dementia but this doesn’t stop them from being active. Any and all alumni over age 55 are welcome to join us on a run! We also founded the Forever Young 8K 55+ an event specifically for seniors and perhaps unique in Canada. We will be having our 5th annual 8K this September at the Richmond Oval. See www.foreveryoung8k.ca In our second running we had a world record made in the Ladies 85 – 89 age category!
Since retiring, I am proud to have received the Richmond Volunteer of the Year Award in 2009, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal in 2012, and the Canada 150 Commemoration medal in 2017 for community service. I am sure that my good foundation as a UBC Phys Ed grad many years ago has given me the confidence and skills to carry on in the world of fitness.
