We are grateful to be paired with this wonderful group. With all the comedians on our team, it seems we will be laughing the entire way up the mountain. Afterall, we need something to distract us from all the ice spiders!
Many thanks to our teammates for divulging! This is going to be a great adventure!
You already know us, but just in case you wanted to know more...
Here it is:
We are the married couple on the team...
Michele
Age: 27
Hometown: Raceland, Louisiana
Occupation: Program coordinator for a local non-profit and one of the many smiley front desk folks at Island Fitness
Motivation for joining the Train to Climb program: To "jump start" a life full of healthy, challenging, and fun activities.
What do you hope to accomplish during this experience? I know this is cheesy, but being able to train AND climb with my husband. An incredible bonding experience.
Biggest challenge of the training and/or climbing: Altitude sickness is in the back of my mind... And being confident in my strength and ability to make it to the top.
A little unknown fact about you: I'm half Polish. (blue eyes, fat cheeks)
And just for giggles, your favorite food: sushi
Richie
Age: 29
Hometown: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Occupation: Software Engineer
Motivation for joining the Train to Climb program: (psst. see Michele's :)
What do you hope to accomplish during this experience? To learn how to push myself beyond my limits, both physically and mentally.
Biggest challenge of the training and/or climbing: Endurance, endurance, endurance!
A little unknown fact about you: I finished a PhD program in Computer Science and I have a thing for holograms...
Your favorite food: My mom's spaghetti and meatballs! Magnifico!
The Father-Daughter team...
Tom & Theora
TheoraAge: 20 on the climb, and the youngest member of the team.
Hometown: Bainbridge Island, WA
Occupation: Student at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon
Motivation for joining the Train to Climb program: My dad invited me to climb with him and I though, 'Hey, why not?' I did a NOLS semester in the Rockies about a year and a half ago and miss the outdoors and I thought this would be a great, challenging way to get back into my boots.
What do you hope to accomplish during this experience?
Biggest challenge of the training and/or climbing: Learning how to manage my time better among school, training, extracurricular activities, sports and (hopefully) some sort of social life.
A little known fact about me: I am a Barack Obama precinct delegate for Liberty 325.
Just for giggles, your favorite food: This week it is definitely curries... with rice and veggies of course!
Tom
Age: 58 on the climb
Hometown: The Radburn Community in Fair Lawn, N. J. (Yes, also home of Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce in the US of A!)
Occupation: N'er do well, mostly. Currently in my Renaissance as an empty nester exploring my passion to promote joy-in-work and sustainability in business through managerial leadership development.
Motivation for joining the Train to Climb program: Feeling the desire to renew myself physically, mentally and spiritually and inspired by Theora's (my daughter) adventures in the Rockies through NOLS, I became intrigued by the possibilities through a commitment to summit Mt. Rainier.
What do you hope to accomplish during this experience? I hope to make some new friends, share a worthy challenge with them and my daughter, and discover some capabilities in myself. I also want to know if the rumors of ice spiders on Rainier are true and whether or not snoring at altitude is better.
Biggest challenge of the training and/or climbing: Never much for exercise for exercise's sake, I kept in shape through my mid-30's through the fun of playing lacrosse and soccer. My biggest challenge is to find the discipline required to regain that level of well-being that comes from being in shape and actively engaged in physical endeavor. Hopefully my commitment to summit Mt. Rainier will become the currency of my conviction.
A little known fact about me: I participated in the largest demonstration in US history, two million strong at the Vietnam Peace Moratorium in 1969 in Washington, D.C.
And just for giggles, your favorite food: Without a doubt almost any kind of tuna salad.
Ellen
Ellen will be climbing Mt. Adams. Hopefully we can convince her to dance up Rainier, too!
Age: 56
Hometown: Malverne, Long Island, New York
Occupation: Construction Project Manager
Motivation for joining the Train to Climb program: To develop new skills, get healthy and meet some new folks!
What do you hope to accomplish during this experience? To get back into my body, to feel confidence in my body again.
Biggest challenge of the training and/or climbing: Finding the time is a bit difficult sometimes, but I have made the commitment and I am finding the time to get into the gym. I am trying hard to get to a good baseline for my cardio.
A little known fact about me: I had a small kayak business on BI about 10 years ago, called BI Adventures!
And just for giggles, your favorite food: Bread, in any shape or size, and avocado’s.
Melanie
Age: 43
Hometown: Warwickshire, England
Occupation: Registered Nurse
Motivation for joining the Train to Climb program: Doing something totally different and outside the comfort zone.
What do you hope to accomplish during this experience? Learn more about myself physically and mentally.
Biggest challenge of the training and/or climbing: Knowing whether what I do will be enough.
A little unknown fact about you: I'm an adrenaline junky. (Too many years in crazy situations as a nurse.)
And just for giggles, your favorite food: Curry, of course! I'm English!
Tim
Age: 51
Hometown: Barnsley, Yorkshire (UK)
Occupation: Retired molecular biologist
Motivation for joining the Train to Climb program: After admiring the view of Mt. Rainier from down here for 18 years, I can no longer contain my curiosity about the view from up there!
What do you hope to accomplish during this experience? I hope to conquer my crazy fear of heights.
Biggest challenge of the training and/or climbing: Finding out half way up the mountain that I haven’t conquered my crazy fear of heights!
A little unknown fact about you: I coxed my college racing crew at Cambridge (I was a lot skinnier back then!)
Favorite food: I can’t decide between Steak & Kidney Pudding and my wife’s tuna casserole.
Eric
Age: 61
Hometown: New York City
Occupation: Consultant to non-profit organizations
Motivation for joining the Train to Climb program: I’ve done a lot of wilderness backpacking and hiking, but have been “out” of it for a few years – and I saw this as an opportunity to get re-engaged with the wilderness, and get in shape for doing more of this.
What do you hope to accomplish during this experience? Getting in good shape, seeing what I’m capable of at this stage of my life. Also, the awesome beauty of it!
Biggest challenge of the training and/or climbing: Getting me up and out of the cold tent at midnight when I’ll want to sleep and stay warm. No really, it’s about regaining confidence.
A little known fact about me: I built my own log cabin outside of Yakima, Washington in 1973. I also did an 8-day solo trip in the Yosemite backcountry about 8-9 years ago, and went almost 3 days without seeing another person.
And just for giggles, your favorite food: Peanut butter laced with dark chocolate. And grilled king salmon.
Vern
Age: 51 (okay, 52 by the time we climb)
Hometown: Port Townsend, WA
Occupation: Terminal Supervisor for Washington State Ferries
And Current President of Terminal Supervisors Union (FASPAA)
Motivation for joining the Train to Climb program: The experience and stories that my wife Julie has shared with about her experience in the 2006 Train to Climb program and a trip to Europe in June for a walking tour around Mont Blanc that will require me to be in
halfway decent shape.
What do you hope to accomplish during this experience? Meet some new people, overcome a couple of things that I am not comfortable with (high places and lots of snow) and not screwing up the 100% success rate of the program.
Biggest challenge of the training and/or climbing: I have been told over the last couple of years that I have a tendency to overtrain, so I need to work hard but not work too hard. Doesn't seem like this would be a hard thing to figure out, but it has been exceptionally difficult for me.
A little known fact about me: Was a Criminal Justice major at WSU and worked for several years as a Reserve Police Officer in Port Townsend. Yes, the thought of me carrying a gun is scary.
And just for giggles, your favorite food: Unless it's liver, pretty much whatever is in front of me at the moment.
Michael (with the "Loves of his life.")
Age: 54
Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts
Occupation: Owner of a local fitness center!
Motivation for joining the Train to Climb program: I'm at home in the mountains, love a physical challenge and am blown away by the night sky, at altitude.
What do you hope to accomplish during this experience? Experiencing something new, even though I've done this before, and getting to know cool people and helping them challenge themselves to achieve the ultimate goal, getting to the top & back again!
Biggest challenge of the training and/or climbing: Believing in the potential for success for everyone on the team, but recognizing that there is only so much I can do to get us there.
A little unknown fact about you: Most people know I was a commercial fisherman for many years, what many people don't know is how much I loved it! There's something very pure about living by the wind, current & tides.
And just for giggles, your favorite food: sushi, lobster, lobster sushi
No comments:
Post a Comment