Here I am, back where it all started. Whistler, BC has shaped me as a person more than I thought a place ever could. I first came here with my dad back in 98 as a chubby 9 year old, yet to start competitive swimming, yet to really start anything. At that age life basically revolves around friends, nintendo 64, pokemon cards and food...at least I'm pretty sure that's what I was into.
It was here 12 years ago that I began to fall in love with the mountains and snow as well as the trails, lakes and summer sun of possibly the best place in the world. BC certainly dubs itself as the greatest place on earth...and Whistler has to be one of the best places BC has to offer.
At the age of 9 you are yet to make your choices, develop your personality and adult opinions that will stay with you for life. It was somewhere between the years of 98 and now that Whistler managed to nestle its way into my life and make a nice home for itself, I'm pretty glad it decided to do it as well.
The outdoor lifestyle, easy going pace of life and lust for taking advantage of what you've got are all things I feel like Whistler's taught me over the years. Respecting nature, friends, family as well as always doing your best to have a good time, many lessons can be learned from a community...ones that you don't necessarily pick up in school.
Sitting here, 12 years on, on maybe my 20th trip to Whistler in the past 2 years I can say I'd happily never leave. As I've discovered over the past week it can provide a pretty intense training base with its hilly roads (very) and trails as well as quiet 25m pool and gym.
It's one of those places that sucks you in.
Mike
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