I met Vern in an office environment. We were both in the same role, sat close together, and had the habit of arriving early. Thus, we quickly got to know a little about each other.
Vern was immediately a very interesting person to me. It quickly became apparent that he was a ‘no nonsense’, get the job done, kind of guy. I soon learned that Vern had some very interesting life passions. One of them being to summit mountains on a regular basis. When I first learned of this, I was instantly fascinated.
I have had the amazing opportunity to summit a variety of peaks on my bike. Vern was a man who summited monstrous beasts by climbing with his hands and feet.
When Vern came into my life, it was during a time when I was trying to change my perception of what was normal by embarking on a cycling challenge to climb a hefty number of metres within a ten day period. Little did I realize that I had the perfect cube mate to talk to about my daily progress, or lack thereof. Not only did he understand what it meant to ascend a certain number of meters, he was literally climbing up the sides of mountains on a regular basis. When I would arrive in the morning, and share my climbing progress from the previous day, he was there to listen, provide encouragement and support, and completely make me believe that I could simply do what I had targeted for that day.
Vern loves the outdoors. He loves mountains. He loves sleeping under the stars. He has summited an incredible number of peaks. He walks, hikes, skis, canoes, and climbs. He is a true mountain man.
He is one the most real people I have ever met. He simply is who he is. If you want to have a real discussion on most any topic, this is your man. He is open, honest, and living the way he believes is right for him. Despite the number of mountains he has climbed, he is simply Vern.
Regardless of what your passions are, and whether or not they include climbing mountains, I highly encourage you to check out Vern’s Website. I guarantee you will find it fascinating, and you will learn something. If you are a mountaineer, you will find a wealth of information. It is incredible the job that Vern has done to share very valuable information with others.
There are many things that caught my eye here. One that really stuck out for me was that on exercise, Vern points out that it’s what you do in bad weather that really counts. I loved this point, and it is so true. It made me think back to the times that I was really cold or really wet or simply really uncomfortable and how much I learned from these experience.
As I mentioned, despite the number of mountains Vern has conquered, he is a completely down to earth, grounded, human. In fact, there is an area on his website where he completely and totally opens up about his weight battle. As terrifying as it must be for some of us to think about scaling up the side of a mountain, I can’t imagine how scary it would be to open up with the level of honesty that Vern does. He takes the plunge and shares everything about his struggle with his own weight and what he has learned over the years. Regardless of where you are at, and how well or not well you are doing with your own weight and body image, I highly recommend you take a read.
Vern points out some really important things that we don’t want to admit or think about. For example, he points out that when we turn down food we often receive negative reactions. Just think about this for a minute. How many times have you eaten in a social setting because you felt like it was the polite thing to do? He talks about the importance of consistency and support in trying to choose a healthy lifestyle and maintain a certain weight.
Again, take a read…you will learn something.
I am so thankful that Vern appeared in my life. Having someone like him in my life is a great reminder as to how much I can do and that I should never stop trying.
Just a Girl and a Bike 
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