Personal Information

Name

Dave Gibson

Country

Canada

State or Province

Ontario

About me

I'm currently a corporate training consultant working with Summit Training & Development and living in Huntsville, Ontario with my wife Louise Choquette, two children Jeremie (17) and Sophie (16), and a hyperactive but lovable border collie, Lily. We're all runners and, except for Lily, dedicated Nordic skiers. (Lily would ski too if we'd let her.) I also coach local high school teams in cross country running and skiing ... an unending source of inspiration, believe me.
I have a great family and wonderful work. But life has seemed a bit too busy for years now. It's time to pause, however briefly, embrace a new challenge and allow some fresh, cool winds to blow the cobwebs out. I thought about running a marathon, maybe doing an extended canoe trip, a bike trip ... all too familiar as challenges go. And, so, enter Kilimanjaro.
Fortunately, my son Jeremie has enthusiastically offered to join me for what will be his first mountaineering expedition ever and the first for me in over 25 years. He's an excellent Nordic skier and an honours student. It will be great to have his positive attitude, inquisitive mind and 17-year-old legs along on the trip.
Why this mountain? Well, mountains themselves are such obvious metaphors for personal challenge, and I believe that embracing challenge keeps us young. The image of Kilimanjaro with it's distinctive, flat-topped cone just captures the imagination. Yet, as sensational as Kilimanjaro looks and sounds, I think ... and I hope I'm not underestimating ... it's snowy summit is a realistic goal for anyone who wants to dust off his old hiking boots, gather up a measure of determination, take a deep breath and simply go for it. And that's a perfect approach for me right now.
So, let the mountain speak. I'll be listening.

History

Member for

19 weeks 5 days