I have always had the travel bug and have been to several countries when I used to race as an elite level triathletes. I moved to New Zealand in 2002 for university and enjoyed exploring the country as much as I could, which was somewhat limited due to being a broke ass student. In 2006, I moved to Canada (Victoria, initially, before moving to Vancouver) and started a business, which put travelling on the backburner.

I travelled maybe once a year until 2017, when (after a health scare), I decided to start exploring more often. Despite two+ years of no travel due to the pandemic, I have been to 16 countries since and to 30 in total.

I tend to choose my travel destinations based on either photography locations, cycling destination, or ideally a combination of the two. It's a serious packing challenge with all the gear needed for both!

Here is a map of the countries I visited so far. 30 down, so many more to go!

Photography
I always had an interest in art and was an art major in high school, going as far as having my work displayed in several exhibitions and I even sold a few pieces (drawing, mostly). I never had any intention in pursuing art as a career and always wanted to be a scientist working with athletes, which is what I do within my business, but I find photography to be a fantastic creative outlet that allows me to explore my artistic side while also exploring the world. It also teaches me patience (which I seriously lack) and I love how it can be technical and creative at the same time.

Similar to traveling, I got into photography more seriously in 2015 and more so after my first photography workshop in 2017.

Cycling
I started riding bikes competitively in 1992, as an 11 year old, so I won't get into all that here because I assume you don't have all day... If you are curious, you can read about my cycling background and current work within the industry on my website, and/or go to this article on my endurance sports publication.

While the amount I ride has had its ebbs and flows throughout the years, it has always been a huge part of my daily life and I doubt that will ever change.

Celiac Disease
My journey towards a diagnosis started in 2004, when I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. After a lot of tests and various health challenges, I have been following a strict gluten free diet since 2009.

I am often asked if it is a preference or an allergy... But it is neither. It is a serious autoimmune condition and if I had a choice, I would absolutely love to be able to eat everything gluten... I often say that my relationship status with gluten is unrequited love: I love it, but it does not love me back. It is what it is.

Being celiac is a challenge every day, but more so when traveling to foreign countries where there is often a language barrier, different customs around food, etc. Add the need to fuel long and hard bike rides while traveling and you can find yourself in trouble.

Business
I have been a business owner since 2006, pretty much straight out of university. I work as a bike fitter, cycling industry consultant, endurance coach and sports nutritionist. You can visit my website Performance Training to learn more and if you're into cycling and/or endurance sports, feel free to check out my Endurance Collective publication.

I might use this platform to share lessons from business, but to be honest, I have not decided if I am into that just yet. If YOU are into that, just let me know in the comments or by getting in touch via email.