Active Champions

Colin Angus

First human-powered circumnavigation of the earth by hiking, skiing, canoeing and rowing.

What Activities Keep You Fit and Active?
My favourite forms of exercise are cycling, jogging, kayaking and rowing. When I'm quite busy with work, my two principle forms of exercise are jogging and cycling. I use a bicycle for all my urban transportation needs, whether picking up groceries or going to a meeting.

What Motivated You to Become Active?
As a kid we spent a lot of time hiking and fishing, and I noticed I felt much better after long periods of strenuous exercise. As I got older I made sure to continually incorporate fitness in my life in order to maintain my physical and emotional health. Now, with the problems associated with global warming, it is more important than ever to use our muscles instead of machines.

How Do You Motivate Yourself to Stay Fit?
Motivation is the single most important factor in staying fit. Inherently animals are hard-wired to try conserving energy by reducing physical activity and eating as much as possible. Although this worked well in the jungle, it is devastating in our modern world of abundance and convenience. One good form of motivation is getting rid of the car, which will force you to walk and cycle more.

What Are the Benefits of Being Fit?
We live in a physical world, and our bodies have been designed to interact with this environment. If we do not maintain our bodies by eating healthy food and exercising, our enjoyment of the physicality is hugely diminished. The benefits of staying in shape include increased lifespan, better mental health, fewer physical ailments, the ability to participate in more physical activities, and looking sexier. Who wouldn't want that?

Who Are/Were Your Role Models?
My greatest role model was Robin Lee Graham, a 16-year old Californian who sailed solo around the planet. His feat inspired me to buy my own sailboat at a young age and sail across the oceans. I also found other explorers such as Heyerdahl and Shackleton to be extremely inspiring.

Hobbies/Interests?
I enjoy hiking, kayaking, reading, photography and planning long-distance human-powered journeys.

Thrills?
There's nothing more exciting than voyaging a turbulent river in a whitewater raft.

Favourite Things?
Unspoilt BC wilderness and my wife-to-be, Julie.

www.angusadventures.com

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