When I started working as a first aid attendant in construction, I realized I had found a great fit for me. I love the outdoors and doing work that involves being active, so for me, construction and the people that work in it are tons of fun! When my job wrapped up in 2009, construction was slow due to the recession. Ironically it was then I decided I would start my own business. I had gained a lot of great opportunities and experience through working for temp labour companies; however, I saw areas of operations that I personally wanted to improve upon for myself and future employees.I gained a small amount of funding through a government program and started fumbling my way through the steps it takes to start a business. I wore all the hats! I worked on building the back end of the business, gaining clients and worked every job that came in. I kept working on sites regularly until I intentionally let my first aid ticket expire in 2017 in order to stay focused on working ON the businesses vs IN. I still remember hiring my first employee, working days on Active and night shifts on site, bringing in my first support staff and how amazed I was when we hit that crucial 5 year mark. The last 5+ years have been intentional, steady focus on building the management team and sustainable growth. Using our company core values (Professional, Walk the Talk, Above and Beyond, Invest in People & Positive Players) as tools to navigate difficult decisions, set employee expectations and choose where to spend our time has given us a guide to follow and has helped us grow. I am very proud and honored to work with an exceptional team of individuals both in the office and in the field, who resonate with our values and bring them out in their work every day.Developing Active has been the biggest learning experience of my life, for which I am very grateful.

For several summers I worked weekends packing parachutes at Pacific Skydivers mainly to pay for my personal skydives. With the job came a certain degree of responsibility and attention to detail. I love skydiving, it is an important hobby in my life since I did my first tandem jump in 2006. People sometimes laugh when I answer 'what's it like?' or 'why do you do it?' with 'it's so relaxing..'. Of course it also involves the expected experiences such excitement, exhilaration, a healthy dose of fear, challenge, adrenaline rush, success and failure. There is so much I take away and leave behind at the drop zone. Family is a huge part. People from all walks of life and countries around the world, come together through a shared love of this sport, forming a giant dysfunctional family. I could travel the world and never be far from a dz I would be welcomed to call home.Jumpers are big on safety... and big on fun. Life is short, all the more reason to enjoy as much of it as possible. We look out for each other and hold each other accountable. I have learned a lot about trust through this sport. We recognize one anothers accomplishments (all be it with pies in faces and champagne showers), and support one another in achieving goals and through hard times.Skydiving resets my perspective. High above the busy race below I am completely focused on the present. The past is truly irrelevant, the future, immediate. The climb to altitude is spent visualizing my role in the jump ahead and the appreciation of how beautiful the mountains, the river, the beaches, the sunset, the fields, and my friends are in this moment. There is a shared calm beneath the drone of the planes engines as we climb, underlined for myself with heart fluttering anticipation. We all share a handshake, the door opens, and when it's my go, I let go. I breathe, I smile, I scream as loud as I want. I can't fight gravity, I relax and enjoy the ride. In control and powerless at the same time.

During the winter of 08/09 I worked as a Level One Ski Patroller. My intention of obtaining this position was definitely not to make money, but to gain more hands on first aid experience. Of course snowboarding everyday was certainly a perk.At Sun Peaks I tested my first aid skills and learned new ones. I pushed my physical endurance to new levels. When I began, I had a very solid first aid skills set. There I was given new protocols and placed in a remote trying environment. I can honestly say my skills in first aid went up another level as a result of that experience, not to mention my boarding skills! I really enjoyed the amount of medical situations I was able to help with that were made all the more challenging as a result of the environment they took place in.The team I worked with were amazing and I will never forget the lessons I learned and the confidence I gained as a result of my time spent at Sun Peaks. It was absolutely invaluable.

Working as an Industrial Paramedic in the oil fields north of Fort St. John was a short and interesting experience in terms of first aid positions I've held. I worked with a team of 3, 2 of us on days and one on nights. I maintained my own emergency transport vehicle and first aid supplies to ensure cleanliness and organization for a quick response when needed.I felt completely comfortable being responsible for the large crew that consisted of separate departments such as; site and pipeline construction, drilling rig and completions. I ensured emergency response plans were accurate, visible, and updated regularly. I felt confident that I was well equipped with knowledge and facilities that would allow me to respond positively to any situation despite the 2 hours distance from a hospital. I was able to hone my skills at delivering safety meetings to large crews, most notably prior to fracking operations, and the focus of my job became more about safety vs first aid response.

Lifeguarding at Sungod Recreation Centre as well as the Ladner Leisure Centre in Delta was the beginning of my professional involvement in the first aid industry. At the time of my departure I was responsible for the safety of all individuals in the facility as well as for guiding new and current auxiliary staff members. I enforced facility rules and maintained the safety of patrons through preventative guarding as well as cared for any minor or major first aid emergencies.Some of my greatest wins involved children trusting me for the first time - putting their heads underwater, jumping off the diving board to me, swimming in the deep end for the first time (scary stuff that deep end!), or deciding to participate in class as opposed to crying for the entire time. I rescued many children from drowning which was rewarding in itself! I grew up watching Baywatch so to blow the whistle and look the hero was always an exciting event. I got pretty good at noticing the warning signs of non swimmers before they could get themselves into trouble, but that was more challenging to catch when a large school group came in or during the busy summer months. I also taught aquafit classes, which was a stretch for someone as timing challenged as myself!In addition to watching over swimmers and pulling hair balls out of drains, I was responsible for instructing the first two courses required to become a lifeguard at the time; Bronze Medallion and Bronze Cross. I took part in several lifeguard competitions over the course of two summers which aided in the internalization of my first aid skills. The weekend long competitions simulated life like scenarios that may occur in or out of the pool. I thoroughly enjoyed being able to apply my skills under pressure and being a leader to my team.I made some (best) friends for life at this job, fellow guards and patrons. Amid all the rewards and lessons learned in this position, the friends I still value 11 years later is the best one of all.