So...
"I have a B.Kin in Exercise & Health Physiology from the University of Calgary. Why am I working at SpeedTheory?"
Well... I didn't start out that way. All my life I've played sports, but generally it was hockey in the winter and mountain biking (more specifically trials riding) in the summer, which, to know surprise, led me to work at a bicycle store for my first job - Full Tilt Cycles and Skis in Ottawa. A job which I kept through my first two years at Ottawa University then my first two summers after I transfered to the University of Calgary. So background in bike shops - check... sort of... On to education. I started my first year at Ottawa U as an engineer... but by the end of the first semester I had switched to history... Sorry Trev, Alex, Paul... whoever else is an engineer out there... Not for me... But neither was history, really it was a springboard to U of C Kinesiology, as not surprisingly I needed to get my GPA up, cause after a semester in engineering that I didn't enjoy... well you get the picture. So out to Calgary, and 3 years later, I was a graduate, 5 year undergrad, yea bite me.
So why Kin? I'm the head tech, I should be interested in the equipment side of the equation right? Yes and no. As many of you can attest, you might have the sweetest ride out there, but without an engine to push it, well... Darcy could outrun you at marathon pace... BURN! (on you that is... not Darcy). So that's what I'm interested in, if my machine is tuned perfectly, and equally matched to the other riders' equipment then there's only one component of the equation left - the human body. Now, what is the human body NATURALLY capable of? That's a difficult question to answer, for as long as there's been sport there's been the use of performance enhancing aids. Before EPO there was blood transfusions, steroids have there place too - not all of them get you jacked and not all of them are used in the way you might think, cortisone injections have been used since the 70's. Ever heard of NSAID's - non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - well take out the "non" and what do you have. Notice I said performance enhancing AIDS, would you consider an altitude tent performance enhancing? Most of the American Olympic team had been diagnosed with asthma prior to the Beijing games, and records were still broken. I'm a graduate of Kinesiology, not Medicine, Pharmacology or Biomechanics. What I wanted to learn was a broad range of topics relating to human performance, or exercise physiology, which is what my degree just happens to be in. It's super interesting stuff!
So, back to the original question, why SpeedTheory, why not the Human Performance Lab at the U, why not Bow Cycle for that matter. Some might jump to the fact that there are no jobs for Kinesiologists, hahaha... wrong. They just aren't very cool. Like everything else further eduction is often needed to get the cool jobs. Our weekend mechanic whom we affectionately refer to as "volunteer", Neal Austin aka N. P. A., was a classmate of mine, and new I was looking for a job last May. A resume, interview, and "try-out" later and I was the head shop tech by default. I was only meaning to stay for a season, but found myself enjoying the people and atmosphere so much, I decided to stay... That, and the old shop I worked at in Ottawa kinda burned to the ground - no joke! Gives new meaning to the word "fire-sale" My plan is still to make it out to Vancouver (I hear there's a cool shop there ;) ), but I'd like this place to be hot-wired for success before I leave... it's in my nature, I don't know why... My hope is that we can do that quickly! After a year off, I've started to seriously consider going back to school this off-season to complete my CEP (Certified Exercise Physiologist), kind of like doing the P.Eng thang, from what I understand. Still undecided on that front, but for the moment I'm happy following my passion...
Cameron Hills
Service Manager
SpeedTheory
130-5403 Crowchild Trail NW
Calgary, AB, Canada
T3B 4Z1
403.202.1030
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