"A question I have often been asked is, 'Why did you become a goalie?'  That is a fantastic question.   'Why do you want pucks coming at you at 70 mph?' 'Why would you become a goalie after you have played defense for so long?' I usually laugh it off and say, 'I don’t know, it’s fun' with a smirk on my face.  It does not make a ton of sense.  The only genuine answer to these questions is that I enjoy it.  I wanted to follow my passion.  Sports are a unique opportunity to live in the moment and to enjoy what God has given you.  I have also been asked why I have persevered through some rough seasons of hockey.  I have been motivated every day to get better. Hockey is the most enjoyable thing I’ve ever done. There is a unique excitement about goaltending.  Each shot, I get an opportunity to forget the goals I have let up in the past and I get a new chance at success.  I love to play.  I love to compete.  I love to win.  I am blessed to have the opportunity to use my God given talents and passions to glorify Him.

- Dylan W.
Highlands Ranch, Colorado USA

"I love a new challenge and working toward a big ride or event. Having a goal in mind keeps training fun and motivating. I work for the BC Cancer Foundation, so the Ride to Conquer Cancer is near and dear to my heart on both a personal and professional level."

- Jennifer N.
Vancouver, British Columbia Canada
Via April's issue of Canadian Living

“I love the feeling you get after you run. It feels so good to be pushing your body to do something positive. I have never exerted myself like this since high school and it feels good to challenge your body.”

- Jason S.
St. John’s, Newfoundland Canada
Via Run to Quit

"I love the game! I love the cardio, too - after a game, I'm exhausted. I feel like the past hour and a half has been worth the activity, and I know I've had a good workout. I love the challenge of the game because anything can happen: You can meet a more difficult opponent, set up a beautiful pass, get an amazing goal, save tough shots, have the stress and excitement of shoot-outs and, most of all, have fun with a bunch of friends."

- Maria T., 32
Hamilton, Ontario Canada
Via April's issue of Canadian Living

“First it was learning how to be in a wheelchair, then how to walk with a walker, then ski poles, then a cane. Every one of those obstacles is like a climbing problem. You have to learn how to do the moves, where to put the gear, and methodically think about it. If it’s a challenging route, it takes time. You don’t just get it on your first try. When you do get it, you ask ‘what’s next?’

If I could hike up the back of Ha Ling peak with a cane, stand on top and feel that wind on my face, that would be a win. That would be my greatest accomplishment.”

- Ryan T.
Canmore, Alberta Canada

Read more about Ryan's recovery after his climbing accident and his determination to walk.

"I skate because it is my passion. It challenges me both mentally and physically and allows me to express myself in many ways. I skate simply because I love it!"

- E.L.

Via Louisville Skating Academy

"There are an endless number of reasons why I swim. Here are just a few of them.

It reminds me that anything worth having requires hard work.

Reminds me to continually expand my horizons.

A good workout clears the mind.

It’s where I go to meditate.

I swim because there is a chance to be extraordinary.

That is why I swim."

- Olivier P-L
Victoria, British Columbia Canada

"I run because I can. Because when I do, there's always the chance to be extraordinary. A chance to start unknown and to finish unforgettable. A chance to overcome all obstacles, to fight through pain and suffering to test your emotional limits and boundaries, to experiment with the potential of the human body and discover just how far you can push yourself. And a chance to feel like a completely different person, a person who inspires others, and who they strive to be."

- Lauren W.

"Why do I love it? For as many reasons as there are races. I love the clear-headed exhaustion that follows a hard run – body spent but mind miraculously clearer than the foggy-headed state I started in. I especially love the cake that follows those cross-country races. I love that running as much as I do means I can eat whatever I want – but that I don’t, because I won’t run as well if I eat nothing but cake.

I love the way runners always have excuses lined up in advance: I’m tired, I’ve not rested enough, I did a really long run yesterday, my hayfever is kicking in, I didn’t eat breakfast, my hamstring is ever so tight. Get out of jail free card thus waved, a bad race is explained, a good one is even better.
I love running because it is the most sociable of sports – anyone can do it, there are no barriers to entry, running clubs (particularly mine) are friendly and fun. Everyone has a tale to tell, a race story to unfold, advice to give. And because it is the most solitary. It’s your PB, you run for yourself, you run against yourself.
I love running at night, when the tunnel vision effect of seeing only the ground under your feet makes you feel like you are flying, even at a sedate pace. I love running across the common at twilight, when the rabbits dart out. I love being the mad person who runs in the midday sun in the hottest of heatwaves in the radiating heat of the tarmac road."

"I love that the human body is capable of such astonishing adaptations, that it can be pushed and pushed and still keep giving."

- Kate C.
Via Why I Love...Running

"But there I was every Tuesday and Thursday, trying to sink deeper into Triangle pose, working to extend my Half Moon pose, wishing to unravel my hamstrings in Downward Dog. Why? Because it was free. And because I liked the idea of wrestling with a pose. I liked not doing a half-way job for 60 seconds and then moving on to the next thing. I wanted, desperately, to peel back the pose to its core."

- Mandy H-R
From her article, Hold the Pose: What Yoga Taught Me about Motherhood