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Meet Kevin! He lives in Peachland and has lived there for 15 years. After he retired at 43, Kevin found himself bored, so he decided to live on the adventures side and built a zipline in Peachland.
Who is your favourite person to spend time with and why?
My wife, Gracelyn. She brings a lot of joy to my life, and we share adventures together!
What is your favourite local store in Kelowna and why?
Home Depot, you can never have enough tools!
Describe yourself in one word.
Nomadic
If you could go anywhere in the world right at this moment where would you go and why?
Chuuk Lagoon, Micronesia. There are 60+ WW2 shipwrecks in pristine condition. I'm an avid diver, doing technical (deep wreck) and cave diving. Chuuk is the Everest of the diving world.
What is your favourite activity in Kelowna?
I love to hike Pincushion mountain in Peachland!
What is the most inspiring thing that has happened to you?
When I was in Vietnam 25 years ago, I met a street vendor. As a child, he lost his arms, legs and one eye while recovering unexploded shells. Despite his injuries, he married, had children and supported his family by selling postcards and books to tourists. I bought everything he had. I still have the books.
Tell us your favourite childhood memory.
My favorite memory isn't from my childhood; it's from my kid's childhood. We took them on a trip to SE Asia, Australia and New Zealand for a year, when they were 3 and 6 years old. We backpacked all over, and it was the happiest time of my life.
Where do you volunteer or give back to in the community?
I support Cambodia Childs Dream, a charity that builds wells, latrines and school programs for the rural poor in Cambodia. The Cambodian people endured so much under the illegal US bombing campaign in the 70s,' and they were massacred by the Pol Pot regime. Over 3.5M people were killed (out of a population of 8M) before the Vietnamese army invaded and stopped the slaughter.
If you could change one thing in the world what would it be?
I would love to see journalism go back to being a profession again. Standards of journalism have declined so much that people are uneducated about world events. Without access to truth, we cannot make good decisions as a society.
Where would you sneak away to in Kelowna to spend some time alone?
Up into the mountains on my quad!
Where would you like to see positive change in Kelowna and why?
I'd like to see changes to the Residential Tenancy Act to protect landlords. The best landlords are the "Mom-and-Pop" owners with just one home they rent out to supplement their retirement. Because landlords have no protection, Mom and Pops are no longer investing in rental property, resulting in the housing crisis we have now, and in slum landlords that don't care about their tenants. We need Tenancy insurance where the tenant buys an insurance policy instead of providing a deposit. The insurance would pay out if the tenant defaults on the lease or damages the property. It's basic economics; if you protect the investors you will get more of them investing, and that will ease the rental housing crisis.
What do you think makes Kelowna great?
Location, Location, Location :-)
What are 3 things on your bucket list?
1.Dive Chuuk Lagoon
2.Backpack around Sulawesi
3. Ride my motorcycle across Russia, Mongolia, and China
Tell us something that not everyone may know about you.
I was honored in the Canadian Houses of Parliament for my work in the Canadian Mining industry.
How do people connect with you, personally, through social media? (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.)
Instagram
What is the name of your business/organization?
ZipZone Peachland
Why did you get into/start this business?
I was bored. I'd retired at aged 43, but got bored quickly and needed something to so. When I was in Mexico, I went on a zipline, and immediately decided to build one. One of the best decisions I've ever made!
What is the goal of your business?
To make people happy, to help people overcome their fears and to create amazing memories for families and friends.
What has been your biggest struggle either at work or in life?
I have a restless soul, and I can't stay in one place for long, so that has made establishing lifelong friendships difficult.
If you could start all over again would you do things the same or would things be different?
I would have educated myself on the financial world much earlier in life.
What do you always find yourself saying?
"How hard can it be?"
Tell us your best piece of life advice.
Comfort kills the spirit. It makes you soft and weak. A muscle only gets strong if you exercise it, so you have to get out there and take risks, accept discomfort and open your eyes to the wonders of the world that exist beyond the couch and your phone!
If you could spend one whole day with anyone in the world who is currently alive, who would you select?
My father. He died when I was just 19, and we never got a chance to grow old together.
Why do you think it is important to shop locally?
You MUST support local businesses if you want them to be there for you. They provide work for you, your kids and your friends. The owners are investing their passion and are trying to provide you with the best experience and service that they can, so support them!
What has been your proudest accomplishment?
I bought a local manufacturing company, and when I took over, I promised that if the company did well, I would implement extended health benefits for everyone. I was true to my word and so proud when I saw the positive impact the benefits had on my team.
Give someone you think that deserves it a shout out and explain why!
Valerie Weibe of Sterling Mutuals. She is the hardest worker I know, as honest as the day is long and very knowledgeable.
My choice for the KelownaNow In Focus spotlight is:
Valerie Weibe
Some general comments I would like to share are:
The Okanagan is a great place to live, but sometimes I think people here are too soft and need to be exposed to adventure and discomfort - particularly young people whose minds are just being formed. If you are a parent, do everything you can to kick those kids out into the world and let them fend for themselves. They will grow up to be more talented, experienced, compassionate and hardworking that you could ever hope for!
We encourage you to leave your comments and words of support below and submit your own nomination by clicking HERE. You are also welcome to submit a form of your own by clicking HERE.
In Focus is our gift to the community. A way for us to help show our recognition of the people, businesses, and organizations that help make our city great. Thank you, Kelowna!
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