LINDA DICKEY, a four-time volunteer builder with Habitat for Humanity Canada, says she has always believed that “housing is the game changer” when it comes to improving a family’s life.
She’s put her time into working on changing the game in Thailand, India, Iqaluit and Chile. And she’s off to Malawi this fall.
The former Vancouver Coastal Health Administrator, now living in White Rock, says “life is about learning,” and admits never thinking she’d be making mud, doing brick-laying and building bamboo scaffolding in her retirement. But she’s done all of that and more on her Habitat journeys. “You get a lot more out of it than you give,” she says. “Families are so thankful.”
Linda also travels the world with her Fort Langley Dragon Boat team (FLCC Titanium), which practices year-round in the Bedford Channel on the Fraser River, and has competed in Italy, Austria and Hungary.
“Being part of a team, both with Habitat and the Dragon Boaters, is a valuable experience,” says Linda. “I’m grateful for retirement. There is always something interesting to do, including making contributions to others’ lives, one family at a time.”
DAVID LANGLEY is getting set to ride in his seventh 200km “Ride to Conquer Cancer” from Vancouver to Hope later this month.
“Everyone has been touched by cancer in some way,” says the lifelong active North Vancouver cyclist, racer, skier and mountain climber.
Riding with two of the original founders of the Vancouver Brainiac group, David also rides with The Wet Coast Wheel Men & Women, a group of about 356 members that each raise the requisite $2,500 to participate. They alone are contributing close to $1 million dollars to the 10th Anniversary ride this year.
“I’m riding with my other fast friends,” says the semi-retired former computer executive, who now happily shuttles North Shore Audi customers to their destinations each morning. “I meet interesting people every day and I no longer wake up at three in the morning worrying about sales goals, incentives and lawyers,” he jokes.
“Riding long distance is really a mental thing,” he says, referring to the ride to Hope. “It’s not a race, and the organization feeds and fuels everyone along the way. After such a long ride and a party at the finish line, you sleep pretty soundly.”
David says he stays active because he’s a lot happier that way. He doesn’t believe in letting age get in the way of keeping his life active. “You can do a lot more than you think you can,” he concludes. “Not like you used to, but you can still have fun!”
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