Short Biography: About
Me
Being born in such a small town is not a proud moment for
me. Well really, it wasn’t really a choice. I was born in Merritt BC and let me
stress one thing, never actually lived there. My mom was sick during the time
of her pregnancy so she went to spend time with my grandparents to help her
out. I was raised with a mother and father and two awesome siblings, a brother
and sister. My younger brother was the complete opposite of me given he was a
very gentle human being and did shy away from conflict. My sister, was my
partner in crime, my enemy and my parent all at the same time. We were raised
in North Delta where I was heavily involved with community sports. My grandpa
had joined our family when he moved here from India and played a big part in
raising me and installing the values I live by today. He was an active man
himself and I saw him keep active even after his triple bypass surgery which
was preformed when he arrived to Canada. Back home in India he was on the bad
end of 3 heart attacks and really just put the pain and complications on the back
burner. I realised from that age that I valued health more than I ever did. I
played at a competitive level in Soccer, Basketball and Rugby and also tried to
weight train as often as I could. I got an opportunity to play Senior Basketball
with a North Delta Huskies Team who was a favorite to win the Provincial
Championships in my senior year. Though we didn’t win it, the year itself was a
stepping stone into my next phase in life. As a new high school graduate I
attended BCIT where the course load was heavy and I barely managed to hold on.
If it wasn’t for the work ethic I learned as a student athlete, I would have
surely dropped out of school and either pursued our family business or worked
as a labourer. I went on to completing my Bachelor of Technology in Technology
Management and then later my Bachelor of Education at UBC. I maintained positions
such as a Scheduling Coordinator, Operations Manager and Shift Supervisor in
industries such as business, security and agriculture. I have now set my focus
onto my new career as a High School Teacher. So far in my 3rd year,
I feel it has been the best decision in my life. Along with teaching, I have
coached a group of boys in Basketball. This year is my 4th year as
Head Coach and it will be my 1st with the Senior Boys. Like every
year, my objective is to teach the boys about disciple, work ethic and team
work. Don’t get me wrong, I do let my competitive side take over at time and
believe me every year we are going for a Provincial Title. 2 years ago we came
close, finishing 5th in the Province. This year may be the year.
Coaching this set of boys has brought out my passion for competition and really
given me a new drive for life. They keep me on my toes and force me to keep in
shape with them. It’s been a life changer. I devote more time to coaching then
I do anything else in my life and I am proud that I have full support from my
wife, family, friends and community. That is a snap shot of me!
What interests you? Why did you enrol in the HEAL program?
What really interests me is healthy living as a whole.
Whether it is a discussion about food, exercise, lifestyles and or rehabilitation,
I seem to be fully engaged. I want to move forward as a leader and really
understand Health Education from as many perspectives as possible so I can
better my students, peers and family. The HEAL program provides me the
opportunity to work fulltime and learn about a subject manner that is relevant to
me every day. Health is wealth, simply said. The HEAL program will hopefully
provide me theory based inquiry where I can further challenge myself.
What is your understanding of health and the mind/body relationship?
My understanding about health and the mind/body relationship
is that it is directly linked. I personally always preach to my players “mind
of matter”. I feel the mind is the most powerful tool and the most destructive.
When we can find that balance and understand ourselves first, we can then
better serve the people we care about. I feel I am fairly spiritual and I value
the mind, body and health connection at a high level. I have made the
commitment to myself that I will make this a lifelong commitment in mastering
and balancing my health, mind and body relationship.
What would you like to gain from this experience? What will you contribute?
I feel what I will gain from this experience is different
experiences, perspectives and expertise in the areas of Health Education and
Active Living. There is no end to improving your health. I feel with the
guidance and experience of my Professors and peers I will be able to leave the
program a better advocate for my own “mini community”. My mini community
includes my students, athletes, family and friends. What I will contribute to
the program is a open perspective to people’s opinions, thoughts and ideas. I
feel I can also bring examples, experiences and ideas that would be relevant to
all my classmates. I bring a positive approach to any task, and I feel I can be
a great teammate, classmate and contributor to the HEAL program.
I have also uploaded my Post Card, take a look:
