A few years ago I met Dez at Joyride 150, we quickly became friends, went on bike trips together, and one day she decided to leave everything in Onterrible behind, including a well paying job and a condo worth over half a million today to move out to BC. She had the life that most 9-5 normies dream of, but she was miserable, and so she did what most people don’t do, which was choosing happiness over stability. I love her story, and her passion for bikes, so I’m stoked to share this interview with you.
How you were introduced to bikes in general and could you walk us through your journey because I know you from our BMX days, but how did that evolve to MTB?
My Aunt and Uncle brought me to Joyride 150 (a super rad indoor bike park in Markham, Ontario if you’ve not heard of it), thinking it would be a fun way to get me into riding trails. I wasn’t stoked at first, it had been roughly 10 years since I’d been on a bike and now I had to learn to ride a rental dirt jumper with a huge audience. I was terrified, it took all night just to convince me to roll through the pump track. Then I met Trish Bromley and she came over with a big smile on her face and said “follow me!”. She managed to get me on the pump track and rolling through the jumps, I was still terrified, but I knew I wanted to ride more jumps. Joyride was almost 2 hours from my hometown so I didn’t make it there often, but I was hooked. The trails back home never really interested me so I decided to drop the rental dirt jumper and buy a BMX and had no intention of delving into the MTB world. It wasn’t until riding DH that I wanted to make the switch.
When was it that you officially caught the MTB bug?
A few years ago I spent a day riding DH bikes for the first time at Blue Mountain and within 2 weeks I’d bought myself an enduro bike (a Devinci Spartan) and was on a flight to Whistler. With no vacation time left, I took advantage of the Labour Day long weekend. I went straight to the airport from work on Friday, crashed with a friend in Whistler, spent 3 full days riding bike park, then took a sleepless red-eye flight Monday night, landing just in time to head straight to work Tuesday morning from the airport. I was exhausted, elated and determined to make that big leap and uproot my grounded life.
“Almost everyone in my life had convinced me that I was an idiot if I quit that job”
Let’s talk about moving to Whistler. I don’t know how much information you’re wanting to give out but there was a time you were living in a pretty expensive condo in the GTA, you were making really good money as well, but you decided to say fuck it to the financial stability to move out to Whistler. Could you take us in during this time, and tell us about your thought process?
I’m good with sharing a fair bit as I was stuck in a rut, and if I can help even one person from making the same mistake I almost made, I’ll be happy. I had managed to find myself in a fairly high-up position almost straight out of high school, working for a company with incredible benefits, pension, paid sick days, loads of paid vacation and all those things everyone tells you are “the dream”. Almost everyone in my life had convinced me that I was an idiot if I quit that job, and as someone who dreamed of nothing more than to travel the world, that weighed heavy on me. I wish I could say otherwise, but I let everyone convince me to drop my dreams to travel the world and settle for yearly vacations (I’m not saying that’s the wrong path in life, it’s just not the one for me). By the age of 20, I owned my own condo in the GTA and was incredibly financially stable, yet had never been more miserable in my life. Again, I wish I could say I came to the right decision on my own by realizing the trap I’d fallen into and how unhappy it was making me, but I didn’t. My boyfriend at the time was incredibly supportive and recognized that an office job in Ontario was not my final destination. He consistently encouraged me to quit and pursue my dreams and I owe him big time for that because I truly don’t think I would have without his influence. I was already in love with hiking around BC after coming out to visit him, but it wasn’t enough to convince me to move. It wasn’t until I discovered bike park that I felt like BC was the place for me and committed to quitting my job, selling my condo & possessions, and FINALLY making the move to Whistler. I planned to move here for a summer and then head off on the next adventure, but as the story goes, that was over 2 years ago and I currently have no plans of leaving.
From what I remember you drove out to BC from Ontario with a friend … was that trip, “the trip” – no turning back. Like, did you pack everything knowing that anything left behind in Ontario would have to stay there?
I actually drove out solo with what little of my life I could get in a Honda Fit, which consisted of my bike, summer clothes and far too many books. I didn’t really have a plan for the trip or where I’d stay each night which my family hated. I started out by heading to Colorado to stay with my friend Marissa and her dog Charlie for a few days. She showed me around a few different regions with all sorts of different hikes. It certainly was a detour but one I wouldn’t trade for anything. After that, I headed off on my own again to Utah, Nevada, Arizona, California, Oregon and up to Whistler to settle into my new home. If you caught on to the states being in a weird order, that’s the lack of planning with an impromptu backtrack mission to meet another friend for some more hiking, another detour I was so glad to have made. Overall it was a pretty wild trip, one for the books for sure.
When you first arrived to Whistler, how did you navigate the next chapter of your life.
I luckily found a place on Facebook a few days before heading out on my roadtrip, after messaging far too many people and relentlessly scrolling Facebook groups day and night. The housing out here is no joke, I’ve lived here just over 2 years and we’re currently in our 4th house. Housing can be a bit discouraging sometimes but always seems to work out last minute and of course is always worth the headache. On the flip side, I was hired on the spot at the first place I applied. Getting work here is no issue at all and I’ve bounced through a few different jobs, most of which have just fallen into my lap.
You are constantly surrounded by such talented and encouraging humans.
What did moving to Whistler do for your mind, body and riding?
I really feel that Whistler has improved my riding drastically in the short amount of time I’ve been able to spend riding here. You are constantly surrounded by such talented and encouraging humans. As someone who doesn’t really ride tech, I am grateful for how patient people have been on the trails. In my experiences, they’re always happy to go ride whatever level trails at whatever pace and even stop along the way to share some tips. The community here is truly incredible, it’s refreshing to be surrounded by like-minded individuals who still all live vastly different lives. Being surrounded by those people has done wonders for my mind. Being out here doesn’t eliminate mental struggles, rather makes them much more manageable. There’s also a certain magic about the mountains that I can’t explain, you’ve just gotta experience it.
What’s life like for you now, are there any regrets, would you do anything different during that transition in your life?
Honestly just wish I did it earlier, I have absolutely no regrets and have never been happier. The thought that I almost didn’t do it is scary and I hope more people don’t make the same mistake I almost made. Cliche as it is, life is short and if anything, Covid has really put that into perspective for me. All the worries I had about my future have been alleviated because I’m too busy enjoying my present. Instead of counting down until retirement, I’m trying to draw this stage of life out for as long as possible.
Do you have any advice for some of us who are feeling a little hesitant and maybe overthinking too much about just packing up and go? What was the worst thing and best thing that happened from your decision?
My Grandpa was an old-fashioned guy and one of the ones who believed I could never quit such an incredible career. After retiring for 2 weeks and being diagnosed with cancer, he never had the opportunity to travel the world with my Grandma. One of the last things he told me, was to live my life to the fullest and never settle for less because you never know when that freedom will be taken from you, and that has stayed with me. He was stubborn, seeing that genuine change of heart was a huge eye-opener for me. He still didn’t encourage me to quit, but he recognized how important it was for me to do what I wanted to before I no longer had the chance. Although I had already made the decision to quit, it was exactly what I needed to hear. Other than missing my family and not seeing my cousins grow up firsthand, I only have positive experiences from the move. I’m far from having my life together and knowing what I want to do for the rest of it, but that no longer scares me. You have to let go of the “what ifs” because one thing I’ve learned, the problem-solving of financials, housing and career won’t be resolved until it’s a necessity. It’s very liberating to realize that you don’t have to have everything in order and in fact, you can’t plan it out too much because who ever saw the world coming to a complete halt in their 5 year plan? Once you’re living a life that you truly love, the other details become irrelevant and all of the issues are dealt with as they arise. Learning to trust the unknown is hard but once you do, you’ll be so glad you did.
“One of the last things he told me, was to live my life to the fullest and never settle for less because you never know when that freedom will be taken from you, and that has stayed with me.”
How has your style of riding evolved and where are the places that we’ll find you?
Jumps jumps jumps! Seriously though, I’ve always felt the best in the air and although I do enjoy tech, it just doesn’t make me light up the way jumps do. My “style” is a work in progress but I love chasing people and trying to mimic their style. That’s when my brain is able to shut off and just get in the flow zone, which is the best feeling when riding. Seeing all of the female riders progress and throw new tricks is so inspiring and I hope one day to be at their level but in the meantime, I’m just having a damn good time doing what I love.
What was Whistler like during Covid?
I feel so fortunate to have been in Whistler through these crazy times. After seeing the lockdowns my friends and family went through in Ontario and overseas, we had things pretty easy here. Being a bit introverted and shy, my life didn’t change very much. I was still able to ride bikes and get outside into nature and the driveway Apres are much better for the bank account.
What’s in your future?
Did I mention jumps? Seriously though, nothing huge or specific in mind, I have some dream trails I haven’t ridden yet and I can’t wait to be back on bikes working on those goals. Ultimately just getting out on the bike as much as possible and planning more trips to explore some different riding areas.
