Servin up the 80′s

Some Thriller impersonations for team's warmup

Two weeks ago, 5 of my colleagues participated in the beach volleyball tournament “Servin’ up the 80′s”.  We crawled to Polson Pier at 9am in the downpour of the month, fearing our efforts to get out of our comfy beds was in vain.  Fortunately for us and the rest of the teams, the skies cleared up and it was a hot and sunny day for the whole tournament. 

“I’m just glad we were to able to play some volleyball on what turned out to be a beautfiul day,” said Amy P, a member of my squad – The New Kids That Block.  While our team didn’t have the best players at the tournament we had the desire to win, which we did…well, one game by forfeit.  Even so, our team enjoyed the tournament and were thankful to the event team that put the whole thing together. Read more… »

“Rockin’ the Gold”

Canada’s national sports: Hockey, Lacrosse, Ice fishing, Maple Syrup drinking contests and Curling.  While it has only been an official Olympic event since 1998, Canadians are easily the team to beat every 4 years.  Most recently the team of Mike Adam, Brad Gushue, Russ Howard, Jamie Korab and Mark Nichols took home the gold in Turin last winter Olympics.  In 2010, many nations will be gunning to dethrone those reigning Olympic champions.  That is why we as Canadians should be supporting the sport at both the competitive and grassroots level.   The Canadian Curling Association aims at bringing awareness of the sport to Canadians as well aiding in the development of the necessary skills to become a successful curler.  On July 17th the CCA will be sponsoring Rockin’ the Gold, an event that will help promote the game of curling with all proceeds going to help fund curling at grassroots levels and our Olympic representatives. 

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GO TFC GO

This past Wednesday I experienced my first TFC match.  Truly, this is something every Torontonian should get the chance to walk through the BMO Field gates, throw on the red jersey and savour all the moments of the match.  Now I understand why they call it “the beautiful game”.  Going into the match I knew very little about Soccer, let alone MLS, but seeing TFC battle it out on the field made me appreciate the sport that much more and has sparked my interest. 

I was overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and devotion the TFC fans showcase at every match.  Some fans jumped to their feet at the start of the match and never sat back down.  There were flags waving, fans cheering and even some creative heckling comments.  While I didn’t catch on to the many chants that are sung at all games, I was able to get caught up in the moment and became deeply immersed in the game.  Read more… »

Get Out and GO with Fit Darcie

Darcie Vany: "Born to be Fit"

Darcie Vany is not one to be underestimated at the gym.  This Saskatchewan raised gal is a fitness addict and seems as if she was born to be fit.  Ms. Vany is a frequent sight at gyms across Toronto, but is all business when working out.  It started in the school gym, where Darcie discovered her talent.  “I wasn’t very coordinated and couldn’t play sports but when it came to fitness tests, I aced them all.  Sometimes the teachers would make me run them again because they thought the machines were broken.”  This was in reference to many of the fitness tests students undergo while in gym class, including my arch nemesis – the dreaded beep test. 

Realizing her talent, Darcie became “addicted” to fitness and soon sought out a personal trainer.  Quickly, Darcie was molded into a top notch fitness pro and was encouraged to try her hand at modeling.  Sure enough, she succeeded and has been featured in several magazines including Oxygen Magazine and Ms. Fitness.  Having conquered the modeling and training side of the fitness world, Darcie turned to writing and in January 2008 FitDarcie.com was launched.

With a dedicated group of followers, FitDarcie has blog posts on issues relating to both getting fit and dating.  The two topics flow very well together as there is much advice that can applied in both worlds.  “You need to be motivated and committed”, says Darcie, which is great advice to getting fit and having a successful relationship.  One of her posts that breaches the two worlds was the one on Gym Etiquette.

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Gifts for the Active Father

If you’re still shopping around for the perfect gift for Father’s Day then check out this post.  We here at Generation GO have created an affordable wishlist for the Dad who likes to GO out and get active.  Even if you have already got your dad his present then keep these gift suggestions in mind for future father days or birthdays.  Anyone of these gifts for your father would surely put you over the top as number one child in his eyes.  

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GO Neighbourhoods: High Park Village

photo courtesy flickr user agsaran

One of the most popular attractions to the west end, High Park offers plenty for visitors looking to spend their day healthy and active.  The park itself and surrounding area is supervised by the High Park Community Advisory Council (HPCAC), which was established in 1995.  It was on their website that I found some interesting stats about High Park, such as: Read more… »

“All In For 2010″

Next Thursday a poker tournament will be held in Toronto and promises to be a night of excitement, entertainment and a few full houses.  Gold Standard Productions will be hosting the All In For 2010 Charity Poker Tournament and Silent Auction at the Courthouse, with all proceeds going towards Special Olympics Ontario.  The charity is dedicated to enriching the lives of athletes with an intellectual disability through sport. Special Olympics is a national not-for-profit grassroots organization that provides sport training and competition opportunities for 31,000 athletes of all ages and abilities. Special Olympics have been part of a world-wide organization for over 30 years. Read more… »

“I’ll Get Motivated Later”

Your Steps to Success

I probably am one of the biggest procrastinator’s in Toronto.  I will challenge (in the future) anyone to that title.  Since I helped start up this neat little website I thought I should get my act together and try to start accomplishing everything that I wanted to do with my life at this age.  But getting motivated is tricky, sure I’ll watch Rudy and afterwards hit the weights for 20 minutes, then wait for cobwebs to form on the equipment until I use them again.  I’ll admit that I make up excuses – “I don’t want to pull anything”, “I got work to do”, “It’s raining outside”, “My PVR is broken and my show is coming up.”  All of these were frequent in my daily conversations that I had inside my head.  This has to change, I have to get MOTIVATED…

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This Weekend in GO Land

I can’t believe it’s nearly June already!  Seems like yesterday we were just launching Generation GO to the world and like a proud father, I’m happy to say the website is growing up healthy and strong.   A big thank you to all the loyal followers and writers who have made the first month such a success.  The word must be getting out because people have come to us to ask what’s happening in Toronto’s active community?  Well I’ll let you know by posting some of the hot events that are on this weekend that anyone who is interested in getting out of the house should check out.

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GO Neighbourhoods: Bloor West Village

photo courtesy flickr user natashalcd

Welcome to the newest feature of Generation GO – Neighbourhood profiles.  Generation GO is making its way every Thursday to profiling Toronto neighbourhoods.  We’ll tell you what each neighbourhood has to offer to aid in your quest for a more active and healthier lifestyle.  Today we will be looking at Bloor West Village, which runs along Bloor street between Jane and High Park.

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This Week in GO Land

Doors Open 2009 kick off event at the ROM - May 22

Well I missed my chance to audition for “So You Think You Can Dance Canada?” which took place yesterday at the Toronto Convention Centre, but not to worry as this week there are loads of events happening in Toronto that are perfect for all you GO Getters.  Here are four events to check out this week that are happening right in your backyard…

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Toronto’s Great Outdoors

Photo Courtesy Joe Nicholl

With summer just around the corner, the desire to play or be a part of any outdoor recreational activity is at its highest.  However, living in a busy metropolis can sometimes hinder this participation. With over a decade of canoeing experience under my belt, this has easily grown to become my favourite outdoor pastime. Fortunately, or unfortunately (depending on how you look at it), I don’t necessarily have to leave the city for an extended period of time to participate in this activity. Voyageur Quest offers several unique experiences that allow you the opportunity to go canoeing right on Lake Ontario from downtown Toronto to the Toronto Islands. Trips and experiences vary. Read more… »

$20 on Number 8!

photo courtesy Matheen Panchalingam

If only.  If only I had bet just $20 on Mind that Bird, then I’d come back to blogging with over $1000 as the 2009 Kentucky Derby winner entered the race with 50 – 1 odds of winning.  Normally I’m not really a fan of horse racing, especially with three hours of pre-race television for an event that takes three minutes, but I tuned in this year and I’m glad I did.  For those that didn’t get a chance to see this tremendous upset I would recommend giving it a watch.  Mind that Bird and jockey Calvin Borel came out of nowhere down the last stretch of track to win, unbelievable. 

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Toronto Trails: Humber River

photo courtesy Lone Primate (flickr user)

I rarely get out for a serious run but when I do go, the perfect spot for me is the Humber River trail in Bloor West Village.  Those living in the area I’m sure are very familiar with what the Humber River offers.  Winding paths, beautiful scenery and a wide variety of wildlife.  While the Humber River has trails running from Lake Ontario through the Etobicoke and North Toronto border, my spot is between Dundas and Bloor street.  That stretch of trail runs for roughly 3km so combine that with running around my neighbourhood and I got myself a nice little 6, 7km run. 

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Intramurals and Beer Pong: The Active College Lifestyle

3 time intramural basketball champs

I am by no means a “fit” person.  Sure I am the community manager for Generation GO but fitness is not my forte.  I am much more into sports and would consider myself an athletic individual but if I was asked to enjoy a nice run or watch whatever is on MTV at 2 in the afternoon, I’d probably choose the TV.  Today was different, I went for a run, something I haven’t done since last summer.  Travelling along the Humber River trail by my house I came across another runner who was running extremely fast back and forth along a small section of the trail.  This runner was about 6 feet tall but couldn’t weigh anymore than 110 pounds, I mean he was skinny!  As I started to cramp up he stopped to see how I was doing, “First time out in a while eh?”, he chuckled.  I explained to him in my earlier days I was much fitter and that I was trying to get back to the shape I was in before college.  “College doesn’t make me unfit, I have lots of time and motivation to run and work out”, man this kid was getting on my nerves so I asked him how old he was and he replied “18″.  I started laughing hysterically and told him to keep those good habits because he was going to need them once he really got “involved” with college life.  As we walked the rest of the trail (there was no way I was running anymore), I began to tell him my epic college story. 

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Reasons to visit Generation GO

photo courtesy Sue Holland (Wakeboarding Extraordinaire)

 Generation GO has announced to the world that it has arrived.  This is the one stop shop for all things active in Toronto.  We have some of the most well informed and enthusiastic contributors helping to build this website as a guide for anyone looking for information on active living in the Greater Toronto Area.  If you’re still not convinced as to why you should keep coming back to check out Generation GO here are some more reasons…

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