Colin-Mackler

**Welcome to Colin's Wiki Page **



__Who Am I?__
Hello, as you might have already noticed, my name is Colin Mackler. I am a 3rd year Business student at the University of Ottawa with a concentration is Human Resource Management. I was born in Winchester, Ontario and just recently moved to Ottawa last September. I live a very busy lifestyle working two part time jobs and still managing to handle a full course load. I have many different interests and hobbies, but here are a few that I would like to share with you.


 * Playing Sports (Hockey, Baseball, Lacrosse, Golf)
 * Snowboarding
 * Health & Fitness
 * Travelling & Touring

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__A few Interests and Hobbies__
Sports are a huge part of my life. If you can't find me working or attending classes, there is a good chance I am taking part in one of the above mentioned sports. I pride myself on staying active and trying to excell at every sport I play. Below are a few of my favorite sports and a little background information about my favorite one and how I got involved and grew such a strong passion for it.

Hockey
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Hockey is regarded as one of Canada's most watched and enjoyed sports. It requires athletes to be at the peak of their physical game along with having a mental edge. I have been playing hockey for 15 years and I can honestly say that it is my favorite sport. Whether I am sitting at home watching an Ottawa Senators game or lacing up my skates for a game of pick up, I am in my sanctuary.

Hockey is played everywhere through out the world and is enjoyed by all ages as long as the desire and passion to play the game still exists. I developped the itch at a very young age to enjoy the game and have not looked back since. I have played many different levels of competitive hockey including jr b, college level, and university level. I think it is fairly obvious that I will enjoy the game of hockey until I am not able to skate anymore, but until that day comes I will continue to eat, sleep, and breath hockey.

More Sports..
Here are a few more favorite pass times that I really enjoy playing, but whenever you enjoy sports as much as I do you have to make sure you keep up to date on the sports world and latest news. The links below help me to do just that.

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__Snowboarding__
Snowboarding is a relatively new passion for me. I will be the first to admit, it is a very discouraging sport to try and learn. I remember the first time I strapped on a board like it was yesterday. I was sitting at the top of Titas mountain with my new board, new gear, and a fearless attitude. It didn't take me long to figure out that the board and gear definitely did not make the rider. This is the point where most new riders either give up because they hurt themselves or get extremely discouraged because of the amount of bruises they have all over their bodies. I had a tough decision to make, either give up and be laughed at by my friends or get up and try again. I eventually got tired of taking face plants and eating a tremendous amount of snow and forced myself to get better. If you are ever considering picking up the art of boarding, I definitely urge you too. Almost nothing feels better than carving down the mountain with the wind in your face, hitting that big table top jump, and landing your favorite move.



__Health & Fitness__
Another big aspect of my life is living a healthy and active lifestyle. I enjoy exercising and training on a daly basis. I have a personal belief that if you live a healthy and active lifestyle, you will live a happier and longer life. Healthy living means making positive choices that enhance your personal, physical, mental and spiritual health. The best way to make these choices is to:
 * Eat nutritiously, choosing a variety of foods from all of the food groups as suggested by Canada's Food Guide.
 * Build a circle of social contacts to create a supportive environment of people who care for you and respect you.
 * Stay physically active to keep your body strong, reduce stress, and improve your energy.

I have been health conscious for many years and this is mainly because of my dedication to sports. I realize that not everyone wishes to be heathly and active, but I challenge them to try it out and see how much better they feel about themselves and their lives.

Below is a list of links to some online health and fitness websites that I refer to on a regular basis.
 * [|Men's Health]
 * [|Muscle & Fitness]
 * [|Nutritional Foods]

Travel


Finally, one of my favorite hobbies that does not involve much physical activity, unless you count walking on and off of an airplane physical activity. Travelling is a great way for people to see the world and experience different cultures and ways of life. Eventhough I have not done a great deal of travelling it is something that I am passionate about and plan on doing a lot of in the next couple years. I think visiting other countries is a reality check for some of us who take certain things for granted. We do not realize it until we see how others from different countries live and complete day to day activities.

Whether you are packing the car and taking a little road trip or jumping on a jumbo jet and flying half way across the world, travelling is considered to be one of the most relaxing and enjoying pass time. Below is a list of places that I plan on visiting in the next couple of years.
 * ~ Top 5 places I want to visit: ||
 * = Hawaii ||
 * = California ||
 * = Italy ||
 * = Scotland ||
 * = Greece ||

__Reflection on Wiki use__
This experience of creating a Wiki page has given me the opportunity to learn more about my fellow group members and it also allows them to learn a little more about me. It also allowed me to share my experiences about some of my favorite interests and pass times and gives people the opportunity to comment on them. I always welcome feedback and for people to share some of their similar experiences with me. Overall, this has been a pretty neat experience and I would recommend building a Wiki page as a team building experience to any newly formed group.