VCH’s Commuter of the Year Award aims to recognize the exceptional efforts of staff choosing to leave their vehicle at home and use other options to get to work. For the past 5 years, the award has been given to a VCH staff that demonstrates a commitment to cycling, walking or transit that goes above and beyond. The quality of nominations were so good that a Special Recognition award was added to honor a second staff each year.

Commuter of the Year: Marilyn Chotem

Dr. Marilyn Chotem, a Registered Psychologist with VCH, has committed to commute by transit and bike from her home on the North Shore to work at VGH. She has been a bike commuter since she turned 25 years old in 1973. Now at 65, she has commuted daily by bicycle for the past 40 years, only choosing to walk instead of cycle when there is too much snow on the roads! She loads her bike onto the bus or seabus at the start of her journey, then rides her bike from downtown Vancouver, up to the VGH campus. On the way home, she gets off the bus at the Capilano Mall and rides up the hill for her cardiovascular workout at the end of the day.

“Choosing to commute by bicycle has kept me young and healthy,” say Marilyn. “It was a way of life that was started by a youthful desire to reduce cars on the road and lower pollution. I have recycled for the same number of years, use my own shopping bags, and grow food in the garden. I love our planet and want it to be in good health for our children and their children.”

Special Recognition: Kyle Recsky

Kyle Recsky, a Business Analyst with Workplace Health, has been with VCH for 4 years. He was nominated by a colleague, who was inspired by Kyle’s decision to live close to work so that he can walk and take transit to drop his 3-year-old and 6-year-old kids at daycare and school. Their commute takes about an hour and involves walking to the daycare, a bus, then skytrain, followed by another walk to the school and then to the office. The kids sometimes take their razor scooters or bikes, depending on the schedule that day.

Kyle says that the award should say ‘Recsky Family’! Together with his wife, who is doing a fellowship in General Surgery at St Paul’s, they like that that the commute gives them time outside, time with the kids and a bit of exercise. They take it in turns to drop the kids off and although it takes more time than driving, Kyle says there are many benefits.

“For us it wasn’t about ditching the car completely, it was about just trying to avoid using it for ‘commuting’. We chose to live in less space, taking advantage of all the great green space the city provides so that we can live closer to work. It isn’t for everyone, and it won’t be for us forever, but it has worked better than we expected. I personally think the health benefits are more important than the green benefits. So even if you take transit, including a decent walk in your commute is a good step.”

Kudos to all!

There are many incredible stories of active and clean commuting in VCH. Thank you for the wonderful ‘Commuter of the Year’ nominations and get ready for the Clean Commuter Challenge, which runs from May 26th to June 15th, 2014. More info: www.bcgreencare.ca

How can you win prizes?

Read more about the Commuter of the Year and other stories on active lifestyle, commuting tips and sustainability on the BCGreenCare site. The Clean Commuter Challenge is coming up in May – it’s your chance to clean your commute, get active and healthy and win great prizes too!

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