It’s your life—own it #ownsafety

It’s a brand-new year. It’s a chance to change things up in your life. You’ve made the choice that 2015 is going to be a year of firsts. You’re stacking your deck and have taken the pledge to live life to the fullest. Where to begin? If you plug “live life to the fullest” into Google, over 43,000,000 results pop up; all of which will help you in the direction you want to go, or at least give you some ideas on how to get there – like:

• Finally taking that backcountry trip with a snowboard or skis and a solid crew of friends.
• Or making this the summer that you commit to getting your name in for a chance to take the 75-kilometre journey along the West Coast Trail for the “Hike of a Lifetime”.
• What about tackling that elusive road gap on your snowboard that has been taunting you for the past few seasons? [caption id="" align="alignright" width="354"] Photo credit: raileurope.com[/caption]

Own the choices you make, whatever they may be Wherever your action-packed lifestyle takes you, you will own the many obstacles ahead. Ultimately, it’s up to you to get out there, have fun and not get killed in the process. Identifying all the hazards, and risks involved in the adventure you embark upon, is just part of the journey. One of those hazards might just be encountering a set of train tracks, tunnel or trestle. You never know what the day will bring, but at some point, you might ask:

• What am I supposed to do here? Should I cross that bridge? Take that shortcut into the train tunnel? (Spoiler alert: you shouldn’t, cause you could die like these people did).

Just like you set yourself up with the right equipment for the adventure ahead, being prepared includes ensuring you’re locked and loaded with the knowledge of what’s safe and what’s not. At the end of the day, you’re the one in charge of safely completing the adventure at hand so that you can move on to checking off the next item on your bucket list. So get ready to light it up—2015 is going to be your year of good times and unforgettable memories. Own it. #ownsafety