I fell head over heels for Martin, the founder behind my skiing adventures, on my first visit there (last month) since nearly 3 years ago. A whip-smart man with boots on the ground, I was endlessly impressed by his ability to empower the people he explores with, in a traditional, charismatic way.
He runs his Solitude mountain with grace, treating his son as a person – not a project. He believes in the potential of others, and in doing so, teaches others to believe in the potential of themselves. He does not mince words. He does not settle for average. And when he says his partner holds immense value and incredible talent, he backs up his claim with an initiative to fly two of us to the most promising of trips to a Medical Physicist conference in Vienna, Austria.
In short: he invests in his community, and he’s in it for the long haul.
Today, for fun, he invited me to join in his efforts to visit his father there and stay with him for two weeks afterwards. And besides a German tour, I was gifted with a handmade red & white string bracelet, and personal note from the man himself.
Here’s to gifts that give back, gifts that call forth, and gifts that fly two skiers straight to Vienna (and beyond).
