From Fiber to the North Pole

April 9th, 2015 by · 1 Comment

garyseeryAnd now for a change of pace. Today, two representatives of the telecom and internet infrastructure sector are taking on a bit of a different challenge. Gary Seery, IT Director at Hibernia Networks, and David Van Der Wetering, an Account Manager at Ciena, are running in this year’s North Pole Marathon — and yes that means exactly what it says. Why would anybody spend April revisiting winter for a nice 26.2 mile run on a polar ice cap? Here’s Gary in a few of his own words:

 

The most common question, I get asked about the project is WHY, Why do this, why the north pole, why the risk, etc. There is a very simple answer to all of these why’s, it has to be done. I’ve been running for just over 4 years now, my running obsession started shortly after my journey with Hibernia Networks, maybe the challenges of working in a dynamic, fast based company led me to find an activity that gave me some ME time. It’s important to switch off and get some time to think about ideas or resolve some problems. I have always been a big believer in goal setting and working hard to achieve those goals, so running really suits my belief system, you get nothing from running unless you put the work in, there are no shortcuts and no hiding places, you have either put the work in or you haven’t. Achieving goals in endurance sports takes time, patience and serious dedication.

Challenging ourselves to achieve goals is what life is all about, whether they are personal or professional goals. My time at Hibernia Networks is another area that confirms this for me, we do extraordinary things at Hibernia, our goals are lofty , we support these goals with unquestionable determination. Our latest project, Hibernia Express is like an endurance sport, it is taking time, patience and serious dedication to bring it to completion, Hibernia Express has had a lot of WHY questions too, and the answer is the same, it has to be done!, we have to continuously challenge ourselves and the technology.

The UVU north pole marathon is the ultimate endurance event, it has it all, extreme weather conditions, energy sapping underfoot conditions and it takes place in one of the remotest parts of our planet. Hibernia Networks has teamed up with Ciena to participate in this year’s event, the two companies have a runner taking part and they will join 48 other competitors at the top of the world. Myself and David Van Der Wetering have been training hard over the past few months and with just over a month to go we are nearing the end of our intense training schedule. This project was too big to just do the run and walk away so we have partnered with Habitat for Humanity with the aim of raising some funds to assist them with building projects for needy families, Habitat are providing the most basic human right of a roof over your head. Our colleagues around the world are getting involved, either by donating some funds or getting involved in the upcoming volunteer days. To keep track of all of our progress with this project please follow http://26.2northpole.com.

Keep Moving Forward

Good luck today, Gary!

If you haven't already, please take our Reader Survey! Just 3 questions to help us better understand who is reading Telecom Ramblings so we can serve you better!

Categories: Fun · Industry Spotlight · Industry Viewpoint

Join the Discussion!

1 Comment, Add Yours!


  • Congrats to Gary who came in 18th in the North Pole Marathon at 7 hours, 59 minutes and 17 seconds! Couldn’t imagine the strength and determination– what an accomplishment! And Dave from Ciena was just a few seconds behind him, coming in at 19th! Talk about the power of telecom! Nice work team! 26.2 miles, in the arctic, and apparently there were snipers on the course to keep polar bears away… now that’s crazy amazing!

Leave a Comment

You may Log In to post a comment, or fill in the form to post anonymously.





  • Ramblings’ Jobs

    Post a Job - Just $99/30days
  • Event Calendar