FEATURES

Well-Traveled Poopy Diaper Changer...

Monday, 04 November 2013 06:10

ED. This story posted originally on November 4, 2013.

Going Off Course - Last week we shared Greg Dummer's 2013 tri highlights. Today we introduce you to the non-athletic side of this remarkable guy. He's well-traveled and highly cultured. He can conversate in four languages and has had a couple of unbelievably harrowing experiences, the kind that you see in action movies. He loves Doritos, has changed poopy diapers and may be the most accomplshed person we've ever gone "Off Course" with. Please read his answers to our questionnaire and see if you don't agree.

And yes, his wife totally looks like Jennifer Connelly.

BACKGROUND:

Name?  Greg Dummer

Age? 43 in December

Where you live now? Southwest Minneapolis – right by Lake of the Isles and Cedar Lake....

Where were you born? Red Wing, MN

Education? Where? Degrees?

St. John’s University (Collegeville), B.A. in Economics.   I also played football (tight end) and sang in the college choir.   I am very active in the football and alumni program with recruiting and fundraising.

MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, Arizona.  It is a top rated international business school.  I also played competitive rugby in Arizona and Southern California while in graduate school.

Occupation?  I am currently VP of Sales for Water Street Funding, an equipment leasing company in Chanhassen.

Dream Job if you could do anything you want?  I would want to do something travel related.  I am not a very good writer but would love to be a travel writer or an adventure guide.

Former Occupations? (Anything weird or embarrassing here?) I had a very diverse career.  I was in international sales for 10+ years and traveled over 250,000 for many years.  I lived in Switzerland for 3 years, China, Pennsylvania, San Francisco and Boston before moving back to Minnesota.  I got into triathlons when I became a stay-at-home to 3 young girls for 2 ½ years during the recession and needed to have an outlet to raise my testosterone levels. 

In my international travels, I was held at gunpoint in Bogota, Colombia by the FARC in 1998 in an attempted hostage/kidnapping attempt and was also forced to stay in my hotel in Karachi, Pakistan for 2 nights without leaving since there were over 20,000 people protesting a political trial at the hotel where I was staying was full of westerners and was the former CIA covert headquarters during the Russia/Afghanistan war.  I was able to smuggle in a few bottles of Johnnie Walker Black Label which earned me a lot of friends at the hotel. (Pakistan is a dry country)

Family? Wife? Husband? Kids?   I have a wife, Kirsten, who is a pediatric cardiologist at Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis.  I have 3 daughters  - Olivia (7), Phoebe (4) and Hope (3) (photo above).  All of them are sassy and full of personality like their mother.

Pets? Names?  No pets.

Tattoos? Other cool mutilations?  None…except a few scars from injuries.

Best physical feature?  It used to be my shoulders and chest….but since I’ve hit my 40’s my body distribution has changed quite a bit.

Anything you wish you could change about yourself?  Be better at patience and multi-tasking.  After being a stay-at-home dad, it forced me to learn how to change a poopy diaper, cook (of course I washed my hands) and help with homework at the same time.  I did start to lose my hair at this time and really wanted a drink.

Pet Peeves?  Flakes and fake people.  I admire people who say what they think and are true to themselves.

Bad Habits?  I would say none…but don’t ask my wife.

Embarrassing Moments?  Probably a lot and many of them alcohol related before I met my beautiful wife.

FAVORITE STUFF:

Movies?  I love comedy – still am a fan of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Old School, Fletch, Caddyshack, Airplane, Hangover.

Actors/Actresses?  Will Ferrell…just looking at him makes me laugh.

TV Shows?  Modern Family

Books? I love to read and am a big history buff.  I am currently reading Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin.

Authors?  John Krackauer (spelling), David McCullough, Bill Bryson, Tom Wolfe and Wilbur Smith.

Musicians/bands?  Muse, the Killers, Eagles, U2 and Coldplay.

Songs? I actually love Broadway and Showtunes…but I am not sure this should go in print.  My daughters make fun of me singing Fiddler on the Roof.

Restaurants?  I love to eat and my wife and I go out as much as we can with friends.  I currently like Bar LaGrassa, Butcher and the Boar, Burch, the Kenwood and Café Lurcat.

Meals?  I love a good steak and also any type of Asian food.  I love Sichuan, Korean, sushi and Indonesian.

Junk Food? Bring it on…especially freshly baked chocolate chip cookies.  I could still race as a Clydesdale and I am sure my inability to go below 200 lbs is related to my inability to say no!

Favorite Crunchy Snack Food?  Doritoes!!

Favorite Pizza?  Sally’s and Pepe’s in New Haven, CT.  Best pizza in the country.

Favorite Ice Cream?  Love ice cream, any kind but don’t like coffee flavored…even though I love coffee.

Favorite Hamburger?  Wow, that is tough…my father, Glen, still makes a damn good burger.  Also, love the Juicy Lucy’s!!!

Boxers or Tighty Whities? Boxer Briefs!

Favorite Alcoholic Beverages?  I love dirty Bombay Sapphire martini’s on the rocks.  A good friend of mine, Colin Smith (also a 43 year old age grouper), drink a martini or two on the night before races.  Is that bad???  We figure it calms us down and allows us to get the salt we need to race better.  I’m sure coaches/trainers will disagree with us…but your readership should give it a try!!!

Non-tri hobbies?  I love to read, spend time with family and be outside. 

Unique abilities?  I used to be conversant in 4 languages – French, German, Spanish and Mandarin.

Dream vacation destination – I would love to head back to SouthEast Asia and spend a few months exploring the Mekong Delta, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand and Laos.

Dream Car? Toyota LandCruiser, instead I’m currently stuck with a minvan.

Anything you’d like to add about yourself?  I take pride in racing as a 40 year old Clydesdale who tries to compete in my age group.   It’s not always easy to compete with someone who weighs 50 lbs less and is half your age but it is very rewarding when I pass them.  I also have two good “friendemies”  in Minnesota where we help support each other and want to kick each other’s butts!  Colin Smith (43) and L. Pearce McCarty (43).  They still haven’t beat me yet but I am sure that will change soon.  Hopefully not it 2014.