My name is Johannes Olafsson and since I was young, I have been called Joi (Joe). I grew up in Iceland and always had the chance to explore the unique environment that the country has to offer. My family owns a farm in the south of the country which has given me the opportunity to see the tourism industry grow and sparked interest the industry Before starting at Thompson Rivers University, I had studied to be an automotive mechanic and did not have a lot of interest in going back to school for academic studies. So how does an Icelandic mechanic with limited interest in reading books end up in a university in a small city in British Columbia?
To answer that question simply, the reason is sports. When growing up I have always been into sports, for example motocross, BMX and now mountain bikes. My willingness to move away from Iceland was nothing new but after my first trip abroad to ride mountain bikes set things in motion which made it possible for me to move to British Columbia. On this trip me and my friend decided on short notice to sign up for a downhill race that was a part of the British Downhill Series in Fort William, Scotland that has one of the longest and toughest tracks in the world. This event was held just two weeks before the Downhill World Cup was held at the same venue and that meant that most of the best downhill racers in the world showed up for this event to get some practice. With the thousands of spectators in the area and the course being way to long and difficult for me, due to lack of experience, this was very scary, and it felt great. Once I came back to Iceland and rode my bike again, I realized that the trails that I had there were not enough, and I started looking for my next excuse to go abroad. In early 2018 that opportunity presented itself to me. I signed up for a school in Whistler, BC. By doing so I was able to move to Whistler for a whole summer and get a certification as a bike Guide.
Spending this summer riding bikes in Whistler, studying and receiving a certification as a bike guide from Whistler Adventure School got me excited to learn more about tourism and to spend more time in BC. That led to me finding and starting my studies in the Tourism Management Program at Thompson Rivers University and move to Kamloops. From reading the description of the program as well as hearing from multiple tourism organizations in Iceland I knew that the Tourism Management Program would be the perfect option for me to move forward in the industry. The Coronavirus pandemic has however made things a little more tough, but it has also given me the opportunity to consider what direction the industry will move in once over. Furthermore, it has also given me the opportunity to move in with my partner in Finland and conduct my studies online.