Snow won't stop this 66-year-old from hiking up Burnaby Mountain every day

Snow won't stop 66-year-old Andrew Rawicz from hiking Burnaby Mountain every day. 

Even with the heaps of snow that led SFU to shut down its campus during last week's storm, the engineering professor still laced up his hiking boots and made the 4.7 kilometre uphill walk from his home to the campus.

His routine goes something like this: "I did 250 sit-ups and 90 chin-ups. Then I ate the breakfast. And then I walk."

​"My plan is to live 125 years and I have to do something to accomplish it," he adds with a laugh. 

One summer day in 2002, while reflecting on the fact that his parents didn't have a car in Poland, he decided to walk with his dog to see how long it would take him. 

That day, it took him an hour, so he decided to make it a daily walk and has since reduced his time to about 45 minutes, depending on the conditions. 

'I'm 66 ... but I feel maybe 40'

Motivated by staying fit and reducing his carbon footprint, Rawicz hung up his car keys and hasn't looked back.

Over the years, he has already walked roughly 35,000 kilometres and plans to keep walking until he hits 40,070 kilometres, the circumference of the Earth.

"That's a good goal, yes."

Rawicz knows some of his colleagues and students think he's a bit of a kook but he doesn't mind. 

"I like when they think I'm crazy," he said. 

"I challenge them to join me. I try to teach them that the best way to keep health is not to develop medicine but to simply keep healthy," he said. 

"I'm 66 .. but I feel maybe 40."

But still, doesn't the cold or wetness bother him?

"I swear it doesn't affect me at all because after a big rain, I have to take less shower," he deadpanned.