MOUNTAIN LIFE - Coast Mountains | Winter Spring 2019

S a r a h F e n t o n T i p p i e The Time Traveller’s Wife What is it like to be married to the living embodiment of mountain bike stoke? “When I tell people my husband is a pro athlete I get a lot of funny looks,” Sarah says. “And I miss a lot of school barbecues because he is away and it’s tough to get out with two kids. But I have an independent life and it works out better for the relationship—if he was around all the time it would drive me crazy. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and the house grow cleaner. When he comes home it is exploding suitcases.” Sarah says the secret to Tippie’s success is his passion, but it’s impossible to deny the role she plays in keeping the business of Brett Tippie in line. “The riding is the fun part of his job,” she says. “The rest is hard work. It’s boring, and so many athletes can’t do it.” From video concepts to paying the phone bills to scheduling flights and arranging childcare, Sarah is the muscle and the brains behind the scenes. “I keep my brain in the business and we create this future together. When he’s home he is very sentimental and reflective, we have a lot of fun. I have to work for someone so I’m happy to work for the person I love and stay home with our girls. We share a common vision for how we want to raise our family. The good outweighs the bad—there is very little bad, and I still get to ride my bike all the time.” CLOCKWISE (STARTING TOP LEFT) Tippie family adventure, 2017. SAM EGAN;Think Pink! Sarah FentonTippie,2017. SUSANWARD; The family that shreds together... Sarah in Whistler, 2016. BRETT TIPPIE;Wedding day atopWhistler Mountain,2012. KIMBERLY MARA