When it comes to work/life balance, there are those among us who are more than happy to close the door at the end of the work day and not give the job another thought until the next shift begins.
Others, for better or worse, take work home with them more often than not.
Then, there is someone like Gabriel Speyer.
The Bank of America client manager not only takes his work from the office, he brings it with him to the shores of San Francisco Bay.
Then he dives right in.
Gabriel is training for the 8th annual Bridge to Bridge 10k Swim in early August. He is doing it to raise money for the non profit Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation. Gabriel is familiar with TNDC because he has spent the past 10 years helping them create affordable housing in the increasingly-unaffordable City of San Francisco.
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"I can walk through the Tenderloin," Gabriel says, "and see buildings under construction or complete and I can say Bank of America financed that deal, and I worked on that. That's pretty great."
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But not great enough, it would seem, for Gabriel.
He is so impressed with the work done at TNDC, he decided to dedicate his free time to raising money for them as well.
A grateful Don Flock at the TNDC says, "Gabriel really wants to make a difference and his work at the bank is not enough."
Gabriel, though swimming competitively in high school and college, is pretty sure he has never swum as far as he will during the Bridge to Bridge (approximately 6 miles). "Certainly not in the Bay," Gabriel adds. He is training with regular workouts in a pool as well as in San Francisco's Aquatic Park.
If Gabriel is fortunate, his swim will be as successful as his fund-raising. After reaching his original goal of $5,000 halfway through his fund-raising window, Gabriel upped the amount to $7,500. He has almost topped that goal with more than a week left before the swim.
Asked why he would dedicate so much of his free time to help a group that he already helps during his day job, Gabriel says it is simply another way to support a cause he finds worthwhile.
"An athletic challenge is a great way to show your commitment to a cause and this is just something I believe in."
