Work Hard, Play Harder

By: Julie Hopko, Sports Coordinator & John Workman, Facilities Supervisor, City of Brighton

Jeffrey Hulett

is the Assistant Director of Recreation Services for the City of Brighton and you could say he’s pretty ULTRA. Outside of his duties at the recreation center, Jeffrey has completed some of the world’s toughest competitions. Few others ever reach his caliber and he is showing no signs of slowing down. One thing Jeffrey constantly demonstrates to our staff is the importance of work life balance and he lives this to the fullest. Suffice it to say that we do not spend our down time the same way. Like many of my coworkers and friends, I look forward to the weekend. Hopefully I get a hike in, a trip to a brewery, and some relaxing time with family and friends. I usually accomplish that, and feel pretty good about myself if I manage to complete any household chores. Not Jeffrey. Ask him on Monday how his weekend was. He probably went out for a quick 4 hour bike ride, jumped from a plane or hot air balloon, or did a hike and fly with his paraglider. This is every weekend. He may even manage to visit a brewery between excursions. On weekends Jeffrey spends his time training for the next big race and has completed several bucket list items for the adventurous, as well as picked up entertaining hobbies. He swam the English Channel and was the 944th person to do so, swimming from England to France. He has raced in Paris, paraglided in Croatia, and soared along the California coastline. Similar to a scene in a James Bond movie, he also has dabbled in a biathlon where you combine cross-country skiing and sharp shooting. He has run 100 mile mountain runs and gets together annually with friends for a self-guided triathlon through the Rocky Mountains. He has made the backcountry his home, and of course, he always picks the farthest hut-to-hut trips. Recently Jeffrey did a very incredible thing. In early October he left town for a trip to Borrego Springs, California with one of his sons for an adventure. This little adventure just so happened to be the World 24 Hour Time Trial Championship; a cycling race where you ride as many miles as possible within 24 hours. You could say that his accumulative life experience and training paid off as he claimed the world champion title for his age group. Not only did he win his division, but he beat the 2nd place finisher by 54 miles,

riding 380 miles (16 mph average) on a road bike. I don’t even like driving that far! It takes incredible stamina and a strong mindset to stay on a bike for 24 hours. That alone is a huge accomplishment. At the Brighton Recreation Center, we are very proud of Jeffrey and always look forward to hearing about his next Jeffrey Hulett adventure. Sometimes working in recreation leads to many late hours/ early mornings. Jeffrey reminds us about the importance of getting the job done and then getting outside and living life. Although you don’t need to be as extreme as Jeffrey, it’s important to put yourself out there and try new things. You never know when you just might get a world record. And if you don’t, that’s okay too.