Bonnie Mak, DTM*, is an award-winning speaker, professional actor, and 3x Ironman triathlete. She believes in living life fully and authentically, and is grateful that she remains grounded and positive albeit all of life’s curve balls. What is life without passion and joy?
*DTM (Distinguished Toastmaster) is the highest accreditation obtainable in the Toastmasters program.
Thank you for visiting my page. Here are 50 things you probably don’t know about me:
- I can tap dance.
- I can also swing dance.
- In fact, I can do many dances. When I was a little girl, my dad wouldn’t let me take dance lessons, so as soon as I could when I grew up, I took lots of them. It’s never too late to do something you love!
- My first teddy bear’s name was Bear Bear. My little sister had an elephant named Elephant.
- Now I have a basket of stuffies on my bed and I would still play with them, given the chance. I have a secret desire to become a Muppeteer. Okay, now it’s no longer secret. (Do you hear me, Universe?)
- I learnt how to ride a bike when I was four years old.
- My first bike was a little red number, I’ll never forget her. My dad ran over her in the driveway with his station wagon.
- I wrote a song about that bike.
- I also wrote a speech about her and presented it at my Toastmasters club.
- Then my little red bike became part of the eulogy that I gave for my dad. 🙁
- I don’t eat innards.
- The smell of my mom boiling liver still haunts me.
- My love of cooking comes from my mom. She cooked a lot of other things besides liver. Thank God.
- BACON !!!
- But I also love vegetarian and vegan cuisine.
- Invite me out for Indian anytime. Actually, anything ethnic and I’m so there!
- I still remember how to triple jump, shot put, and pass the baton, things I learnt during track & field in primary school. Softball too, so much fun. I loved those days!
- During high school, I only had one ear pierced and refused to pierce the other one until I was 25.
- My left ear is pierced three times, two of the holes I did myself. Yes, it hurt … a lot. But I was a depressed, lost, angst-filled teenager.
- I was androgynous before Annie Lennox made it cool. I had short spiky hair and wore suits with ties.
- I was SUPER afraid of dogs when I was young. Once my neighbour bought all the little kids ice cream cones when the ice cream truck came. But then a dog ran up to me and I was so scared, I dropped it. I was really sad.
- I’ve made peace with dogs and now I love them, though I’m still more of a cat person because they are less likely to chew up my stuffies. And I can sleep in, kinda …
- I have three cats, Mika, Eggbert, and Baxter, all from rescues. They make my every day, best entertainment committee ever!
- I tend to do activities intensively when I like them. I am an all-or-nothing type of gal.
- I kick-boxed for over six years before a car accident almost killed me and left me too injured to continue. I hope that I’ll be able to kick-box again one day.
- First race I ever signed up for was the Quebec Marathon, but then I thought I should at least practice racing with a half marathon beforehand.
- You do NOT sign up for Ironman triathlon (4km swimming, 180km cycling, 42km running) in your first year of tri, but I did. Ignorance is BLISS! I also had to learn to swim and get over my fear of water, what a year. Click here to read about my racing exploits.
- My running friends gave me my nickname, Irongoddess, one of whom believed I’d crawl through glass before I’d allow myself to DNF (did not finish) my first Ironman race. Click here to read my Irongoddess blog.
- I have been known to be an undisciplined athlete and have run marathons with no training, not even much of a base. It’s stupid, I know, but I didn’t like to waste my entry fee.
- Besides, I am addicted to race finisher BLING. Actually, all achievement bling is good in my books!
- Okay, I also like that I’ve raised $40,000 for various charities through racing, such as the Canadian Cancer Society. Some of this was raised with Operation Triumph, a team of volunteers that my good friend, Geoff Brown, and I founded. We held some amazing fund-raising events! Since the Operation Triumph website is down due to a cyber attack, click here to read about past events.
- Being an actor, I’ve met some really famous people along my way, but you’ll never know who since I don’t name drop.
- I get fan mail, why do people send me fan mail? And why do they want my autograph? I really don’t get it.
- I like to listen to the same CD over and over again until I finally get fed up days or weeks later and change it. Okay, maybe even months …
- Sometimes I don’t realize that I’m singing or humming out loud. And I make up stuff too. I wonder if I annoy people. Probably.
- I am WYSIWYG (who is old enough to remember that? What You See Is What You Get).
- I am really low maintenance … my preference is no make-up, ponytail, and yoga pants (okay, I lie, I’d rather be in pyjamas).
- I would wear pyjamas all day long but it’s not socially acceptable.
- I once got PAID to wear my own pyjamas all day long for a commercial shoot and it WAS socially acceptable.
- If you’re ever stuck on a present idea for me, get me cotton or flannel jammies, size medium please. I’ll love you forever.
- I think a guy who can cook and dance and is a little geeky is awesome! Are you this guy? Must also like cats.
- Self-deprecating humour adds a healthy perspective to life. I am so imperfect.
- I have wavy hair, which I hated until I got older … like how many Asians have wavy hair, right? But now I love it, thanks Mom!
- My eyes are light brown, and in certain light, have been called hazel. Got that from my mom too. I really miss her. She died from cancer. Fuck cancer.
- I speak French fluently. My inspiration to learn was when I was taught in school that Canada has two official languages. Canada’s so cool, isn’t it?
- I’m proud to be Canadian, but frick, the winters are cold.
- The most difficult thing I’ve ever endured was the tragic loss of my son, Gustav … miss you forever, mon coco d’amour.
- I find a good way to fight depression is to distract oneself with projects. One of my friends remarked how the harder my life got, the bigger the project. Now you know why I’ve completed countless marathons and three Ironman triathlons. Then I achieved DTM (Distinguished Toastmaster) distinction from Toastmasters, the highest accreditation in their program. I’m currently working towards becoming the World Champion of Public Speaking. Nothing is impossible!
- I’m grateful for my amazing friends and family who have loved and supported me through all the crap I’ve lived through.
- I believe the meaning of life is whatever you choose it to be. I choose the Moments of Joy.
If you’ve read until the end of this list, wow, I feel honoured. Thanks for wanting to get to know me better … all my love xo.