In Focus: David Hill

Age: 46

Occupation: Director, Environmental Health and Safety, Park Ohio Industries

Hometown: Cuyahoga Falls

Sport: Paddling

It's not often that a single man can move rivers, but for Cuyahoga Falls resident David Hill, that dream became a reality.

Read more: The Gardener Plants His Seeds

Female cyclist shares her passion through racing, advocacy

Linda Miranda

Age: 45

Occupation: Homemaker

Hometown: Valley City

Sport: Cycling

Cyclist. Advocate. Race director. Mother. Valley City resident Linda Miranda wears her fair share of hats in her cycling-infused life. For her, it was love at first ride.

Read more: Going the Distance

For Avon resident Bud Hagy, ambition was never a problem. Back in 1983, the then-28-year-old started a company out of the trunk of his car with just $500. Now, at 54, his two companies bring in around $45 million a year.

About the time the entrepreneur began his first company, he also decided to take control of his health. "I was about 29 and decided that I was going to start taking care of my body," he says. "I was watching the marathoners on Lake Avenue run by, and they were older guys. I decided that if they could do it, I could do it."

Hagy began training slowly, but soon was well on his way to getting in shape. "I started out running around the block, and three months later, I ended up running a 35k."

In his first race, he finished in the top 20 percent - not too bad for a beginner. To date, Hagy has completed 85 marathons, including six appearances in the Boston Marathon.

Read more: Million-Dollar Fitness Plan

Dave Herpy fondly remembers his first connection with the water at age 5. "My grandfather used to take me fishing at Pymatuning (State Park) and let me drive the boat occasionally," he says. "It was my first water experience as a kid."

A member of Cub and Boy Scouts, Herpy also was canoeing at a young age. Yet Herpy, the outdoor adventure and camp coordinator for Kent State University, has come a long way from fishing boats and canoes.

The 27-year-old Kent resident began kayaking in 2000 as a lifeguard and camp counselor for Lake Metroparks and has since has earned a bachelor's degree in recreation management from Kent State and a master's degree in recreation studies from Ohio University.

Through his various internships and his graduate assistantship, Herpy was introduced to whitewater rafting and kayaking, and began to share his enthusiasm for water sports with others, something he continues in his position.

Read more: Paddling with a Purpose: Catch This Kent Resident's Contagious Water-Sport Spirit