Meet the four QSs who just do it

Name: David Weight Occupation: Crusading Surfer

There’s a lot happening at the moment for the Currie & Brown associate. To start with, there is a last-minute plea to Bournemouth’s Council on 19 September to implement artificial reefs. That started off as a personal campaign and was taken up by the Wessex Surf Club, which he represents. He also represents the British Surf Association.

Then there is the British Surfing Championships later this year. Weight says:

“It’s a good way of keeping fit, but it is difficult to balance it with family and work. Luckily I get to travel with my work, as I’m involved a lot in training and presentations. But my motto is ‘mix business with pleasure’. For example, we have an office in Newcastle so when I’m there

I can tie that in with the surfing contest there. I’ll be in the veteran section now that I’m 55.”

When he’s back in the office, Weight develops ‘Live options’, the firm’s forecasting software which integrates future costs with other variables, such as energy burdens. He says this is just one of his areas of expertise – but adds that if he could predict costs as well as he could predict the swell, there would be a lot more surfing going on.

Name: Gary McMahon Occupation: Fell Runner

A senior project manager at Concept, Gary McMahon prefers to keep fit on land.

He’s currently preparing for this year’s World Mountain Running Championships, to be held in Keswick, in the Lake District.

“The World Masters Mountain Championship is an annual event and this is the first time it’s taken place in the UK as it’s usually run on the continent. Continental races are uphill only, while UK fell races are up and down. This is significant this year because there is a skill to running downhill,” he explains. More than a hundred veteran runners will take part in the televised 12km race.

The event is the latest in a number of mountain runs in which he has taken part this summer, including a half marathon in Chamonix, France and the 10km Snowdon race.

Back in the office, McMahon is one of a team of Concept project managers working on a multi-million pound Local Improvement Finance Trust healthcare scheme.

Work includes an £11m health and community centre in Stapleford, and an £8.2m health and local authority centre in Clifton’s main shopping area – both in Nottinghamshire.

Name: Andrew Thompson Occupation: Rugby Player

Andrew Thompson, a project manager in the Davis Langdon PKS office in Limerick, is passionate about Rugby. He’s been playing rugby for Shannon since leaving school and has also established an all time record by winning his seventh AIL Ireland Rugby Club medal. This year he has eclipsed his coach, Mick Galway, who holds six AIL medals.

Thompson is currently working on the Citadel Project and for the University of Limerick and other projects in the Munster region.

Name: Roger Craig Occupation: Professional Sailor

Also working in Davis Langdon’s Limerick office, Roger Craig is a professional sailor and already well into his 2005 racing campaign. An 18th place in the Italian Grand Prix was followed by 13th in Lake Garda dropping to 48th in Holland.

“In this fleet of professional sailors my coach and I are keen to work on what Clive Woodward calls the ‘critical non-essentials’, along with my work on the water and fitness programmes to keep the results moving in the right direction,” he said in the company’s latest Summer Review. Craig is now hoping to work up his position in the World fleet.