Blog Articles

Mallory Insurance

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Dan Mallory entered the family business with an abundance of energy, and his perpetual desire to challenge himself and others has helped him grow Mallory Insurance into the thriving brokerage it is today. Dan applies his value system to both work and life, and it is the pursuit of knowledge and continuous improvement that motivates him. To say he is a risk taker is an understatement, but he would maintain that the risks he takes are well calculated. What is most interesting about Dan is not that he is a successful businessman, but rather is his impressive track record of athletic pursuits over the years. His accomplishments include skiing, running, biking, and he has even summited the world’s largest mountains.

What is even more impressive, is Dan, and the entire Mallory family, have collectively submitted the highest mountain on each of the 7 continents. They are the only family of four to have summited Mt. Everest – it would have been five but Dan’s wife injured herself during the climb and had to turn back. Moreover, Dan’s daughter is the youngest Canadian female to have summited Mt. Everest, and of the Mallory family, Dan and his daughter are the only two to have achieved all of the climbs.

How does someone wake up one morning and decide they are going to climb all of the highest mountains in the world, and actually do it? Dan’s quest started with a trip he took to South America with his wife. They arrived late on their first night and had not planned much of an itinerary nor counted on any particular sights to see. Using the little Spanish he knew, Dan asked around to learn how they could best spend their time – this is when a local mentioned climbing Pico Bolivar. They were told to meet a man at a specific location the next morning and he would be their guide for the hike. To their surprise, Dan and his wife showed up to meet a man holding large ropes and high tech climbing gear, quickly realizing that this would not be any ordinary hiking experience. After crossing a yellow marking in the dirt that read danger, Dan decided to follow his wife, waiting to see how long it took for her to want to turn around. The guide took them to a vertical cliff dropping straight down, and without so much as blinking an eye, he began descending the rock face. In total awe, Dan watched his wife as she turned to follow the guide calmly and without hesitation.

The experience was such a thrill for the pair that they were hooked. The decision to set out as a family to climb some of the world’s most challenging mountains came when their children were in their teens. Everyone was gathered around the dinner table when Dan suggested the opportunity. A brief pause in the meal, a collective nod in agreement, and their journey began. The family has accomplished and experienced so much together and they want to share their stories. The Mallory’s started a website, blogging about their individual memories of the experiences together, and have since even published a book.

Now that Dan has conquered his climbing goals, he certainly isn’t ready to retire from adventure. He has now turned his attention to participating in the World Loppet Cross Country Ski Federation events. Dan has skied 10 of the 16 countries that participate in the event, including Finland and Germany, with plans to register for the race in Sweden soon. Talk about ambition, Downtown Barrie couldn’t be more proud to have Dan and Mallory Insurance as a member of the community. We look forward to Dan’s progress and hearing about his achievements for as long as he continues to pursue them.