Greg Render winds – no, he bounds – his way up the Eagle Village stairs, taking them two at a time. With more than 70 flights per day under his belt, his Fitbit’s on fire! And that’s good for his heart, especially on Valentine’s Day with love letters galore to deliver.
Greg Render, who retired from Fairfax County Public Schools, delivers UMW mail across campus. Photo by Karen Pearlman.
Render braves snow and rain to make sure UMW students, faculty and staff get their mail, zigzagging across campus and beyond, from Lee Hall and Woodard, to the Jepson Alumni Executive Center and Facilities Services, to the Stafford campus and Belmont. He basically sprints the whole way, achieving the aforementioned 70-plus flights of stairs and about 28,000 steps – more than 12½ miles – per day.
Valentine’s Day brings more mail than usual, said Render, who retired after 32 years with Fairfax County Public Schools. But for he and his wife, his “soul mate,” of 47 years, every day is Valentine’s Day.
“As soon as I saw her,” he said, “I knew we were going to have a life together.”
Q: How long have you been at UMW?
A: The first time? Seven years. I’d been gone three years when I came back in August. The dog couldn’t go to Florida. (Don’t ask.)
Q: What’s most rewarding about your job?
A: The people. I love the people here. They’re so nice.
Q: What’s most challenging?
A: Pfft …nothing. Come on, it’s delivering mail.
Q: Do you deliver more mail than usual for Valentine’s Day?
A: Yes. There’s a lot of letters and packages – ProFlowers, FTD. We get boxes with hand-drawn hearts all colored in.
Q: Any suggestions for lovebirds to get their Valentine’s packages noticed?A: Show up yourself and give it to her.
Q: Any memorable deliveries throughout the years?
A: We’ve gotten kayaks, a 65-inch television, a 20-gallon saltwater aquarium. Bananas, pumpkins, leaves and pieces of wood, just loose with stamps on them. Yesterday, we got a 50-pound fitness vest. That was heavy!
Q: You zoom around all over the place on your golf cart. Have you ever had an accident?
A: No, but I’ve had them break down. You have to push them, and they’re heavy. One had battery problems, and I had to push it from Sodexo to the parking garage on Route 1.
Q: Any mottos you live by?
A: Have fun with life. You’ve got to laugh every day. If you can’t laugh at yourself, you have a problem.
I LOVE Greg!! Missed him lots while he was gone, and o so happy to see him return. He always brightens my day.