In the fast-paced environment of a kitchen, there's no room for timidity or reservation. Whether it means cooking under sharp time restraints or expediting line items in the most efficient way possible, chefs are diligent individuals who are consumed by a need for speed. Sometimes this passion goes past the borders of the kitchen and into everyday life. Take, for example, chef Suzanne McNitt of Green Olive Catering, Sean Dutson of Blackstone Catering, and Aldo Velaj of Vlora.

Suzanne McNitt is a high-speed skier who has graced the slopes of mountains in Argentina, France, Switzerland, Canada, and beyond. Having begun skiing as a child, McNitt's passion for the snow came naturally. "To me, skiing is the closest you can get to flying without sprouting wings," she happily admitted. It wasn't long before the natural born skier started racing competitively. But, having endured several skiing injuries including a few broken fingers and knees that she now claims are, "just no good," McNitt decided to put competitive racing behind her and focus on her other love: cooking. However, old habits die hard. "The more money I make, the more money I spend on skiing!" she joked. Incredibly, McNitt's passion for the slopes even led her to meet her husband on a ski lift. "It was January in Mount Washington Valley and it was about zero degrees outside.

Everyone was freezing and our heads were covered in helmets, and goggles and ski masks - you couldn't even see each other. So, he sat down next to me and said, ‘hi,' and I was like, ‘hiiii'," she recalled. Seeing that skiing has brought her great happiness in and out of the kitchen, McNitt plans on hitting the slopes for the rest of her life.

Like McNitt,Sean Dutson of Blackstone Catering is also testing the boundaries of speed through means of aviation. As a child, Dutson was influenced by his pilot father's love for the open sky. Dutson's passion for flight led him to join a Navy Aviation squadron before attending college. But it wasn't until 2005 that Dutson decided to take formal lessons, and it wasn't until 2006 that he finally attained his license. "My job is intense and there's a lot of pressure. And I'm not one of those people who can relax by going to the beach and reading a book - I can't do that. I need something where my brain is engaged, and flying has become my ultimate escape. It's an intense thing that ironically allows me to relax," he said.

Although some of his coworkers might find his unusual hobby "nuts," others enjoy taking flights alongside this talented chef and pilot. Of course, Dutson never loses sight of safety as his number one priority. "When you make a mistake, the consequences are much greater in an airplane than in a car. It's all about making smart decisions," he said. Dutson attributes much of his talent in the sky to his experience as a chef. "The multitasking and decision making process that you do in the kitchen and the kind you do in an airplane is one and the same," he said. Dutson plans on continuing his passion for flying for the rest of his life, and even dreams of retiring in Maine and owning his own seaplane.

Chef Aldo Velaj demonstrates his need for speed on the racetrack, but has always had a love for speed, whether he liked it or not. "I've always been a little bit of a crazy driver, and I'm not very proud of that. I've always gotten speeding tickets!" Luckily, his wife decided to get him some speeding therapy by giving him racecar-driving lessons as a gift. In Daytona, FL, Velaj was able to drive Formula 2000 racecars that reach up to 130 miles per hour. "The G-force in those cars is incredible. I would race for like 8 hours a day, and the G-force was so tiring that I would fall asleep immediately every night," he exclaimed. Originally from Albania, driving a manual car came easily to Velaj. Automatic cars are rare in his home country.

Velaj would love to continue racing for as long as he can and even dreams of pursuing a career in NASCAR. "I just love speed and dominating the street. But in the street you have to watch out for other people and you have to be careful not to put them in danger. But, in the kitchen it's my world, and I'm in my element. I'm fast in the kitchen, you should see me, I feel like Superman," he joked.

These three chefs are passionate people for whom the feeling that speed instills in them is freeing and exhilarating. They are willing to test boundaries in order to strive for perfection. When they apply the same kind of energy to preparing a dish, the possibilities appear to be endless. Fast food anyone?