Bio
My Qualifications
- Personal Training Specialist (PTS) Certification with CanfitPro
- Fitness Instructor Certification (FIS) with CanfitPro
- LeBarre Certification with LeBarre
- Cycling Certification with Mad Dog Athletics
- CPR and First Aid Certified
About Me
I grew up in a very athletic family. When you have three older brothers that played football, rugby and volleyball you quickly become the sibling that shags the ball. In grade school I played everything: soccer, baseball volleyball, and was a regular on the track and field team.
In high school my love for sports continued right on into university and college. I was introduced to Squash in my late teens and was addicted, playing for my school and local city club. I also decided to start teaching fitness classes. I loved sweating. I got certified with CANFITPRO, the national association for fitness professionals in Canada.
I can remember teaching throngs of people at the various sports clubs in Toronto. From step to hi-low, to spinning, I loved how working out made me feel. And I loved how working out made others feel.
Then I entered the workforce. It’s amazing how when you need to make time for fitness, you really figure out what you are made of. You learn how to keep commitments and what really is a priority in your life.
I was living north of Toronto and used to take the GO Train into Union Station every day. I would wake up at 5:30am catch the 6:50am train, drag my work out gear with me. Lunch times were spent running to and from the gym, getting in that 30 – 40mins of cardio.
Then as my career progressed, so did the limited time for exercise. I was introduced to triathlons. A sport that included three different elements, which meant burning hundreds of calories. Yes I was hooked! I also decided this was a good time to run races: 5kms, 10kms, and ½ marathons. Why not right?
I would arrive to the gym early: 6am, attend a spinning class then swim. Then return at lunch or night time to get that run in. I still kept teaching my fitness classes, because I loved being with people and watching them sweat!
I also started golfing in my 20’s. I love the individual competitive nature of the sport. I love that it is up to me to make a shot and there is no one else to blame. Being in good physical shape, really makes a difference on the golf course. So I started building workouts specific for golf. That made fitness even more fun!
Then I turned 40. All the years of jumping, biking, swimming, snowboarding, squashing….showed up during a 10 mile run. I pulled something. Not sure what it was, but I decided to keep running.
That injury set me back months. It took me several years to get back to form. In my early 40’s my career was busy. I had a large team to manage, a sizeable budget to balance and I just kept getting more tired. I am a believer that fitness changes, so I tried many new things to address the exhaustion: hot yoga (Bikram, Moskha, Ashtanga) and Cross fit. I loved all these things, but I still couldn’t shake the exhaustion.
Then I started to experience some other weird symptoms: exhaustion and heart racing that were unexplainable. Then in 2014 at the age of 45 I was diagnosed with a rare auto immune disease. It was a slap in the face. How could someone who lives a healthy life, rarely can eats junk food, get an auto immune disease? Well life changed very quickly. I had an ICD inserted into my chest to protect my heart and was started on high dosage of steroids.
Today I am off the medication and life had gotten back to a ‘new normal’. My appreciation for fitness has expanded. I am back to teaching my cycle classes and now have included personal training others.
My perspective on fitness is very different. I understand the challenges of getting on in life. I am no longer a 20+ year old that can eat whatever I choose. Also I can’t go out and crack off a 5km as my knees won’t let me. But I make sure to get that sweat in.
I know that if I feel good, I will look good and I will be good. Good at anything.
My focus now is to share this with others. If you are interested in feeling, looking and just being better, call me, I would love to work with you.