My passion for health and fitness reaches all the way back to
grade ten phys ed class. When I was in
high school I was a typical teenage girl – out of shape! But in grade ten my best friend and I signed
up for a specialized phys ed class called “Fit for Life”. Only seven girls signed up for the class so
the teacher was able to work outside of the curriculum slightly. She broke the course up into six modules over
the course of the semester. For one
module she had our fathers bring our bikes to school and we spent a good four
weeks cycling. We also did weight
training, running and all kinds of fitness related activities. I absolutely loved it. With little agility nor speed, I was never
very good at sports. Actually, that's an understatement. I suck so badly at sports that the odds of me catching a beach ball coming right at me are still only about 50%. But this particular course showed me the other side of fitness. I felt empowered because I could actually do
the activities and I could see improvement in my abilities over such a short
period of time. From that day forward I
embraced an active lifestyle and have cycled, run and lifted weights ever
since. I started running a few evenings a week down my road and when I got my driver's license the following year I drove to the local sportsplex so I could lift weights.
After completing the grade ten gym course my best friend
and I decided we wanted to teach aerobics (as it was called way back
then). We were both sixteen years
old. We called the local YMCA-YWCA and
we were told that we needed to be eighteen to take the course. So the summer we turned eighteen we held true
to our mission and registered for the course.
The course was great but I struggled.
I have always been long and lean.
Speed and coordination are not skills that come easily to me. My long legs could not keep up with the beat
of the music and I found the choreography difficult to grasp. On the last day, the teacher,
Susan O’Neid, came up to my friend and I and told my friend how great she was
(and she was right, my friend is, still today, a fantastic fitness leader) and
then in a roundabout way she told me that aerobics was probably not my thing. I was discouraged but I didn’t give up. I just had to train longer and harder than most. Over the coming years I kicked butt. I even won Fitness Instructor of the Year Award at GoodLife Fitness in 1999. Then
in 2000 Mrs. Susan O’Neid, not remembering me at all, hired me to be the Group
Fitness Coordinator at the Metro Central YMCA-YWCA – the largest group fitness
program in the city. I worked in the fitness industry on a relatively full-time for close to 10 years.
Since having children I haven't been as active in the field as I would like to be. I really love being up there on the stage leading people through a great workout. Lately I have been inspired to revive my career as a
fitness instructor. I applied for the Booty Camp Fitness Inc. License/Franchise for Ottawa last week and I got it! So stay tuned ladies. I am back and ready to whoop people's butts into shape!
I also decided to sign up for pole dancing lessons a couple of months ago. I can't put into words how fun it is. It's tough. It requires strength and flexibility. Luckily I have been working on those two things for many years so I can actually do it. It still doesn't come easy to me but I work at it. It feels amazing to be so in control. I have my way with that pole every time I get on it. And the support that all of the women in class demonstrate towards each other is amazing. I feel so empowered when I actually master a move. I am covered in bruises most of the time from practicing but I don't care. It's really the most fun "workout" I've ever done. I strive to one day be a pole dancing instructor as well.
It's all about finding something you love. You don't need to go to the gym to workout if that's not for you. Choose an outdoor activity instead. If sports is your thing then join a recreational team. If you get bored easily then try new things. If you don't do it because you love it you won't stick to it. It takes persistence. Don't give up.
