I UNDERSTAND THE DIFFICULTIES OF CHANGE & I'VE DONE IT
In my favourite chair.I'm not one of those personal trainers who was born lean and loves spending hours and hours sweating in the gym and taking selfies.
As a kid, my clothes came from the Husky Boys section.
As a young adult, I smoked and spent hours sitting – in front of a computer or television, behind a steering wheel or on a bar stool. I bought gym memberships, but didn’t use them. My diet was poor. I was round, soft, heavy and unhealthy.
In my early 40s, I fell in with a couple friends who liked beer as much as they liked waking early every Sunday, pulling on tight and garish lycra and riding road bikes.
It took just a few minutes on a borrowed bike to realize I was badly out of shape. My friends were much faster and fitter – old guys on old bikes were faster, too.
I started slowly – the only speed I could manage – riding regularly. My diet evolved and I felt better. Then I started doing some strength training. And running. I looked better. I had much more energy. Visits with my doctor became shorter, with fewer scary lectures.
As a kid, my clothes came from the Husky Boys section.
As a young adult, I smoked and spent hours sitting – in front of a computer or television, behind a steering wheel or on a bar stool. I bought gym memberships, but didn’t use them. My diet was poor. I was round, soft, heavy and unhealthy.
In my early 40s, I fell in with a couple friends who liked beer as much as they liked waking early every Sunday, pulling on tight and garish lycra and riding road bikes.
It took just a few minutes on a borrowed bike to realize I was badly out of shape. My friends were much faster and fitter – old guys on old bikes were faster, too.
I started slowly – the only speed I could manage – riding regularly. My diet evolved and I felt better. Then I started doing some strength training. And running. I looked better. I had much more energy. Visits with my doctor became shorter, with fewer scary lectures.
Sprinting across the half marathon finish line at 64.
On my 48th birthday, I competed in my first race, 40k of cross country mountain biking. Sixteen years later, I still enjoy hammering up hills on a bike, running on the Beach, on Don Valley trails or just a fun ride on my road bike.
To date, I've finished 40 races, including cross-country mountain biking, duathlons, 40k bike time trials, and runs from 8k to a 3:46:13 Scotia Waterfront marathon in 2015. I won my age group in the 2019 Mud Hero Toronto Ultra 10k obstacle course race, and in the 2024 5 Peaks Cider Run 13.7k enduro trail race.
Most days, I'm usually faster than my friends, too.
In my previous career, I was an award-winning commercial photographer, using soft light and Photoshop to make people look their best in magazine and corporate portraits. Now armed with knowledge learned over eight years of study, I help older adults look and be healthier.
I started training older adults in 2016, after passing the Certified Personal Trainer's Network (CPTN) CPT practical and theoretical exams. In 2018 I earned the "gold standard" American College of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer designation – scoring 82% on an exam that only 66% of candidates passed.
I also hold current (2022) Red Cross Standard First Aid, CPR C and AED certification, and carry $2-million in liability insurance.
To date, I've finished 40 races, including cross-country mountain biking, duathlons, 40k bike time trials, and runs from 8k to a 3:46:13 Scotia Waterfront marathon in 2015. I won my age group in the 2019 Mud Hero Toronto Ultra 10k obstacle course race, and in the 2024 5 Peaks Cider Run 13.7k enduro trail race.
Most days, I'm usually faster than my friends, too.
In my previous career, I was an award-winning commercial photographer, using soft light and Photoshop to make people look their best in magazine and corporate portraits. Now armed with knowledge learned over eight years of study, I help older adults look and be healthier.
I started training older adults in 2016, after passing the Certified Personal Trainer's Network (CPTN) CPT practical and theoretical exams. In 2018 I earned the "gold standard" American College of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer designation – scoring 82% on an exam that only 66% of candidates passed.
I also hold current (2022) Red Cross Standard First Aid, CPR C and AED certification, and carry $2-million in liability insurance.
Pedaling a bike up an actual mountain at 49.EDUCATION
SENECA COLLEGE (2013-16) Fitness Leadership Certificate
Graduated with 4.0 GPA. Courses including: anatomy and physiology, nutrition, injury rehabilitation, fitness appraisal, personal training, biomechanics/functional movement and exercise prescription.
UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN ONTARIO (2015)
Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging Fast Track Seniors Fitness Instructor’s Course.
SrFIT Mature Fitness Training (2017)
Specialty Certification, American Academy of Health and Fitness. Covered arthritis, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other common afflictions of aging and safe exercise.
SENECA COLLEGE (2013-16) Fitness Leadership Certificate
Graduated with 4.0 GPA. Courses including: anatomy and physiology, nutrition, injury rehabilitation, fitness appraisal, personal training, biomechanics/functional movement and exercise prescription.
UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN ONTARIO (2015)
Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging Fast Track Seniors Fitness Instructor’s Course.
SrFIT Mature Fitness Training (2017)
Specialty Certification, American Academy of Health and Fitness. Covered arthritis, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other common afflictions of aging and safe exercise.
HEARTWISE EXERCISE TRAINING (2017)
University of Ottawa Heart Institute
In class and online training program to help personal trainers meet the needs of clients with chronic cardiovascular health conditions.
BONE FIT (2017) Osteoporosis Canada's course for safely training people diagnosed with low bone density.
QUIT AND GET FIT (2017) Lung Association's program teaching personal trainer's to help their clients to stop smoking.
DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY/CANVAS (2015) Addressing Weight Bias and Stigma in Obesity.
ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY/edX(2016) Introduction to Health and Wellness
BONE FIT (2017) Osteoporosis Canada's course for safely training people diagnosed with low bone density.
QUIT AND GET FIT (2017) Lung Association's program teaching personal trainer's to help their clients to stop smoking.
DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY/CANVAS (2015) Addressing Weight Bias and Stigma in Obesity.
ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY/edX(2016) Introduction to Health and Wellness
THE SCIENCE OF WEIGHTLOSS: DISPELLING DIET MYTHS University of Newcastle/edX (2017)
HARVARD UNIVERSITY/AnatomyX: Musculoskeletal Cases (2018)
ARTHRITIS and EXERCISE: Alberta Fitness Leadership Certification Association (2019)
HARVARD UNIVERSITY/AnatomyX: Musculoskeletal Cases (2018)
ARTHRITIS and EXERCISE: Alberta Fitness Leadership Certification Association (2019)
THE SCIENCE OF STAYING ACTIVE INTO OLD AGE (2020) University of Sheffield/FutureLearn
AGEING WELL: WHY OLDER PEOPLE FALL
(2020) Newcastle University/FutureLearn
EXERCISE PRESCRIPTION FOR PREVENTION & TREATMENT OF DISEASE
: (2020) Trinity College Dublin/FutureLearn
NUTRITION, EXERCISE and SPORTS: (2020) EdX/Wageningen University & Research.
REVERSING DIABETES: FACT or FICTION? (2020) University of Leicester/FutureLearn
MOVEMENT for HEALTH, FUNCTIONALITY and LONGEVITY (2020) Ideafit
COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL SKILLS TO TREAT BACK PAIN: Back Skills Training (BeST) Programme (2021) University of Exeter/FutureLearn
USING EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY TO SLOW AGING Stanford Online/EdX (2023)
BIOHACKING YOUR BRAIN'S HEALTH Emory University/COURSERA (2023)
ACSM EXERCISE IS MEDICINE Online Course (2024) Passed, with a 91%, average this specialty course that “provides condition-specific exercise guidelines, modifications, coaching tips and health care essentials to help exercise professionals successfully guide those with chronic diseases to adopt a physically active lifestyle.”
I've taken additional courses in Health Coaching and Wellness, Motivational Interviewing, Mindfulness, nutrition and physiology and have read a mountain of books and scholarly papers on the science of exercise and fitness and worked for a year as a YMCA Personal Trainer. I am a member of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences and the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
I also understand the difficulties and roadblocks of change first hand - because I have done it. I don’t judge. I don’t preach, but I teach. And I don’t yell. I just help older adults in the Beach, Leslieville and East York get healthier, in the privacy and comfort of their own homes.
A NOTE ABOUT COVID:
I'm a believer in science. I’m double vaccinated and have received four booster shots. I wear a new KF94 respirator mask to every session. All the equipment I bring to your home has been cleaned with 70% Isopropyl alcohol. I won’t go to I client if I’m feeling under the weather.