MILEAGE: I’ve been teaching fitness, dance and yoga across North America for over 25 years. As a (now retired) actor, theatre director, choreography and producer, much of my career was spent on stage and set. As an entrepreneur, I founded Dynamic Retreats, Seventh Stage Theatre, co-founded LaRouge Entertainment and worked on biz development for various fitness companies. I am on faculty at the UofT / Sheridan College Theatre program and was the 2018 & 2019 Canfitpro Fitness Professional of the Year Finalist. I’ve appeared as a Fitness Expert on the Dr OZ Show, CTV Your Morning, CP24, CBC, BTV... Certifications: Can Fed Coach, ACE, Canfitpro and AFAA (Group & PT), RYT and more. HBA in theatre from UofT. MA in Drama Studies from UofT.
WHAT GIVES YOU SOUL: Empowering people through movement. I believe your pain can be converted to power by positively empowering yourself and others. This has largely and proudly been my life’s work. My son Samuel and husband Dan are the heart and soul that empower me.
WHAT’S YOUR FUEL: Moving bodies to music! I’ll gladly honky tonk to bad country, head bang to trashy 80s rock, twerk to hip-hop, twinkle my toes to Tchaikovsky…Dance is my easiest access to joy. I’m also fuelled by great story telling in all forms, be it book, film, play or someone telling me theirs.
MILEAGE: Managing a fitness studio was the ideal career transition, as I have been a professional Stage Manager for the past ten years, working on both large and small scale plays, musicals, events, coordinating and managing schedules, technical elements, and people! Favourite productions I've worked on include The Brothers Size at Soulpepper, The History Plays with VideoCabaret and touring a show to China. I have an Honours BFA in Theatre Production and Design from York University
WHAT GIVES YOU SOUL: I love helping people accomplish their goals - whether that be staging a new musical or opening a new fitness studio! I love creative problem solving and the feeling that comes from working on a project through from an initial idea in the beginning and developing it into something big, tangible, and special.
WHAT'S YOUR FUEL: I love starting my day with a run along the lake! I grew up on a lake in Northwestern Ontario, so I'm very attached to the rejuvenating effects of being close to the water. Combine it with a runner's high and it's the perfect way for me to fill up before a long day!
MILEAGE: I put on a pair of ballet shoes at the age of 3 and have not stopped dancing since! I am a graduate of the Randolph College for the Performing Arts and University of Toronto (BA in Women and Gender Studies). In addition to performing on stage and screen, I love fitness and have taught a variety of classes from Body Conditioning, Barre, Bollywood Fitness to Bootcamps. Certifications: Canfitpro (FIS and PT) and Pre/Post Natal (Baby & Me Fitness Inc).
WHAT GIVES YOU SOUL: Being creative every single day! I love being outwardly creative through performance and fitness but I also satisfying the more introverted side of myself with art, crafts and writing. I especially enjoy when I get to work in the wedding industry creating floral arrangements, bouquets and wedding decor.
WHAT’S YOUR FUEL: Honestly, teaching people about the importance of movement. I want to inspire everyone to move, love and respect their bodies no matter what stage of life they are in. To be strong and feel as though they are capable of achieving anything they desire.
MILEAGE: I moved to Toronto in 2018 with one goal: to find true happiness within myself. I trained as a competitive Triathlete, and Pianist. I find music and movement valuable to better my mental health and overall wellbeing. In 2018 I completed my first (and hopefully not last) Mount Everest Base Camp climb. As a university student, these skills and passions continue to keep me on track towards my ever-evolving pursuit of happiness.
WHAT GIVES YOU SOUL: MUSIC. There is nothing more powerful than music in this world. Music that you love has the power to lift your spirit up from in the darkest of times. Pair music with movement, and you’ve got a mega endorphin rush on your hands.
WHAT’S YOUR FUEL: The feeling of setting a goal and achieving it ALWAYS fuels me to better myself. I also love to surround myself by the people I love. My friends, pets, and chosen family will always provide me with the fuel I need to take on the world.
MILEAGE: I’ve been teaching fitness classes for almost a decade, everything from HIIT, Spin, TRX, Boocamps, Lifting and Stretching: movement is my jam. I have a BA in History, but Fitness is my true vocation. Certifications: Canfitpro (PT Specialist), TRX and more. Certified Plant-Based Nutritionist.
WHAT GIVES YOU SOUL: Plant based food/fuel has led me into a new passion towards healthy eating and lifestyle. But travel, the ocean and nature have my soul - I love being under water and I love diving.
WHAT’S YOUR FUEL: Exercise, movement, getting strong physically and mentally. This should be accessible to everyone and enjoyable for everyone! I’m fuelled by empowering people to feel the immense benefits of movement and strength that I’ve felt in the studio and in life.
MILEAGE: I have been teaching fitness classes full-time for 10 years. My certifications range from dance to kick boxing and from aqua to HIIT (and a whole bunch in between). I have had the pleasure of presenting at fitness conferences both in Canada and US. Also I spent some years as a Master Trainer for an aqua program and was featured in some of their instructional DVD’s.
WHAT GIVES YOU SOUL: Aside from fitness, the 2 things I love are Doritos and white wine. Classy and affordable and a little faux bougie. I also don’t mind creating some fierce lip sync content on my social media. Actually, creativity in any form excites me, from choreography to costume making with household items.
WHAT'S YOUR FUEL: I lead everything I do in my life with the principle that ‘we must be the change we wish to see in the world.’ I believe that as humans we are called to leave the world a little bit better than we found it.
MILEAGE: I grew up competitively dancing and swimming, so movement and sport have been ingrained in me from a young age. As an adult, I took up running and have raced pretty much every distance from a 5km to Marathon. As a Personal Trainer & Group Fitness Instructor I am passionate about working with individuals 1:1 or in small group settings to help clients achieve specific fitness goals, and more importantly ensure that fitness is accessible and fun for all. Certifications: canfitpro Personal Training Specialist, canfitpro Understanding a Fit Pregnancy.
WHAT GIVES YOU SOUL: Combining fitness and movement with nature -- nothing beats the great outdoors! My absolute favourite way to spend a day is out in nature, either running or hiking and exploring new surroundings. Fun fact: most of my vacations revolve around hiking. In 2018 for example I trekked Mont Blanc (through Italy, Switzerland and France) on foot! Nothing like trekking 180 KM through 3 countries ... THAT is a Vacation.
WHAT'S YOUR FUEL: I am fueled by the power of COMMUNITY. Especially when it comes to fitness I truly believe in the power of community. Nothing is better than connecting and moving with a group. If I can inspire or empower someone to be active each day and have FUN while working out that is the biggest measurement of success for me as an Instructor & Trainer.
MILEAGE: I grew up dancing competitively and I started the dance program at an energetic school in Brampton. I have a History and Drama degree from McMaster and my education degree from OISE. I get to be on stage every day teaching school age kiddies how to love themselves, work together and find a passion in life through my dance program. I am a certified POUND and Generation POUND instructor because rocking out those green drum sticks is something I have to share with people daily. I love teaching the Dance AQ through York University to help teachers bring the love and creativity of dance to their programs.
WHAT GIVES YOU SOUL: I am the mom of two incredible boys with the sweetest husband and all three of them fill my soul with laughter, love and adventure. Being active outside brings me joy and a makes me feel powerful. I live my life by my Mama's motto "Move your feet and your mind will follow".
WHAT’S YOUR FUEL: Building a sense of community through movement is my passion for life. We are all superstars and I make it my mission to show kiddies and adults I work with that they were born to shine.
MIILEAGE: Seven years ago as a career-chef with a passion for personal fitness, I stumbled into a heated ashtanga yoga class. Invigorated by the practice, I was thrown into a whole new world of possibilities. Two years later I gave up my catering business and went to Goa, India to take my Yoga teacher training and haven’t looked back since! Since then I’ve gone from an Ido Portal movement training seminary’s in upstate New York, to practicing Muay Thai on a remote Thai Island. In the last 5 years I’ve been teaching yoga, mobility and personal/group fitness all over the GTA, and am hoping to one day become a qualified physiotherapist.
WHAT GIVES YOU SOUL: I love to give people the same ‘A-ha!’ Moments in their movement practice that I constantly achieve in my own practice. I love seeing people have epiphanies during their practice as we find the interconnectedness between mind and body. I want to help people heal their bodies through movement and find empowerment through strength.
WHAT'S YOUR FUEL: Movement is my life! Everything from strength training to mixed martial arts to yin yoga. Beyond that, I’m passionate about plant-based cooking, live music (if it ever exists again:), rescuing stray dogs and reading anarchist philosophy.
MILEAGE: The first time I tried to wander into a yoga class was at Extreme Fitness and I was late so she said, come back. And since then my practice has been grounded in this idea of coming back - each time I do there is always something new to learn, something new to observe. This was about 10 years ago and in 2017 I completed my first 200 hour pilates training in a studio *that is no longer in operation*. Since then I’ve completed a 225 hour Hatha + Vinyasa training at Union Yoga, a 40 hour chair + accessible yoga teacher training, 40 hour restorative + nidra training, 40 hour mental health sensitivity + foundational trauma-informed yoga teacher training and level one + two reiki attunement. All the while continuous yoga philosophy satsangs with my primary teacher Hali Schwartz. My offerings are a by-product of my own practice, as I aim to share what I know: to: encourage others to be in the same experience of witnessing Self.
WHAT GIVES YOU SOUL: I am deeply moved by the totality of self. I am also deeply curious and in constant examination of what it means to be a person beyond what I can understand from my very limited vantage point so I often turn to philosophy, movement, conversation, meditation and community. My biggest influences are connection and responsibility to land, self + community (some folx may call this decolonization and I would agree) along with yoga philosophy. These two things are my *secret ingredients* in my *secret sauce* in all things that I consciously do.
WHAT'S YOUR FUEL: I am fuelled by the awareness that I am the Filipinx womxn I’ve been searching for in wellness spaces in a sea of others that don’t look, talk, move or look like me. I am fired up knowing the space I occupy isn’t made for me, but I rock it better than I have ever imagined. I wonder who else is looking for a way of moving that is familiar - yet denied. I wonder who else is looking for freedom in their form - yet denied. If you are reading this, I humbly welcome you: all of you -- just as u are.
MILEAGE: Remember the 20-minute workout, leg warmers, cassette tapes and waist high leotards? I’ve been teaching some form of fitness and training classes for 4 decades. I helped bring spinning into Canada in the 90’s from Los Angeles; was a spokesperson for wellness in North America; and as a well-being expert, professional and certified trainer, exercise physiologist certified in specialized modalities, functional fitness and active-aging, I love helping people to stay/get active at any stage of one’s life. As a 15 x marathon runner with 2 Boston marathons under my feet, I know how to stay in the long game. And it’s never over until it’s over. Knowing this inspires me to motivate others to lead a healthy and active quality of life.
WHAT GIVES YOU SOUL: To 'leap tall buildings in a single bound,' resides only in my mind. And yet, I do wake up to connect and inspire with others so that others can rise. Expressing myself creatively in whatever I do drives me. I believe that one connection can lead to a new experience that can change your life. Travelling around the world for 2 1⁄2 years opened my eyes to those experiences and communities that can feed your soul if you’re open to the possibilities.
WHAT'S YOUR FUEL: I am fuelled by the energy of how exercise makes me feel, and when music is added to the mix, whoa, the vibe is powerful. There is nothing more empowering than connecting your mind, body and soul into movement. Movement, where your energy revs higher because you’re in the zone. I believe that together we’re definitely better.
MILEAGE: My first love has always been dance. I attended Ryerson University for the dance program and graduated from Randolph College Triple Threat program. I worked as a professional dancer for about a decade and along the way got into acting. I adore film and television. I had the pleasure of acting in film, tv and commercials for several years before my love and interest in movement lead me down the path of a fitness career. I'm a Can Fit Pro Certified trainer, certified prenatal/ postnatal and Diastasis recti and pelvic floor exercise recovery specialist.
WHAT GIVES YOU SOUL: Empowering other's through movement. It fills my heart with joy when I see people come into their own through movement. I am grateful and honoured to be part of people's fitness and dance journey's. Building communities where people feel honoured, respected and welcome. Helping people uncover and unleash their strength and love for their bodies. Since becoming a mother myself it has become my passion to help mama's have an empowered birth and recovery. I also love understanding how movement works and the science of it. I am big on empowering people with the understanding of movement, function and proper form.
WHAT'S YOUR FUEL: Family. I love being with those I love! Laughing till I am crying. Enjoying all the precious little everyday moments especially with my daughter. Sun on my face. Any music with soul makes me want to dance. Spontaneous dance parties. Feeling sexy. Creating communities where everywhere is welcomed, invited and encouraged to thrive. Chocolate, definitely chocolate.
MILEAGE: I grew up performing in plays and dance groups around the world with the Toronto Slovak Dancers and rhythmic gymnastics. In my late teens I also coached rhythmic gymnastics. I later went to the University of Toronto and completed a biophysics degree and later a business degree and became a Certified Financial Manager. However, I always knew I would go back to a career in fitness and seven years ago I "retired" from finance and started that career. I teach HIIT classes and all levels of strength training as well many forms of dance fitness. Although I love the high energy classes the last few years I have also moved into providing safe strength training for older adults and those completely new to any form of exercise.
Certifications: CanFitPro FIS group fitness instructor, Strong Nation, Zumba (Basic, Gold, Step, Sentao, Aqua)
WHAT GIVES YOU SOUL: Mountains!!! I never feel more alive and intune with myself as I do on a mountain. I love to travel and most of my vacations entail ultra running trail races or multi day hikes. Last summer I did a solo trek of Killarney. I speak multi languages and love engaging with international racers at events worldwide. Such as Portugal, Lavaredo 125km ultra in Cortina d'Ampenzzo in Italy, Mont Blanc 101km traversing Italy, Switzerland and France, Mozart 100 in Salzburg, New Zealand and hopefully more to come.
WHAT'S YOUR FUEL: Encouraging and empowering those around me to fully express themselves through movement and body awareness. When a participant does something they never thought they could, the sense of accomplishment and elation they feel is unparalleled and spreads to all aspects of their life. It's a beautiful thing to be a part of and witness.