Where I started

I've been in a gym since I was 14. Back then it was for football, and I was the kid you could find lifting after class. Later came rugby, water polo and throwing shot put. Training was simple: show up, work hard, eat everything in sight, repeat.

Then I stopped playing, and my body sent the memo. Same appetite, less activity, and a schedule that didn't care how much I used to squat. I had to relearn how to train for a real life instead of a season.

I'm still at it. These days it's adventure races, a lot of mountain biking, and making sure my body is never the reason I say no to something. I've had a stretch where it was. That's a big part of why I do this work.

I also warm up a lot longer than I used to. I consider it an investment.

Fifteen years of Aspire Fitness

While I was still at university, I opened Aspire Fitness, a small training studio in Winnipeg. I ran it for 15 years and coached everyone from people who'd never touched a dumbbell to professional-level athletes.

My favourite part never changed: the moment someone does something they were sure they couldn't. And it rarely stays in the gym. I've watched clients get strong and then take the risk at work, change careers, or walk away from something that wasn't good for them. Feeling capable is contagious, mostly to the rest of your own life.

Why Aspire closed

Aspire wound down in 2020. COVID was part of it. The honest rest of it: I'd become a parent, and 5 a.m. openings weren't compatible with the dad I wanted to be. I'd been bouncing off the redline all the time, and a slight hiccup caused the whole system to break.

Why I'm back

I never fully stopped. I kept training a few clients, and watching them use exercise to handle stress, not just to get stronger, is what pulled me back in.

I built this online on purpose. It lets me coach without missing my kid's practices or games, and it lets you train on your schedule instead of mine. Most people don't need a guru. They need clear direction and someone paying attention. That's the job.

Yes, I'm also a realtor

If you're in Winnipeg, you may know me from real estate. I still practice, and I plan to keep doing both. Helping people find a home is good work, but it never scratched the coaching itch.

Real estate did teach me something I use here: clear goalposts matter more than anything. When you know exactly where you're going, the plan gets a lot easier to follow.

What I'm like to work with

I take the work seriously. I don't take myself very seriously. I'm patient, I'll explain why we're doing what we're doing, and I'll put it in plain language.

Everyone is motivated differently. Some people want a nudge and a bad joke. Some want steady proof that it's working. Part of my job is figuring out which one you are.