Steven

A little background:

Sport and physical activity have been a part of my identity for as far back as I can remember. In fact, sport has helped shape and mold my core values: hard-work, team-work, accountability, commitment, discipline, dedication to the process, and delayed gratification. Sport is also the foundation of my beliefs when it comes to health and fitness: train like an athlete.

Growing up, I played many sports. Specifically, I started with baseball and hockey until about 13 years old. I would be out first thing in the morning and home when the street lights turned on. It was either school or sports, nothing in between. When I got to high-school, I shifted to basketball and football. I played a year with the Western Mustangs football team and quickly learned what it takes to move up to the next level: in sports, and later, in life. I realized there is always someone else willing to work harder, put in more time, and be better. I wanted to be that someone. I believe if you’re going to do something, do it with pride or don’t do it at all. If you make a decision, you better commit to it long after the feelings you made it with has left. I learned life and football will hit you and hit you hard, over and over again, and you will get knocked down, but you always have the choice to get back up.

What I gained most from sport had little to do with the outcome of winning and losing, but more so how I responded to those situations and the life-long friendships I would develop with my teammates through practice and persistence. I gained invaluable experience of the mental toughness and discipline required to survive in a team environment at a high-level. These are the transferable skills I bring to my personal training career and develop with my clients.

Sport has taught me much of what I know: you don’t lose, you learn. Your game-plan will need to be rigid, yet flexible. Embrace adversity; you need it to grow. Every day is an opportunity to get a little better; put in the reps. Practice patience when dealing with an injury- it will serve you well long-term. And most importantly, nothing comes without sacrifice. All of these lessons have helped prepare me for the sport of life.

I’m a 2010 graduate of Western University with a B.A. Honors Specialization in Kinesiology. While I majored in Kin, I used my electives to explore many other programs, like philosophy, sport nutrition, and personal training. I started personal training in 2008 at Gold’s Gym in London, Ont. I quickly fell in love with the rewards of being a personal coach. In this field, I would have the opportunity to directly influence someone’s behavior in a positive way. If I did my part, I could help my clients understand how the choices they make affect them and how to make better ones consistently. Since my first experience until this day, I know I made the right choice in pursuing a career where I could help people move better, feel better, and perform better.