I began my fitness journey at the age of 17 by lifting weights (this is something I now look back on and wish I started doing earlier). I played competitive hockey for 12 years in my youth, and not once did I ever think of it as work, or exercise. It was pure fun and enjoyment. At the time, I did not know that this is what passion felt like. Passion is something that others may call ‘work’, but I call love, fun and thrilling. At 22 I went out on a date with my future wife, and 6 months later we were engaged. Again, passion prevailed. It then dawned on me, what if I exhaust all my energy in finding something that I am passionate about professionally? This passion would take me awhile to find, though. The process was, at times, frustrating and demoralizing, however, I always believed I was destined to help people. I know, you’re probably thinking “everyone likes helping other people”. This means more to me than you think. It is about fulfillment, not just a moment of “I did a good thing”. I felt completely fulfilled by seeing others become better versions of themselves, with me at their sides. I did not know all the answers, but I felt obliged to do whatever I had to do, to see them succeed. I was stubborn with myself, pushed myself to my limits, but I never wanted to slow down or give up. This is how I knew that my passion and fulfillment in life would come at the expense of my energy and time for others. And this is completely alright with me! Knowing this, I also had to learn how to balance my own wants and dreams. I’ve discovered that nothing beats creating a career where I can do both! I finished University with a Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Physical Geography where I then landed a desk job (working for others) in digital mapping and surveying. Having never done that before, I thought why not. Fast forward 5 years later, I have learned a very important thing about myself – I do not want to work for others.

Over the last 5 years I have indulged in everything health and wellness. I never felt fully comfortable in my own skin and struggled with self esteem issues, especially with my appearance. However, rather than blaming others, I took matters into my own hands and decided to set a very specific goal: compete in a men’s fitness competition, standing on a stage in pretty much nothing but my underwear. This to me was the ultimate test of my willingness to overcome my fears, and an opportunity to learn that I have the ultimate control over my health and the body I want. I spent 2 years learning about fitness nutrition, healthy lifestyle changes, and became obsessed with learning more and more about this fascinating field. In May 2016, I competed in my first Male Fitness Model show and placed second. A few months later I became a certified CPTN personal Trainer and am now working towards my Holistic Health Coach and Holistic Nutrition certifications through Nutraphoria.

This past year, my wife and I had lost our son. Which, for most, would derail our passions, our lives and put us on a coarse towards the unknown. For me, it made me stronger, because now I have someone watching my every move, only hoping for me to succeed, someone I know I will never let down… Ever. You see, I was frightened to leave my work because of the good pay, and having just purchased a home, but I was not happy. Happiness is more important to me than anything. My dream is to be a health coach and help others define their health by their own design. I live by a simple truth: your passions make you dream something bigger than yourself, and fulfilment is when you are given the RIGHT direction to achieve your dreams.