Tuesday 13 September 2011

Why blog for CPT?

I like to share my thoughts and ideas with others.  If not while working out, then writing it out is the next best thing for me.  This is a place where I’d like to share personal stories, fitness & nutrition advice, views on current fitness trends, discuss myths & facts...  I’ll leave the possibilities open.  
I expect this will be both personal & professional in nature.  
If you’re a potential client considering training with me this blog can serve as a way you can get to know me a little better (am I the right trainer for you?) and also as a source of advice and motivation.   
For myself, this blog will be both an outlet to discuss my thoughts on fitness (a mental workout per se) and a way to promote the non-business aspects of CPT.  My personal values, ethical standards, sense of humor and attitude towards life are all reflected in my personal training.  
If you’d like to suggest a topic for discussion please send me an email.  I will always keep an open-mind and respect your privacy.  This is a blog that is aimed at achieving healthy minds & bodies.    

Contours Personal Training (CPT): Business History & Biography


Official & Legal Info:
Certified Personal Training Specialist (PTS) with Can-Fit-Pro - Jan 24/2011
Insured by Stevenson & Hunt (General & Professional Liability) - Jan 24/2011
Master Business License issued (Ontario Government) - Feb 7/2011
Business officially opened - March 1/2011
Fitness Achievements, Awards & Certificates:
  • Can-Fit-Pro Personal Training Specialist (PTS), 2011
  • PADI Divemaster, 2008
  • CPR & First Aid training 
  • Toronto Ultimate Club (TUC) - nominated league female MVP & all-star team player in 2009 & 2010
  • Triathlon 2004 (completed Duncan Hadley Triathlon, Fredericton, NB)
  • Bachelor of Science (Honours degree) Biology & Geography, 2000
Fitness Hobbies (Past & Present):
- I grew up playing tennis, basketball, sea kayaking & hiking.  
- During university and the years soon after, I took up: swimming, scuba diving, skiing (downhill & cross-country), kickboxing, pilates and triathlon.  
- I love sports & exercise in general, thus many of these above activities have been hobbies off and on for me, however, there are 3 sports - Ultimate frisbee, Pilates & scuba diving - that have become particular passions of mine.  
Personal Fitness Goals (next 5 years):
  • Complete another Triathlon
  • Become a Pilates instructor
  • Train further in Kickboxing
  • Learn Biathlon (cross-country skiing combined with shooting)
Why Personal Training?
In 2010, I made the difficult decision to switch careers.  It was not something that I made easily at the time, but once I committed completely & professionally to my fitness career I never looked back.  While I enjoyed studying biology and eventually working in the aquaculture industry for several years, I realized that fitness was a greater passion in my life.  I was always organizing or searching for sports teams, taking fitness classes, giving nutritional advice, I even organized my vacations around fitness goals.  My holidays were spent attending ultimate tournaments, hiking volcanos, camping & hiking in national parks.  It was sport & fitness that made me happy, helped me relax, made me feel alive. 
Despite this, I suppose I had always viewed sports and athletics as a hobby my entire life.  It was only for recreation since I wasn’t going to be a pro-athlete (NBA, NHL, MLB style).  Growing up it was assumed that since I was a honour roll student and a bookworm, I would naturally go into academia.  
While I do not regret studying science and my work in that area (which include several academic publications and international projects), I hold no regrets switching careers. 
Looking back I wonder why I never realized all this sooner.  The best part of my day was when I was doing something athletic, its obvious to me now, but hind-sight in 20/20 as the saying goes. 
I knew I made the right choice when I told my mother that I was becoming a Personal Trainer and her response was “Kelly, that makes so much sense.”  Finally, I heard my calling and followed.   I view my career as you might your path to fitness, we can’t change the past, but we can learn from it and take action now for a better future.  
I love what I do and wake up happy every morning.  I embrace challenge.  When I train a client (wether it be a fellow teammate, grandmother or anyone else) I consider your fitness training as a challenge for us both.