A Journey of SELF LOVE through SELF DISCOVERY and LIFE PURPOSE

My Story

At the age of 22, I was attending Central Michigan University on a full soccer scholarship. One day I decided to go for a jog, when I was struck by a vehicle and nearly killed. It’s hard to believe but this horrifying moment eventually became the greatest blessing of my life – and the very reason I am here today. I now carry a metal plate in my left shoulder daily reminder of this pivotal point in my life. My traumatic experience led me on a path of self-healing, self-discovery and self-mastery. The evolution has created the RISE Method. Today I am grateful to wake up every morning living my life purpose. And I want nothing more than to share my journey so that you, too, can rise to your true calling!

My journey in health and fitness began at a young age. I started playing soccer at eight years old, and quickly advanced in my career. By the time I was 13, I was playing at the provincial and national levels. This led me to achieve a full scholarship in the United States as a Division 1 athlete – the highest level of intercollegiate athletics. I attended Central Michigan University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Health Fitness and a minor in Nutrition. My program specialized in Cardiac Rehabilitation and Preventative Disease; I graduated with honours and was on the Dean’s list for five years. During this time, I was the first soccer athlete at CMU to win the First Team All Conference Award three years in a row. While at CMU, I completed a clinical internship at William Beaumont Hospital, where I was able to witness every medical procedure for cardiac patients, including open-heart surgery, exercise, stress tests and electrocardiogram interpretations. I also had the ability to interact with cardiac patients on a personal level, which I believe was the most impactful experience.

During my experience through the internship program, something stood out uncomfortably and undeniably for me. While I witnessed the cardiac patients ‘rehabilitating” their heart in theory, I noticed that was not necessarily the case. Through my conversations with the patients I noticed there was pain of the past and the resentment and regret that they embodied around sharing their stories. It was clear to me, while their physical heart was ‘recovering’, the impact of what caused the stress on the heart to begin with was never addressed or ever a topic of conversation. After I graduated and completed my internship, I realized I did not want to pursue a career in medicine. Rather, I wanted to be more involved in a preventative practice and work with individuals before they were at a point of disease. Inspired to want to help people lead healthier and more fulfilling lives, I decided to move back to Canada and became a personal trainer at Goodlife Fitness, one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies. I was the first personal trainer in my region and one of ten across Canada to receive a “Level 5 Trainer” promotion – the highest-level trainer as recognized by the company at the time. I quickly became recognized as a “Top 5” personal trainer out of 2,800 trainers nationwide! My evolution expanded my vision of career success, which motivated me to continue living my life’s purpose.

In 2012, I launched my own wellness studio RISE MIND BODY which has since grown into a wonderful community that welcomes and unconditionally accepts anyone who arrives here on their journey.

MY CREDENTIALS

B.Sc. Health and Fitness
Elite Speaker
Fascial Stretch Therapist
Holistic Lifestyle Coach
Paul Chek Exercise Coach
Integrative Nutritionist
PICP
Life Experience