Thanks Mum. For everything.

Investing in your health for a better today and tomorrow is a deeply personal commitment each SPRY client makes to themselves and I feel privileged when they choose to share the reasons for their commitment with me. So, in the spirit of reciprocity, I thought I’d share the deeply personal reasons why I became a Personal Trainer and Nutrition Coach with both current and potential clients. I hope by doing so it will further strengthen our partnerships as we work together and towards the achievement of your health goals.

My Mum is at the heart of my story, but first a bit of background about my life and career–and you'll see how everything led to the establishment of SPRY Fitness & Nutrition.

After 40 years of working as a communications professional and health care executive, I was up for a new challenge. I explored several options but nothing really stuck until I started to inquire about becoming a Personal Trainer. That was it! I'd found my next chapter.

I've always been physically active. As a kid, I swam competitively for 10 years. I took up tennis in my 20s, learned to ski in my 30s and have been a regular at the gym for the past 30+ years. My current passion is cycling, preferably while exploring new countries and cultures. My husband and daughter also live active lifestyles and our rescue dog, Frankie, helps to keep us all moving.

Looking back on my years in health care, what really stands out for me is this: the healthier you are going into any major health crisis, the better off you are likely to be on the other side of it. Having had major surgery in early April, I can attest to this. I was in good shape going into surgery. Despite a week in hospital due to a now-resolved complication, I started seeing clients online three weeks post-surgery and was able to safely resume in-person training and coaching four weeks out. Today, four months post-surgery, I am back to my regular workouts, that include strength training, indoor cycling, pilates and swimming.

The benefits of eating well, exercising regularly and getting a good night's sleep are compelling. As simple as that sounds, getting started can be daunting–especially if you’ve never been active or had to think about your weight.

I became a Personal Trainer and Nutrition Coach for many reasons. But the most personal one relates to my Mum, who had a rough 10 years before she died peacefully in 2016 at the age of 93. My sister and I were her family caregivers during her time in assisted living and long-term care.

The experience made me more determined than ever that my final years would be different–and better–than my Mum's. She deserved a better ending. We all do. And, for most of us, it's within our grasp.

What my sister and I witnessed and experienced during the 10+ years Mum was in care left us deeply disturbed–not to mention saddened, shocked and dismayed–by how poorly we, as a society, care for our aging loved ones.

This travesty has become even more apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic.

My Mum, who had always been busy but never really exercised, had debilitating osteoarthritis and dementia. She lived with arthritis in her hands, hips and knees for half of her life. Over the years, she had two hip replacements, 13 hip dislocations, hip revision surgery and a broken pelvis.

By the time paramedics took her to the hospital emergency department for the last time, she was so dehydrated that her organs were starting to shut down. The doctor explained it to me this way: 

"Your mother is like a raisin. She used to be like a grape, but now she’s more of a raisin."

It wasn't long before we had to say good-bye.

I promised myself then and there that my years as an older adult would be different. And, I swore to myself that I’d do whatever I could to prevent others my age from experiencing the same pain and suffering, loss of dignity and quality of life that my Mum endured.

The story of Mum's final years is a sad one, and in truth, it took me a few years to process it all. This purpose-driven chapter of my life as a Personal Trainer and Nutrition Coach is one I think Mum would support because it offers mature adults a tangible way to maintain their health, dignity and independence for as long as possible.

This work really can change lives. But, don't take my word for it. Check out SPRY's client testimonials to gain a deeper understanding of what’s possible when we work together.

And, thanks Mum. For everything.