Kickboxing, Power Lifting and Empowering People

I recently had the absolute pleasure of getting to know Tasneem. Tasneem is small in stature, but big in personality. Her energy flows from her, and leaves one feeling uplifted, excited, and ready to take on life! She is extremely hard working and dedicated to quality and the people in her life. She is an absolute fireball, taking on life straight ahead, no backing down. She is also wise beyond her years, embracing both balance and learning from her mistakes. Let me take you on a journey with Tasneem…

Tasneem has been a part of many sports thoughout her life. Many, including basketball, rugby, rowing, running and trialathon, came into and went out of her life. In high school she took her first kickboxing class. She immediately knew this was the one. She really got into it in her 20s, and at first she struggled!! She had two left feet and no co-ordination. But she chose to keep getting her ass kicked, literally. She stuck with it, she worked hard and she learned.

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February 9, 2018 0

A Beautiful Brunch

The air was electric. The room was vibrating with high frequency energy!!!

I was a newbie, it was my first time, yet I felt like I had been here before. Everyone was so welcoming, energetic and enthusiastic!

It was no coincidence that the entire morning was such an amazing experience for me.

I had seen ‘Babes Who Brunch’ float by on social media a few times, and something about it grabbed my attention. Thus, when a friend told me it was a must try, I immediately bought my ticket. If this is in a city near you – GO!!! The Ace Class is where you can find info and tickets.

The space created by Mandy (host of Babes Who Brunch) and the energy she infused the entire room with completely guided me to an elevated place. If anyone was feeling off or bad before arriving at the event, their entire being would be changed the minute they walked into the room. The atmosphere coaxed happiness out of everyone present. The vibe was naturally elevated by so many positively charged beings, sharing, supporting, and collaborating.

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December 18, 2017 0

Ode to Ike – Persistence, Positivity, Patience and Presence

Whether you THINK you CAN or you CAN’T, either way you are RIGHT!!!

My brother was the one that first brought my attention to this quote. I use it here because it completely describes my grandfather’s approach to life.

My dear grandpa, Isaac (Ike) Doerksen, finally found a place of peace a few days ago after 103 years of life on this earth. I don’t believe that there was any part of his life in which he did NOT believe that if he decided to do something, then he would. The last week of his life was not easy. As his ability to eat, drink water, and even get up slipped away, my family and I watched this man who had been such a strong figure in our lives slowly decline. As his physical being lost it’s strength and became a weak shell of what it used to be, I watched in what was nothing less than total amazement as the strength of mind, soul and spirit emanating from him literally infused the entire room. He didn’t once complain. When I told him I loved him, he used what he had left to tell me he loved me too. He often reached for the loving hand of whoever was sitting with him and gave a healthy squeeze. He displayed such grace right to the end. And as he did his entire life, he didn’t give up easily. He simply lived true perseverance as he always had.

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October 4, 2017 4

Weight Training with Mikey V

I love the look on my face in this picture. It really sums up my entire experience when I weight trained ‘for real’. This wasn’t something I was planning on getting into, and it isn’t something that I have done over the years. It just happened. And it was an amazing experience in body, mind and soul. Really.

It all started when I needed a place to shower so that I could ride my bike to work. I found the gym that was closest to my office building, and walked in to inquire about membership.

An unexpected opportunity presented itself. There was a package that I could buy that included some personal training sessions. Something inside tugged at me to sign up. So I did. I didn’t think about it again until the winter months presented themselves. I had been working out on my own during lunch hour, and was quickly getting bored. I was really keen to stay in shape through the winter months so I could enjoy the short cycling season when it finally came again.

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June 30, 2017 4

Mountain Man

I met Vern in an office environment. We were both in the same role, sat close together, and had the habit of arriving early. Thus, we quickly got to know a little about each other.

Vern was immediately a very interesting person to me. It quickly became apparent that he was a ‘no nonsense’, get the job done, kind of guy. I soon learned that Vern had some very interesting life passions. One of them being to summit mountains on a regular basis. When I first learned of this, I was instantly fascinated.

I have had the amazing opportunity to summit a variety of peaks on my bike. Vern was a man who summited monstrous beasts by climbing with his hands and feet. Continue reading “Mountain Man” →

March 27, 2017 0

A Blazing Ball of Energy: Amber

Amber (left), Emily (right) – Founders of High

My friend had invited me to join her at an exercise class that she raved about. It was a choreographed class, which I didn’t often go to, however, she had convinced me that I didn’t need any specific experience. She also told me I would have fun and I would get in a great workout. Sounded peachy. So off we went.

The minute the instructor, Amber, entered the room, the energy level was raised about a million notches! In she came, or rather, in she bounced, whooping, smiling, and convincing us that yes we can!!! I thought to myself, wow, this woman is ripped!! Within seconds I was PUMPED! I was ready – for what I didn’t know – but I was ready. Off we went.

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March 20, 2017 4

A Fireball, A Fighter, A Friend: Jessica

I walked through the door and was instantly enthralled with the energy. The room was buzzing with excitement, and bursting with positivity. I didn’t know anyone, except the hostess for this most amazing event. I waited in line, and as I approached the ticket booth to enter, I saw her. I hadn’t seen Jessica since the first time we met, only about a month ago. She was smiling from ear to ear, full of love and sincere appreciation for every person in attendance. She greeted every single person with genuine warmth. I melted into the hug that she so willingly thrust upon me. I was so glad I had come.

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March 13, 2017 3

Powerful, Intelligent and Strong: Stacey

My secret identity is … yes … I am actually an IT geek. I know that my writing is all about my bike, my adventures, and my journey. But, before I started cycling and spending time in the mountains, I was a computer scientist. This is how I met Stacey. Stacey is the brilliant leader of the security team at one of the companies that I contracted for. She was one of my key stakeholders on multiple projects, and thus, I quickly got to know her as an IT professional. Always strategic, mindful, and very professional, she was one stakeholder that I definitely enjoyed working with.

During our time as work colleagues, I got a glimpse into the many sides of Stacey. The more I learned, the more I wanted to know. I quickly came to realize that Stacey is quite the endurance athlete. I barely had time to train for one sport. I didn’t know how she balanced a full time professional career, training for three sports, and a family!!! Yes, it did appear to me that Stacey was some sort of superwoman who did it all. Yet, when I asked her if she would have time for a coffee as I was wanting to learn more about how she kept her immune system strong, she didn’t hesitate to say yes.

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November 14, 2016 9

Fast and Gracious: Mel the Running Rabbit

{Welcome back my feature series on those who have inspired me on my journey. Today’s post is about one the fastest, most dedicated athletes I know. And, everyone loves her because she exudes positivity, encouragement and support. If you missed Strength and Spirit, My Warrior Friend be sure to check it out!!!}

The other day, as I finished one of my regular, moderate runs, I glanced at my running watch to see that I had accomplished about 5 km in about 34 minutes. Not bad, fairly consistent – I was happy with that. As I uploaded my data, I browsed around on Facebook, and came across Melissa’s results for the 10 km race she had just finished that morning. She had reached her goal, a personal best, and a time of 39:10 for 10 km!!! Wow, I thought. How does she do that?

finish-line — Melissa full of winning attitude

I am constantly thinking how does she do that when it comes to Melissa. It just seems that she is always accomplishing another amazing win! She has been most known for her running. She has been competing at many distances for a long time. Since I have met her, she has continuously expanded her horizons. She took on the road racing world with a bang. With only two seasons under her belt, she has already moved up a category and has multiple podium finishes. She has taken on cross country skiing with zest, and recently entered the world of cross biking. The whole time, she is chasing down and challenging her equally speedy husband, Reinier, who is clearly the passion of her life. During a recent foot injury when she could not bike or run, she focused on swimming – something that she knew nothing about. She simply looks at something, and does it. Continue reading “Fast and Gracious: Mel the Running Rabbit” →

November 7, 2016 8

Strength and Spirit: My Warrior Friend

{Welcome to my feature series on those who have inspired me on my journey. Today’s post is about the strongest warrior I have ever met. Every time I spend time with her, I walk away wanting to be better. If you missed My More Aggressive Twin, or Racing and Climbing, Fierce and Strong, be sure to check them out!}

I was sitting at my desk, plugging away, when I overheard a conversation at the desk beside me. This tiny, Asian girl was telling my co-worker that she had to leave early to get home before her husband completely dug up the backyard with some homemade contraption that he was trying to use to dig a hole. The passion and energy coming out of this little woman was amazing. The way she described this preposterous scenario was incredibly entertaining. Her perspective on it was unbelievable. I felt like this woman had years of wisdom and experience. I immediately felt like I needed to know this woman.

indian-attire — Andrea and me at a wedding celebration

The desks were quite open, and thus, it was easy to join in the discussion without intruding. From that day forward, this tiny woman, Andrea, has been one of the single most influential forces in my life. There is nothing tiny about her.

Andrea and I shared a geeky IT background, and an aptitude for interfacing between the IT techies and the business side of a corporation. It turned out that we also shared a love for many things including, but not limited to: goat cheese with honey, sparkly wine, soft and fuzzy clothing and blankets that you can’t stop touching and puppies.

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October 24, 2016 7