My name is Monica and I have been in the fitness industry for about seven years. I am known by my group fitness participants and personal training clients as “The Energizer Bunny” because of my high energy style of teaching and my ability to motivate others.
I am a BCRPA certified group fitness instructor and personal trainer in Victoria, BC. I am also a former fitness competitor and am looking forward to competing again in the future. I used to teach group fitness classes all over Victoria, but now I teach several different group fitness formats exclusively at the University of Victoria. If you’ve heard of it, I probably teach it;)
In addition to fitness and personal training, I also have a strong scientific background. I have a BSc in Biochemistry which means I understand the body at the cellular level, which is where muscle building and fat loss actually occurs and I also understand metabolism, which is the backbone of nutrition. Unlike most personal trainers, I can also read and understand the latest medical journal articles which allows me to stay up to date with the most recent publications about nutrition, injuries, muscle imbalances and so on.
I grew up in Port McNeill. I know you probably have no idea where that is; most people don’t:) It is a small town at the northern end of Vancouver Island about two hours north of Campbell River. I was a waitress there for eight years at the Sportsman Steak and Pizza house. I loved this job because I’m pretty social and I got to meet and talk to people all day. After having two daughters, I moved away in search of an education. I was on my own as a single parent when I moved to Victoria and started my degree at the University of Victoria, so I know how difficult being a parent can be.
My daughters were in daycare while I was at school, so I had a little bit of time after my classes before I had to pick them up. During this time, I took group fitness classes at the university. When I finished my degree, I got a job in a protein chemistry lab, but I missed all that information that I used to learn everyday. By this time I had also gotten more and more into fitness, so I took some fitness courses, got my group fitness certification, and started teaching fitness classes when I wasn’t working at the lab.
As a group fitness instructor, I saw women of all ages and some of them were struggling to stay in shape. Many times I saw women who would tell me that they hadn’t exercised in fifteen to twenty years because they were too busy with their careers or their children or both and they just didn’t have the time or energy to exercise. Those women were the reason that I got certified as a personal trainer and started my mobile personal training business.
As a scientist and a fitness professional, I know the importance of staying active and eating healthy. I became a mobile personal trainer because I wanted to make exercise as convenient and accessible as possible. I wanted to prevent another person from thinking that they had no other choice, between kids and/or a career, but to be inactive.
Fitness is much more than a job to me. I find it extremely rewarding to share in other person’s accomplishments. I don’t just teach participants or train clients; I get to know them. So many of my clients have told me that they tried to get into shape on their own, but they didn’t know which exercises to do or what to eat and the information on the internet just makes it more confusing. Let me help you! I know you might be thinking there is no way you could ever get back into shape, run 10k, lose ten pounds, or whatever your goals may be, but you’re wrong. Not only will I help you reach your goals, I will also be one of your biggest supporters!