Born and raised in British Columbia, my early years were spent growing up on a farm in Victoria, which is also where I began my career and settled into married life. I currently reside in Prince George and enjoy spending family time at our cottage on Lake Cowichan as I will always call Vancouver Island home.
I am 53 years young, a mother of two adult sons and this summer will be celebrating 31 years of married life with my ever-supportive husband. It was my husband who introduced me to weight training in my early twenties and thereafter I instantly fell in love with the sport! When I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis at the age of 25, I realized then more than ever the need for regular exercise to reduce stress which is considered a factor with this illness. I feel I’ve been blessed as I truly believe I have successfully balanced the family roles of wife, mother, sports team-Mom, all the while maintaining my own identity with a full-time career.
Our family has always been passionate about health and fitness and to that end from an early age, we encouraged our sons to participate in physical activity/sports. I believe in leading by example and have strived to be a strong role model in their lives by showing them that you can achieve your goals when you set your mind to them. “Be the best you can be so you have no regrets down the road!”
…YOU CAN ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS WHEN YOU SET YOUR MIND TO THEM.
Training Plan:
Over the years my training has certainly evolved in order to balance family, work, and fitness goals. With less time having been devoted to training while raising our family. But even during that period, I stayed active whether it was utilizing home gym equipment, participating in cardio classes, skiing, golfing, or even just walking the dog.
Three years ago after losing two of my very dear family to cancer and battling through cancer with a third family member I felt compelled to achieve what I had always wanted to do. That is “to do something remarkable” that would always be remembered by my family and friends and in doing so hopefully inspire others with my journey.
I incorporate a combination of free weights, cardio, and HIIT training. I realized after years of training two body parts per day over a 6-day cycle that my gains were not what they should be. I felt that due to my age I needed more time to recover than I used to but also needed to increase intensity. I experimented with doing only one body part per day over the six-day cycle with the exception of two Ab days. This worked amazingly. I do up to eight exercises per body part and attempt to keep the time between sets to 30 seconds. I focus on TUT (time under tension) rather than pure numbers of reps and this has paid huge dividends. My cardio routine follows my weight workout each day, 20 minutes of elliptical on days 1, 3, and 5, and HIIT training for 20 minutes on days 2,4, and 6. I view my training as an integral part of my daily life and I could simply not imagine ever stopping ~ no matter at what age I am! My goal is to still be actively weight training when I am 100!
Nutritional and Supplements:
I believe that a balanced diet is one of the most important nutritional foundations. I start with a good breakfast consisting of a balance of my macros’ in the form of a killer egg white omelet filled with spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions ham, cheese homemade salsa followed by whey protein in almond milk. All my meals include healthy ratios of Fat, protein, and carbs. I am a firm believer in carb cycling and believe that a consistent diet of excessive carbs is the biggest detriment to lean muscle mass. I have realized amazing benefits in muscular development and recovery by focusing on good pre and post-workout nutrition. Which consists of good quality Whey protein, a complex carb, BCAAs’ and L-Glutamine.
…SHOW WOMEN THAT EVEN AT A MATURE AGE YOU CAN STILL BE HEALTHY, FIT, RADIATE YOUR INNER BEAUTY…
What separates “Status Fitness magazine” from other fitness magazines?
As Canada’s leading Fitness and Bodybuilding magazine, I feel that Status Fitness achieves the perfect blend of bodybuilding, fitness, and nutrition which really appeals to me. It represents and reflects my goals of BALANCE. I appreciate the diversity and enjoy the sections on Nutrition and Women- particularly Workouts and Muscle Building. They are informative, address current issues, and I’ve gained such valuable insights and training tips. I also get so motivated when reading the “transformation stories” ~ I just love them. The Nutrition section provides valuable information for everyday life and as I love to cook the recipes are fantastic!
What would it mean to become a “Status Symbol”?
This would validate my journey and show women that even at a mature age you can still be healthy, fit, radiate your inner beauty which leads to the ever needed CONFIDENCE which fosters a positive attitude and a “can-do” mentality!
What would it mean to grace the cover of Status Fitness Magazine?
I would be indescribably honored to be selected to grace the cover. I believe it would speak volumes to so many others to show them what can be achieved even at the age of 53!
If you could ask Editor-In-Chief Rodney Jang any industry question what would it be?
How can we collaborate to better motivate middle-aged women to achieve their desired potential and body image through weight training and physical fitness?
What was it like working with Warren from Healthy Vision Photography for your shoot for Status publication?
Having never done a professional photoshoot of this type from the moment I met Warren he made me feel very comfortable and relaxed which allowed my personality to shine through. His choice of a natural West Coast setting complimented my style. This coupled with his professionalism and approach made the session fun and extremely memorable for me. Warren boosted my self-confidence and belief that I could successfully represent middle-aged women in today’s fitness industry.
WARREN BOOSTED MY SELF-CONFIDENCE AND BELIEF THAT I COULD SUCCESSFULLY REPRESENT MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN IN TODAY’S FITNESS INDUSTRY.
What are your favorite quotes?
“MAKE IT COUNT!”
– I absolutely live by this on a daily basis and everything I undertake…. Be your best, strive to ACHIEVE as life is too short to just settle.
Four things you don’t know about me:
• I grew up on a berry farm where with all the physical activity I first noticed my natural strength and also where I developed my strong work ethic
• I love to bake and am always looking for healthy dessert recipes
• My favorite workout is shoulders!
• I have struggled my whole life with my weight. Until the last couple of years, I have always been overweight ranging from 150 to my current weight of 110lbs.
If you could inspire one person who would it be? And why?
As a 50+ woman who has lived through the various challenges of life, managing a career, menopause, loss of family, and health challenges, I want to inspire not just one but all others similar to myself and show them that it is within each of us to achieve our body image, fitness goals and improve our self-confidence. For as long as I recall I have lacked confidence. I have struggled with my body image. As I progressed in my training I started to realize my potential. My confidence grew with each month as I could see the transformation slowly occur and I realized that I wanted to share that with others like me who have the desire for positive change but just may need some guidance or inspiration. I want to be that role model, one who displays a “can do” attitude. I want to represent the sport in a positive light. In a manner that will open the minds of women of all ages to the possibilities and life-changing transformations that can take place regardless of the barriers life puts in our way. So that they can gain confidence, through the benefits of healthy, fit living.
MY CONFIDENCE GREW WITH EACH MONTH AS I COULD SEE THE TRANSFORMATION SLOWLY OCCUR…
Who inspires you? And why?
I am inspired by so very many so it’s difficult to name just one. I am all about the underdog. I’m inspired by anyone who rises to their challenges in life and succeeds. The mother who after a 12-hour nightshift is at the rink or sports field cheering on her children. The athlete that perseveres and despite all odds succeeds. The individual refuses to accept failure or mediocrity in the pursuit of their dreams. I admire people who have a positive, “can-do” attitude and strive to achieve their goals. Life is a gift and should never be taken for granted. Each of us has challenges, but regardless of those challenges people who rise above and chose to make the most of every day are those who I truly admire.
What is your occupation? Are you a trainer?
My 30-year employment career has always been in Human Resources as a Hiring Specialist. While I am not a personal trainer I have been approached on numerous occasions by many women who have asked if I would train them or even give classes! This has motivated me to actively pursue this occupation as a retirement career. I would love to be able to give back like those who have helped me in my fitness journey to achieve my goals!
What is your transformation story?
I have always struggled with my weight, but my journey of transformation didn’t really take root till I realized that the scale wasn’t my demon it was my “perception of self”. I didn’t see myself as capable of the change that I desired. For years I looked for a vehicle for that change through a variety of diets and programs. All of them falling short of my expectations. Two years ago I planted my feet and said “this is the day”. I set achievable goals. I examined my routines both in the gym and at home and made small changes based on sound principles of good health. Much of my information comes from articles in this publication. I have finally over the last 2 years achieved the body I have yearned for and along with this the confidence that comes with knowing I am finally proud of who I am, what I represent, and how I got there.
I REFUSE TO ACCEPT THE NOTION THAT MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN COULD NOT ACHIEVE A MUSCULAR PHYSIQUE.
Myths associated with being an over 50-year-old, postmenopausal woman with a career and a family:
One of my driving forces in sharing my journey is to explore the myths associated with being over 50. I refuse to accept the notion that middle-aged women could not achieve a muscular physique. I refused to accept the concept that carrying excessive mid-body weight was genetically predetermined by motherhood or menopause. I refused to accept the loss of bone density as an unavoidable consequence of aging. I refused to accept the belief that I could not moderate my hormonal changes during and after menopause with rigorous exercise and diet. Through my commitment to fitness and diet, I have successfully moderated all these challenges.
My sincerest desire is that I can motivate others to realize that through passion, commitment, positive attitude, and dedication to goals, many things previously considered impossible become possible!
