Emilie works in cybersecurity. She has seen parts of the internet we couldn’t even dream of, and if we asked nicely, she could breeze past a pile of firewalls with her eyes closed. When it came to the world of fitness however, she was admittedly out of her element. It had been a few years since fitness played a regular role in Emilie’s life. With hopes of finding an individualized program and a chance to learn new things in the gym she came upon Queen Street. 

Emilie and her coach, Callum started a combination of individual program design and one-on-one coaching to address the specific limitations that kept her from hopping directly into any fitness class or program she had previously come across. With dedicated effort, steady progress and trust in the process, Emilie has developed the mobility, strength, stamina, and confidence to thrive in a group class environment… and she’s crushing it! You can find her putting in work at the 9am class several days a week, where her quiet contentment and focused effort are inspiring to the whole crew. Continue reading to find out how this computer guru continually surprises herself with what she’s capable of. 

Tell us a little bit about yourself and why you first reached out to the gym.

I'm originally from the Eastern Townships in Quebec and moved to Kingston in 2018 to complete my master's degree. I currently balance my time between academics and working a full time position in cybersecurity. 

When I first moved to Kingston I kept myself busy with studies and it wasn't until the summer of 2021 where I began thinking about joining a gym. At this time I was wanting to become more active and work on building core strength so I began my search. I had next to no experience with gyms so I was looking for one that could help me develop a program that worked for me and provided the opportunity to learn skills and techniques. I came across Queen Street Fitness, more specifically the individualized program design, as one of my first findings and felt it was the best way to integrate fitness into my life as well as meet others in the community.

Prior to joining, what did fitness look like in your life?

Prior to joining the gym, fitness had not been a part of my life for a number of years. The extent of my physical activity at that time was long walks and the occasional bike ride. I had found it difficult to find a gym or program that worked with my schedule. I also had a couple of mobility issues that made it difficult to lead an active lifestyle. 

What progress have you made since joining? What results are you the most excited about and proud of so far?

Since joining QSF I've made more progress than I could have thought possible at the time. In the early days of training it was hard to imagine joining in on the classes as I felt very limited in terms of what movements I was able to do. Initially it was challenging to squat to a box, bend forward to touch the floor and reach overhead for pressing movements. Just recently, someone even complimented the depth of my air squats in class. I went from knowing almost nothing about training to being able to keep up in classes. 

One of the results that I am most excited about is the new range of movements that I can do without assistance or restriction. For me this has begun to open up a wider range of skills and techniques I can now work towards. The progress that I am most proud about is being able to progress to cleans. Weightlifting is something that I have come to enjoy and being able to try different variations is very exciting for me! 

Throughout the process, what have you learned about your body/health/training that has been particularly valuable for you in your life?

One of the biggest lessons for me is knowing and respecting my limits. It can be really easy to want to push yourself past your limits when you're training, but the coaching that I've received has really shown me the importance of knowing what your body can handle so that you can be more effective with your training. I've also become more aware of my eating and resting habits so that I am able to better support my body for workouts. 

There were stretches of time that took you out of Kingston in the last year. What do you feel has allowed you to stay so consistent with training?

There are two reasons why I was able to stay so consistent with my training while away from Kingston. First was knowing that consistency is key when it comes to training. I realized that if I were to break my routine, it would be that much harder to begin again. I also did not want to lose the progress I was making. 

The second reason is that I began to prioritize my training as part of my general wellbeing. When I am finding time in my schedule for training I am more motivated, more focused, and more productive throughout my day. I also viewed taking the time out of the day for training as time for myself, time where my only focus was on the training. Making that time, even if it's only for only 30 or 45 minutes, has become a very important part of my day.

What is possible for you now that did not feel possible before?

When I first joined the gym I will admit that I was very intimidated by the intensity of some of the class workouts and I questioned myself a few times if joining a Crossfit gym was the right choice for me! I remember one of the first personal training sessions when Callum was going through some assessments and I wasn't able to do many of the movements. Classes seemed like a far off possibility at the time. Today I am able to participate in the classes at a level that I never thought  possible. Every day in the gym I am amazed at my ability to successfully complete the class workouts. Seeing the improvements over the months with certain movements has also been incredible. With the mobility limitations that I had when I first started training I never thought that I would be able to regain the range of movement that I have today. I am also much more confident in my abilities. 

Even outside the gym I've noticed a lot of changes.  One of my biggest successes from my training is the ability to live a relatively pain free life. One of my hopes with the coaching was to be able to relieve some of the tension in my neck and shoulders as well as strengthen my core to help with my posture as my work has me behind a desk for the majority of my day. Before starting training I suffered almost weekly from migraines stemming from the stress and tension in my body. Originally I had hoped to be able to regain some of the mobility that I had lost from the chronic tension, but training has gone far beyond that. The training program that Callum has built with me has not only given me the ability to participate fully in classes, but also helped strengthen my core and relieved me of much of the tension and pain I was experiencing previously.  

Is there something your coach has told you that really resonated with you?

One of the recurring themes that Callum and I have discussed is knowing and respecting your capacity. It was really eye opening for me to view fitness that way. Understanding that your capacity for training is influenced by many other factors in your life, and learning how to manage them has been eye opening for me.  It's a completely different mindset that not only applies to training, but also to other aspects of life. 

If you could give your younger self a piece of advice, what would you have told her during the early days of this fitness journey?

To just keep with it. I found it very difficult in the early days of training to be consistent and motivated completing the workouts. Some days it was even finding the energy! Over the months it has only gotten easier. 

Also I would tell myself to not take it so seriously. I initially wasn't sure what to expect from the classes and what the environment was going to be like and I was very worried I wouldn't be able to keep up. The training that I received prior to joining in on classes, and the individualized programming really helped me gain the confidence that I needed. The other members of the gym have been very welcoming and encouraging. 

Give us a snapshot of an ordinary moment in your life that brings you joy:

I always try to celebrate the little things in life, otherwise life would get very boring! I always try to spend some time outside when I can, especially around the Kingston waterfront and taking a few moments to enjoy the scenery always brings me joy. 

Toughest question for last; if you could only play one video game for the rest of your life, what game would you play and why?

This is a difficult question since I tend to play a variety of video games. It would have to be between Overwatch and the Mass Effect series, for two very different reasons. I play a lot of Overwatch because it gives me an opportunity to spend time with friends who I don't get to see very often. I enjoy Mass Effect because of the rich story and various decisions that you can make throughout the gameplay. There are many hours worth of side missions and it's one of the only games that I want to play through more than once.