Salt Spring Island's Fitness Centre, Celebrating Our 20th Anniversary.
trainers
Peter Vincent
Owner and Co-Founder, North End Fitness
I will never run a marathon, and that’s ok. Most people won’t. When first opening North End Fitness twenty years ago, I wanted to have a fitness facility for the everyday Salt Springer, a fitness facility without the spandex, without the muscle shirts and testosterone laden gym rats. My personal goals were to be able to live a long, healthy life . . . one where I could still cut the lawn at 85, or go for a paddle in my kayak without breaking a bone or pulling a muscle. Sometimes its not about quantity, its more about quality. What’s the point of living to 100, if you have tubes in your arm in a hospital bed for fifteen years? And so North End Fitness was born, not so much for the elite athlete, but for the average joe, or josephine.
Now don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with the Olympic Dream. In fact, my facility has a huge amount of free weights and machines to train the very best athletes. We have had many ‘carded’ athletes through our doors over the past two decades. But our focus is on helping the average guy or girl reach their personal goals, whether that is as basic as losing a few pounds to maybe summiting Mt. Baker. I think North End Fitness has achieved that.
Although I originally was a personal trainer, my job at the fitness centre now revolves around keeping all the machines in “running order.” The job includes new equipment purchases, keeping up with exciting trends in the industry, and separating the “fads” from legitimate developments. You will usually find me in the gym daily, scurrying around with a handful of tools.
As I have a background in advertising, I also take care of any advertising and web site management. Together with my manager Sonja Collombin, we look at members’ needs and chart out long term planning.
Because I have owned the fitness centre for over twenty years now, I have witnessed three, sometimes four generations of islanders coming to the gym, all the way from toddlers in the child care through to pensioners strolling on the treadmills. I am proud of our little island gym and grateful for all those Salt Springers new and old that have supported us through these two decades.
Visit Peter Vincent’s blog.
Sonja Collombin
Sonja has been with us for over fifteen years! She started in child care, took a short hiatus working on boring accounting things from home, while chasing after children, and has recently joined us again at the front counter, in charge of member services, as a trainer, and leading some great spin classes!
Leslie Wiens
Leslie has been a trainer at North End Fitness since 1996, after returning from a teaching career in Japan. Highly qualified in all areas of personal fitness, Leslie is available on a one to one basis as a personal trainer. She is also deeply involved in the island’s karate club, and is teaching kids’ karate.
ACE (American council on Exercise) Personal Training Certification
BCRPA (British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association) Certifications in:
- Fitness Theory
- Personal Training
- Weight Training
- Exercise to Music
- Post rehab
- YMCA Certification
- Personal Training
- Colgan Power Program Level II
- CPR and First aid
Chris Denbigh
Chris came to Salt Spring Island via Victoria, where he worked for the Provincial Museum constructing clay models for the exhibits. The government at the time was offering “golden parachutes’ and Chris jumped on the opportunity to get out of the rat race and come to Salt Spring Island.Chris joined the North End Fitness ’team’ in 2o03. He has his British Columbia Recreation and Parks Assosiation, Fitness Theory course, and is very involved with the karate club here on the island, and was recently awarded his black belt! Chris is also a gifted sculptor in his own right. His work can be seen at Pegasus Gallery.
Jessica Kuzmich
Member Services
Lola Braimoh
Lola completed her Undergraduate and Master’s degrees at the University of Western Ontario. “During my schooling I decided to teach fitness classes as it was very flexible with my schedule. I have instructed classes as large as 200 and absolutely love motivating others to reach their fitness goals. I have experience teaching muscle conditioning classes, aerobic classes, bootcamps, and spin classes. I also have almost ten years experience training in American Kickboxing and Muay Thai. I have trained, sparred and instructed with UFC, IFL and TKO fighters.”
Years Teaching = 5 plus years
Certification: YMCA and BCRPA, Group Fitness Certified, nine years experience in Muay Thai and American Kickboxing“I love motivating others to reach and surpass their fitness goals. I look forward to meeting you at NorthEnd!”.
Uma Meyers
I have always been fascinated with the human body in motion: what restricts ideal movement, what enhances it. After nearly a decade working at North End Fitness as a personal trainer and group fitness leader, I moved to Victoria to attend the West Coast College of Massage Therapy. Throughout the 3000 hour curriculum, my passion transformed into a deep respect and awe. I now continue my work at North End armed with this incredible body of knowledge, eager to meet new people, and help any way I can. I can be found behind the counter as Member Services, in the classroom teaching an energetic, anatomically precise yoga class, and off site at Pura Vida Massage Therapy Clinic at the corner of Fernwood Road and Walkers Hook.
