Certified World Kettlebell Fitness Instructor
Certified American Kettlebell Lifting Coach
Certified Chushinkai Kettlebell Instructor

Jennifer has always had a passion for understanding the human body and how it functions to perform optimally in elite level sports. After 8 years of playing rugby (including Provincial and University level), as well as coaching high school ,University, representative and club level rugby and completing a Bachelors Degree in Kinesiology (Honours) she turned her focus to personal training. Jennifer enjoyed the challenge of working with hundreds of different types of people with different goals, different injuries/restrictions and different levels of experience with exercise.

At the age of 24 Jennifer developed a number of health conditions that were unexplainable and deemed ‘untreatable’ by doctors here in Canada. Long story short, after a journey to the Philippines with symptoms progressively getting worse, she went into emergency at a hospital in Manila. It was here that the extents of her conditions were diagnosed and a protocol to treat the CAUSE not the symptoms was put in place. In this amazing city in the Philippines, Jennifer was introduced to the reality that health is not simply a matter of our physical form. It is not related to how we look or what we weigh but rather how we FEEL. In fact, physical illnesses, difficulty losing weight, difficulty sleeping, digestive problems, etc are generally a manifestation of an issue that is happening in a different level (spiritual, emotional, psychological). Jennifer believes in the importance and connection of having a healthy spirit, mind and body.

This journey also taught Jennifer about the importance of what we eat in terms of its impact on how we think and how we feel. It’s not just about high protein, low fat, no carbohydrate diets that trainers often suggest to their clients. Being in exposed to alternative modalities for healing and personally studying a few of these herself (Reiki level 1, Reflexology and Integrative massage) Jennifer has broadened her perspective on the spirit, mind and body connection.

Where did kettlebells come in? While doing her Masters of Teaching Biology and Physical Education in Australia Jennifer was first introduced to kettlebell training and after 6 months of study with Kaicho Martin McCormack she received her Chushinkai Kettlebell Instructor Certification.

Before completing her Masters in Australia, Jennifer returned to Canada after many conversations with her younger brother where it was obvious he was getting sick again. After one week being back in Canada and living with her brother he was re-diagnosed with Leukemia for the 4th time in 5 years. Eight months of living with Jonathan and having emergency hospital visits on a weekly, often daily, basis brought her respect for health to a new level.

After Jonathan passed on October 8th, 2008 her beliefs were tested once again. She woke up 6 weeks after he passed (after gaining 32 lbs+ from eating her emotions) she looked in the mirror and realized that she was no longer fulfilling her personal legend, her reason for being. Jennifer has always known that she is here to help others and looking in the mirror that day she knew that she was in no shape to be motivating or inspiring others. This was the type of opportunity that would test if she was really ready to do what she felt she was here for. No excuses, no setbacks. Life is to be lived and after 6 weeks of a downward spiral it was time to BELIEVE her beliefs that everything happens for a reason.

At that moment she had her sister-in law take pictures saying ‘I’m about to do something about this’. She knew she would be able to use these pictures one day to show others they can be fearless in the hardest times of their lives.

Four months after Jonathan passed away (without ever intending to be a business owner) Make It Happened opened with less than 30 members. In the year and a half since then, through word of mouth, 300 people have been in for training and the majority of those are regular members. The studio is constantly filled with love, laughs, smiling faces and endless success stories. Jennifer has personally lost almost 40lbs since then completed her Masters in Teaching (Biology and PE) and has won 2 World Championships in Kettlebell Lifting. She has her Candidate for Masters of Sport in the Long Cycle Event and is presently training to become the first Masters of Sport in Canada.

This is only the beginning for all of us!

'When it comes to the future there are three kinds of people: those who let it happen, those who make it happen and those who wonder what happened.'

♥

Check out this article from St. Catharines Standard

and this Blog from a fellow Kettlebell lifter