LFY Health and Fitness Team Leader
In 2008, while battling weight gain due to work related stress, he started training for marathons. After 3 marathons, he decided to help people achieve their fitness goals and joined the YMCA team. Matsuo has worked with different populations, ranging from cardiac rehab patients to prospective firefighters. Over the past year, his focus has been strength training programming and mobility.
LFY Health and Fitness Staff and Personal Trainer
John has always had a keen interest in being active. At a young age, he loved participating in many sports teams such as basketball, volleyball, badminton and rugby. Most recently, he has competed in a kickboxing competition because he felt that he wanted to learn something new and to challenge himself in a different way. John spent many years learning from mentors, taking courses (in and outside of post-secondary education), reading books and experimenting with different styles of resistance training, in order to expand his knowledge in the area of fitness. John’s main area of expertise is in strength building, fat loss, muscle building and cardio conditioning. John believes that by providing his clients with the tools and knowledge necessary for them to succeed in their fitness goals, he can help his clients live healthier and happier lives.
LFY Health and Fitness, CYF Staff and Personal Trainer
Growing up in Brazil, Rubens found his passion for soccer and being in the right position to score one for his team. Gymnastics became part of his lifestyle in university through coaching his own athletes and judging competitions. After earning his bachelor’s degree in Sports Science in Brazil, Rubens generated world class runners, gymnasts and pole vaulters through his ability to coach athletes to their potential. Rubens has the ability to improve health, posture, and fitness to clients of any age and has done so over his 14 years as a Personal Trainer. After capturing the ideas of Vincenzo Canali, an Italian coach who specializes in postural training, Rubens is a posture specialist and believes that is a necessary to achieve your highest fitness goals without adding injuries. He is excited to bring us this newly developed training method focused on injury prevention. Rubens is also fluent in Portuguese and Spanish.
Zumba® LFY Volunteer Instructor
Lesley is Zumba® and Afro Brasilian-Frevo Dance Instructor certified. She is very energetic, enthusiastic and professional. Lesley has been giving back to the Langara Family YMCA since 2010 teaching Capoeira and her very popular Zumba classes.
Line Dancing LFY Volunteer Instructor
Regina was raised and born in Taipei, Taiwan. She moved to Canada in the year of 1996. Regina is a professional line dance instructor. Regina has been volunteering for over 3 years, teaching a very popular line dance classes at the LFY. Regina has many years of experience in the line dance teaching field and the drive of my motivation and passion comes from the joy from the students who participate in her class.
LFY General Manager
Levonne has been teaching group fitness for almost ten years. She first started as a volunteer instructor at YMCAs in Washington State. She has taught everything from Step to Boot Camp to Cycling and Yoga. Recently she completed her first triathlon and continues to train for the next Tri season in the spring.
How long have you been a volunteer at the YMCA?
9 years
Reason for volunteering?
I want everyone to drink the Kool-aid that I’m drinking.
If you had a SUPERPOWER what would it be?
Mind control
How long have you been a volunteer at the YMCA?
4 years
Reason for volunteering?
I’m a good guy. I enjoy people and giving back to the community.
If you had a SUPERPOWER what would it be?
X-ray vision, FLY like superman
How long have you been a volunteer at the YMCA?
14 years
Reason for volunteering?
I just Love it!
If you had a SUPERPOWER what would it be?
To fly!
How long have you been a volunteer at the YMCA?
10 years (or so)
Reason for volunteering?
I enjoy helping people with their fitness goals…whatever those may be! From Walk-Run Training to now, Personal Training…seeing their development is very rewarding!
If you had a SUPERPOWER what would it be?
If I had a “Superpower” I’m sure it would be “GRATEFULNESS”. I’m very grateful for all the people that have put their trust into me over the many years of volunteering at the Y!
How long have you been a volunteer at the YMCA?
9 years
Reason for volunteering?
For fun!
If you had a SUPERPOWER what would it be?
None, I’m good as I am – just regular old me!
How long have you been a volunteer at the YMCA?
3 years
Reason for volunteering?
? I love dancing & encouraging others to be active. I work with a great team, full of energy, support and enthusiasm.
If you had a SUPERPOWER what would it be?
A time traveller or teleporter. I would like to see the world.
Dylan has two Superhero Powers, the ability to solve math equations in a single bound and a supernatural ability to charm the ladies of all ages.
Dylan has been a YMCA volunteer since he was 10 years old! He delivers high intensity aquafit classes. He is currently studying for a degree in pharmacy.
His favorite activities include watching Superhero movies and attending Rock Concerts!
Like The Flash, Andrea possesses Super Speed and Superhuman Reflexes which are very helpful for keeping up with her two energetic daughters.
Andrea has a long history at the Chilliwack YMCA as a participant, child care staff and as the Health and Fitness Manager. Since leaving her position she continues to volunteer as a Fitness Instructor and Trainer, mentoring and certifying new Fitness Instructors for the YMCA.
Andrea’s favorite activities include mountain and road cycling and taking advantage of the great outdoors of the Fraser Valley.
Lisa’s Superhero Power is the ability to stop fires before they start!
She works for Chilliwack Fire Department is the Public Educator / Fire Inspector and coaches of the departments Fire Fit team in her spare time.
Lisa has been volunteering at the Chilliwack YMCA since 1981. Not only is she a volunteer fitness instructor she is also a YMCA Trainer of instructor.
She loves bike riding, running, gardening, wine making, and greeting cards.
Martha possesses Superhuman Endurance with her power she runs marathons, teaches classes, trains clients and takes care of her family, friends and others without breaking a sweat.
She is a committed volunteer, she believes it is important to give back and has proven that by volunteering to teach classes every week since 2012.
She can be found working out in the conditioning room several mornings a week, and enjoys road and trail running. She regularly participates in marathons.
Cheya has the Superhero ability to be in 3 places at once! She utilizes her powers on a daily bases while teaching, working and keeping up with her four children who are active in sports.
She volunteers at the YMCA teaching Power Cycling and Boot Camp classes and in her spare time enjoys trail and marathon running, strength training and agility events. She demonstrates everyday her belief that knowledge is power, humility is honourable and success comes from having a positive attitude.
Superhero, The Quipster (a.k.a Carol) uses her superpower of quick wit to crack a smile on the most serious face.
She received her Fitness Certification from the YMCA in Prince George and has been volunteering with the YMCA ever since. She jokes about having “drank the YMCA koolaid” over thirty years ago and still loves the taste.
Carol is a married mother of three adult children, new grandma and is a passionate supporter of animal rights and causes. Her passion is running but a bad hip has forced her to stop and now she channels her energy output into Power cycling.
Using her expertise in fitness and the secret ingredient she grows on her blueberry farm, Leny ‘s Super Powers help lower cholesterol, reduce risk of heart disease and improve moods.
Leny has volunteered at the Chilliwack YMCA for more than 3 years. She teaches Total Sculpt and Synrgy every Tuesday. Passionate about working with seniors she also regularly volunteers in the Osteofit program.
This mother of three enjoys running and hiking and shares her love of fitness and the great outdoors with her friends, many whom she has met at the YMCA.
Unbeknownst to her, Tonia has the Super Power to unite. Her enthusiastic personality, kind heart and wealth of knowledge are magnetic.
She has been a volunteer at the Chilliwack YMCA for 8 years. Among others she teaches Gauntlet and TRX and volunteers to teach and mentor new fitness instructors.
Tonia is married and has 4 beautiful children. She enjoys fitness, competition training, traveling with her family and boating.
This Superhero is a dual citizen of Canada and Germany, with super natural strength, Gisela has the ability to be stronger than what is naturally possible.
She has considered the YMCA her home away from home for 14 years. She loves the Y because nobody is left out and everybody has the opportunity to be involved. She believes all members are not just participants, but part of a team, among friends, accepted and encouraged. She is honoured to be a volunteer instructor and give back to the community.
Gisela and her husband Norman have two children two dogs and three cats. Her absolute favourite pastime is reading, she also loves camping, jigsaw puzzles, hiking, Nutella, and Dancing with the Stars.
Francarlos is one of the top fitness instructors, teaching over 18 classes per week, in the best fitness centers throughout Vancouver. Francarlos loves what he does; motivating and inspiring people to get in shape and to love themselves through physical activity, becoming Better, Faster, Stronger, Healthier, Younger and Sexier!
Certified: YMCA Group Fitness
Liia has been a group fitness instructor with the YMCA of Greater Vancouver for six years. Liia didn't start her love affair with fitness until taking the Group Fitness Leadership Course and realizing just how much fun it was! She started teaching step and eventually took on Cycle Fit, boot camp, athletic workout and barre. An avid runner, Liia loves living in Vancouver and health and wellness. She also loves ice cream... which hopefully is balanced out by all of the classes!
Certified: Prenatal Pilates, Yoga for Core, Yoga for Children, Yoga for Seniors and Sports Nutrition
Christie is a personal trainer and fitness instructor based in Vancouver BC. She started teaching at the Robert Lee YMCA, originally starting with one class and now she teaches five classes due to her popularity. She specializes in Pilates, Yoga and functional strength training. Her passions are health and wellness and she loves helping people discover their fullest physical potential
Certified: BCRPA (Group Fitness, Weight Training & Personal Trainer), YMCA Group Fitness
Trevor believes our overall wellness is a balance of a healthy mind, body and spirit. A long-term member and volunteer with the YMCA family, he is passionate about serving his community through fitness leadership and accessible programming. Having mentored under some of BC’s top fitness professionals, he now specializes in both functional strength and athletic interval style training.
My name is Andrew Alcalde and I'm a BCRPA Group Fitness instructor. I teach a number of different class formats such as: Step Aerobics, Kickbox, Zumba and POUND. Becoming a group fitness instructor has been such an enriching and powerful reward for both myself and my participants. Having the ability to push individuals to achieve their goals, seeing their incredible progression and knowing that I played a part in helping them achieve their best selves, is the very reason why I became an instructor. The key to being successful in any fitness regiment is to have fun while doing it. Always strive to be a better version of yourself, and never give up! This is what I live by, and try to implement in every class that I teach.
I took my first cycle fit class when I sprained my toe and needed to find a low-impact means to maintain my cardio. I quickly became a regular because I realized how great cycle fit is for building muscle, burning calories, and blowing off steam. Several months after my first class, I signed up for a YMCA Cycle Fit Group Fitness Course at Robert Lee and now I’m teaching my very own class! I primarily commute by bicycle so I gather a lot of inspiration for my classes from the hilly roads of Burnaby and Vancouver. I love teaching cycle fit because it provides me the opportunity to be involved in the community and share my love for cycling.
I was 19 years old I decided during my lunch break from work to go across the street to the local fitness facility which was the YMCA in Calgary. I struggled through the first class. I could barely run around the gym even once before stopping to catch my breath but I didn't give up and finished the class.
The YWCA was a life-changing experience for me....
Within one year of joining the Y a course was offered at the same facility. They were looking for enthusiastic and passionate participants who wanted to take fitness to the next level by becoming "aerobic instructors".
About 2 years after becoming certified with the YWCA in Calgary and teaching there I applied for and was granted a working visa and lived and worked in Australia and New Zealand and continued to teach at the local Y's in both countries. I also lived and worked in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. I worked for Saudi Arabian A/L as a flight attendant and taught fitness classes to the other FA's on our hostess compound.
After returning to Canada I worked for the City of Calgary Recreation and acquired additional certifications along the way... and teaching in the following specialties: Aqua; Step Choreography; Older Adult; Weight Training; Yoga and Pilates.
5 years ago my husband Ray was offered a position with his company to transfer from Calgary to Port Coquitlam so the kids and I agreed "let's move West" and have never looked back.
I have now been teaching Yoga and Pilates for the Robert Lee Y on Fridays' for the past 5 years. I feel blessed and honored to see so many welcoming, wonderful faces coming into my classes each week. The Ys' are very different from any other fitness facility where you may work as a fitness/yoga instrcuctor. The Y is unique because there is a real sense of community and the patrons and staff are very supportive and respectful which is why the Ys' have so many great and dedicated instructors!
Certified: YMCA Group Fitness (Indoor Cycling)
Martin Laba, Ph.D., has been instructing Cycle Fit classes at the Robert Lee YMCA for 3 1/2 years after completing his YMCA Group Fitness Leadership and Fitness Theory certification, with further specialty certifications in indoor cycling. As an avid cyclist, he designs classes that are an extension of his own training, and are informed and inspired by real outdoor cycling experience. With a passion for music, Martin brings an eclecticism to the studio through music from many and varied eras, genres, places, and styles (from mbaqanga to reggae, from rhythm and blues to contemporary rock, from funk and soul to hip hop). His classes are always in demand and known for their dynamic, high energy, and motivating approach to fitness through indoor cycling.
After a severe softball injury at the young age of 13, Shelby Wallace had to find a fun, new low-impact sport to rehabilitate. Indoor cycling and eventually bike commuting Edmonton winters (!) , she found another passion. Shelby took the YMCA Group Fitness Leadership course at Robert Lee earlier this year and quickly transformed from a Cycle Fit participant to an instructor. Teaching a dedicated group of regulars at RLY, Shelby has a great mix of tough drills, diverse music and effective cueing.
James has been at the YMCA since 2012. His passion for music reflects into his Boot Camp classes. His classes are high energy, that include cardio, muscle strength, abs and core and dancing. The exercises will prove to have results, to make you stronger, better, faster, healthier, happier, younger and sexier. With the mix of high energy music, you will not be disappointed with his radio voice that echos through the gymnasium. See you soon!
I am grateful for the opportunity to share my passion of doing exercises with all participants of YMCA. My first experience with YMCA was 40 years ago and I took the yoga class with a well experienced teacher who was over his 90 years of age. And from then onwards, I incorporate exercises into part of my daily life. In 2013 I happened to get to know Chris Rumary who was teaching the Movement & Mobility class and out of curiosity I started joining the class. I learnt that there was a growing population of baby boomers and some of them start to get into their retirement stage. I decided to take the Fitness Training course by November 2013 and committed to contribute my time and services to help our Golden Participants. I also enhanced my swimming skills through the group swimming training at YMCA. In my leisure time, I took several online courses in regards to Pelvic Movement, and in 2015, I obtained the Certification for Parkinson Wellness Recovery Instructor Training.
Now, I am learning the Integrative Correction Exercises online program offered by Dr. Evans Oscar. I believe that YMCA is the community where we support and help each other to develop and keep a healthy balance active life both spiritually, mentally and physically.
Let us join hands and extend our efforts to participate in this fund raising activity for those vulnerable Kids and families so they can all get access to the Y.
Trained primarily in Hatha Yoga with a focus on alignment at the Vancouver School of Yoga, my repertoire includes Yin, Power and Flow yoga styles.
I enjoy melding different styles together, choosing the best from each, resulting in a fusion flavoured style of Yoga. I believe that chaos is best for the muscles, therefore my sequences and style can be quite dynamic.
Originally from a very small town in rural New Zealand, my yoga journey started from injuries incurred while in my twenties and thirties. The injuries included the left Illiopsoas Major, the right Rhomboid major and minor, and the right Levator Scapulae. Since then, I have injured the Intercostal muscle on both sides and the right Illiopsoas Major.
These injuries resulted in severe mis-alignments of my spine, causing chronic pain and discomfort. I credit the re-alignment of my spine to the various chiropractors I have seen over the years. The healing of mind and muscles? I credit to the process of Yoga.
The process of Yoga, and especially the numerous yoga teachers who have helped me understand my body better, has significantly helped repair the imbalances. Because yoga has so effectively helped me heal my physical and spiritual injuries, I decided to quit my job as an IT consultant and become a yoga teacher. I want to enable others to help themselves, by opening the door into the world of Yoga.
If you would like to know more, please visit TwoDragonsYoga.com.
Namaste
