Born: Halifax NS – raised in Niagara Falls ON
Passions: I grew up playing and loving hockey. I played at the highest level growing up which taught me work ethics, team work and dedication.
My Why: When I started playing my Junior hockey career, that is when the injuries started and my physical capabilities were limited due to reoccurring knee injuries and many severe concussions. Hockey taught me the value of community involvement and being selfless. When my playing career came to end I knew that whatever I do in life I want to make a difference – I just didn’t know how. I used fitness and personal endurance challenges to better myself and my mind, I now use that same theory to better my own community and the people I come into contact with. WHY mental health is so important to me; at 32 years old I would like to think that I have experienced my ups and downs as an adult. I have lost family members close to me, I have battled my own demons in many different categories and I have come to terms that the only way to push through some things in life is to reach out for help or find something positive in life and use that as a tool for a stronger mind. I created my brand PAK fitness inc. as a brand that allows people of all walks of life to join my PAK and feel like they belong to something. I used my style of training to help push people, to open their eyes to the large percent of untaped potential they have inside themselves. Being part of my PAK is more than just working out, it becomes a standard you hold yourself to continue to push yourself and be a positive warrior.
How mental health as impacted my life: My personal journey hasn’t been what I thought it would be at 32 years old. It took me a long time to understand that “failing” is not a negative. Failing is still an action and it has been failures that have made me mentally strong. February 2016 I lost my cousin Ryan Turgeon, we were really close and he was an older brother to me. He was the strongest, toughest, coolest man I knew. When we were together I idolized everything he did. He had a great career and was one of the best in his industry. He became mental ill and the illness took over him. I will always see him or think of him as the bad ass older cousin I knew him to be but it made me realize that anyone could be effected by mental health. He lost his battle to a fentanyl overdose. His mother, my aunt Pam Turgeon has started her own movement in Kelowna BC called “Moms stop the harm”. It is things like this that have happened to me personally that gave me my final push to leave my high paying job to start something that can hopefully leave a long lasting and positive impact on the people in my life and my community.
2019 Community Accomplishments: Feb 2nd 2019 I officially resigned from my comfortable career. May 2019 I incorporated PAK Fitness Inc. I started working with people that I knew personally and complete strangers to help them unlock their own mental toughness. I would do guest speaking for high school kids, sporting teams and professionals. I did the ride to conquer cancer – where I rode the designated miles and then sat on my spin bike all day and all night to continue the next day’s ride, This took my 30hrs straight of physical endurance. I had knee surgery in the summer and was limited to my challenges and then on August 22 2019 I teamed up with A&W for their burgers to beat MS day. I brought a Stairmaster to the A&W on lake street St. Catharines and did a 24hr straight (no breaks) stair climb in efforts to raise more money for MS Niagara. Which I did. My last challenge of 2019 will be my Ride Over Matter for mental health.