Of sound body and mind

Sports above all

Since early childhood, Amélie has always felt the need to move. At the age of seven, she got her start by enrolling in karate classes. As a teenager, she was passionate about snowboarding, but was forced to give up a promising pro career due to an ankle injury. This change of course, however, did not slow her down for very long. In 2008, Amélie became a world fitness champion.

That same year, she gave birth to her daughter and decided to take a break from competition. Although she had been thinking about starting her own gym for a while, her first priority was to take care of her family.

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From employee to employer

Amélie was working as a personal trainer at a gym when it suddenly closed down. At first shocked to find herself unemployed, she quickly realized that this was a business opportunity. On a whim, Amélie and her colleague decided to buy the gym. “It was a decision that we made over two days, and within a week, it was ours,” she said.

The two entrepreneurs now offer their clients a variety of classes. A naturopath and kinesiologist by training, Amélie has a holistic view of health and aims to improve both the physical health of her clients and their lifestyles.

“I like to see people evolve. As a naturopath, I treat the whole person, because if the mind and spirit are not well, the body can’t be well either.”

Precious moments with the family

Amélie’s children also love playing sports. Her daughter loves jiu-jitsu, while her son is into BMX. Like they say, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

Despite her busy schedule and many responsibilities as an entrepreneur, Amélie always sets aside quality time for her children every day. Friday is “cheat day,” where the family gets together and the kids can eat treats.

Keeping the dream alive

Very happy with what she has accomplished so far, Amélie wants to continue to grow her business by offering specialized courses in perinatal and overall health. And like any entrepreneur with ambitious dreams, she would also like to open a second gym closer to home, so she can spend more time with her family.

She is very proud of her gym. “It’s the culmination of all the work I’ve put in up to this point. What I want is for our business to thrive and for everyone in my family to stay healthy,” she said. Amélie’s only regret? Not having achieved her entrepreneurial dream a little earlier.