Jill Andrews BIO

Ever since I was little I had a passion for movement and being active, I was one of those kids that couldn’t sit still. I continued to be active through dance and every sport out there. Being involved with sports and training for competitions sparked my interest in weight training and I began to read about personal training and resistance training at a very young age. I often would spit out random bits of information that I had read and try to get my family more active and lifting weights. This in turn ended up being what I enrolled in at the University of Saskatchewan to increase my experience and knowledge. I soon realized that I wanted to also pursue Athletic Therapy to help all individuals who are active, overcome weakness and injury. I transferred to the University of Manitoba to take my Athletic Therapy Certification. As part of my degree I had the honor of working with University of Manitoba and Saskatchewan Hockey teams, the University of Manitoba Track and Field Team, the New York Rangers (NHL) and World Jr. IIHF Hockey Teams. In the end I graduated with a Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science Degree and a National Certification in Athletic Therapy.

I moved to Calgary in January 2006 where I became active with the athletic population again. I had the honor of becoming the Team Canada Tae Kwon Do Athletic Therapist and the Jr. B Stampeders Hockey Team Therapist. I also took a couple of jobs working as a personal trainer in different gyms. During my time at the gym I tried to provide Athletic Therapy to clients and members, the idea didn’t fly. This is when Tara and I decided to pave our own way and create our own dream of running our own business! This is when Fitness 4 Life was born! A customized mobile health service that is geared to help YOU!

My goal within Fitness 4 Life is to educate and inspire as many individuals as I can to become active and healthy and live their lives to the fullest. By taking the excuse out of not being active and showing up to where the individuals are, Fitness 4 Life is taking that extra step to help YOU achieve health and happiness!

Tara Deeks BIO

My parents instilled in me very young the importance of being active. Being a part of many different teams I learned the characteristics it took to participate in these sports and have continued to use those in the beginning of Fitness 4 Life. My number one sport was volleyball and as I was working on my Kinesiology degree from the University of Calgary, I was playing for the Calgary Dinos. In those years of playing post-secondary athletics I unfortunately went through and witnessed many injuries, but also learned about how “training” can help your body and mind. Part of my passion was to rehabilitate those injuries and learn how to return back to my daily active living. I have carried this passion for injury awareness, recovery and prevention in my personal training career.

As a child I always assumed I was going to be a physical education teacher. After the practicum’s I realized I loved the “teaching” side of things but not in the school systems. After graduating I had the opportunity to go to Kamloops, BC to be the assistant coach for the College of the Cariboo. Another great experience and again I realized that the “coaching/teaching” side was a part of who I was, but coaching was not my calling. However, within the coaching role I had the responsibility of providing personal training to the team which coincided with the learning I was doing at my other job at a fitness facility.

I decided to move back to Calgary to explore a career in health and fitness. In 2006 I met Jill and in partnership with her helped to create a new department within a local Calgary Fitness Facility. The department worked in collaboration with all of the health practitioners (yoga, physiotherapist, massage therapists, ART therapists) and the personal trainers within the facility. The goal was to bridge the gap and increase the communication between the training floor and the health facility to put the client’s needs first. This partnership helped to fuel the desire to start a completely separate customized health service, FITNESS 4 LIFE was born! We have continued to build on this concept and are proud of the “professional team” we have built around us (physiotherapists, yoga, massage, psychology, ART, chiropractic).

My approach to training has always been, first to listen to what the client wants/needs, then to design a program and tailor the training towards those goals. I pride myself in the time I take to research and design a program that will allow for success in reaching their goals. In my career so far I have helped a client to cycle across Canada to raise money for Children’s Cancer, helped a client run their first half marathon, helped a client successfully complete the PARE test to become a Calgary police officer and helped clients reach their day to day goals.

It is my goal to educate as many people as we can on the importance of taking care of you with the help of our amazing Fitness 4 Life team. It’s time to focus on you…you are worth it.

Valerie Cote BIO

Health and fitness have been passions of mine for many years now. Since I was very young, I have always been active either in team sports or dance and now in the gym. Physical activity and overall wellbeing has therefore always been a priority to me. Being that my mother is a dietician, she has always taught me the benefits of proper nutrition and her constant coaching has had a true impact on how I view its importance in achieving the goals. I have been involved in the fitness industry for many years now and I am continually inspired by it.

Today, I am blessed everyday with getting to extend my knowledge to my clients in many ways: inspiration, encouragement, coaching, education and so much more! The ability to introduce great people to a more active lifestyle is giving them the gift of a longer and healthier life…

My primary focus is on a functional style of training to help facilitate people with daily tasks. Functional fitness consists of stability and balance training, postural awareness and core strength. Throughout my personal training career, I have gotten to meet and help people from all sorts of fitness backgrounds and personal objectives. I have helped people achieve incredible goals from weight loss to muscle gain to improving overall flexibility and functionality.

My philosophy is: exercise should be fun, safe and effective! Let me introduce you to a structured, efficient and dynamic method of achieving your fitness goals!

Krista Hoffert BIO

Krista Hoffert is a Kinesiologist who has recently moved her home to Calgary from Kamloops, BC. She is excited to be in Alberta and very happy to be working with Fitness4Life to help Calgarians feel and live better! Kirsta completed her studies at the University of Victoria, and then moved to Kamloops where she spent two years working in an active rehabilitation program with clients who had been in motor vehicle accidents, as well as training at a local gym. During this time Krista also returned to school to study Massage Therapy, and is now working as a RMT at the Healing Touch Health Centre.

Krista loves to merge her knowledge of Kinesiology and massage while training, having her clients preform exercises which work on posture and core stability, as well as giving them a satisfying full body workout. She is hoping to work with those who are looking to make a lifestyle change or are just looking to switch up their current exercise routine. Krista believes in holistic health - everyone can make healthy changes to their lives! In her spare time, Krista practices yoga, as well as getting in her own bi-weekly runs. She is looking forward to meeting you!

Adam Wackershauser BIO

I have been training in martial arts for over 16 years and competing internationally for the last 6 years. I competed in the 2008 Pan American Champioships in Caracas, Venezuela and placed Bronze. I have been in fitness for 8 years and graduated Mt.Royal college in 2008. I enjoy working with people of all fitness levels and I have a passion for getting people to achieve their goals.