Every now and again you come across a client who’s determination and commitment serve to inspire others to achieve their own personal “Greatness”. Over the past year I have had the assignment of working with one of IAL’s most outstanding clients Deb Fowler for roughly 2-3 times a week in preparation for the Subaru 70.3 Muskoka Canada Ironman.

This grueling super three sport challenge includes swimming, biking and running for which Deb trained daily for an entire year building up to the race. Her regime included 2-3 days a week of swimming, biking 3 days a week and running almost every second day. In addition to her race segment program Deb sought us out for sport specific strength and conditioning for all three sports. It was quite the challenge to find the right work to rest ratio as Deb required strategic training in every area.

It is through this intense commitment to training and focused commitment to achieve her goal that at 49 years of age, Deb was able to accomplish the Subaru Ironman, known to be one of the toughest in the Nation. In her first Ironman appearance Deb’s personal final results have shown her field that she is a contender of the sport.

Deb started the women’s 45-49 wave off at 8:39 am with a 1.9 km swim which she incredibly swam in a time of 48:20. From there she transitioned onto her bike and rode a challenging hilly bike course of 94 kms in 3:37:35. With torrential downpours Deb was faced with a wet and windy 21 km run to the finish line. Deb finished her last leg with a 2:08 putting her at a total Ironman time of 6:45:10. This is an amazing feat and every ounce of effort Deb had, was poured into this race. All of us here at IAL would like to congratulate Deb for her outstanding performance. A great thank you to Gary, Deb’s husband, and Wayne Cosby, husband of Blast Group team mate Colleen Cosby. ]]> http://www.ialfitness.com/blog/deb-fowler-ials-ironwoman/feed http://www.ialfitness.com/blog/april-six-nations-fitness-boot-camp http://www.ialfitness.com/blog/april-six-nations-fitness-boot-camp#comments Thu, 20 Mar 2008 04:16:11 +0000 info http://www.ialfitness.com/blog/april-six-nations-fitness-boot-camp Our next Six Nations Fitness Boot Camp will commence Monday, April 21st, 2008 at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena. Registration is currently underway with spots filling up quickly. So please be sure to contact us soon if you are interested. Anyone wishing to register or wanting more info, please feel free to contact us anytime at 905.296.3419

This year, we have raised the bar even higher. This year, we are aiming to have more than 400 participants climb and raise over $50,000. Of course with the bar set this high bar is high, we need your support. The IAL Climb for Cancer is more than just a fundraiser. It is an opportunity to get together with friends, family or co-workers to fight against the incidence of cancer, to move to celebrate the courage of patients and survivors, move to remember those we’ve loved and lost. To get involved follow these steps.

Get Involved!

Form a team of four to climb the stairs for one hour! Register by calling or emailing Brian Humphrey, Climb Director.

Make a donation!

Each team member makes a minimum donation of $20. Pledge sheets are available at the bottom of this post or at our studio.

Where the Money Goes!

Funds raised through the IAL Climb for Cancer go directly to the Juravinski Cancer Foundation to support their mission of reducing the incidence of cancer morbidity and mortality.

For more information, please view the pdf files below or contact Brian Humphrey at 905.296.3419 or email him at humphrey@ialfitness.com

Pledge Sheet:

Registration Package:

Juravinski Cancer Foundation Letter:

KB Garage Doors has become the largest supplier of garage doors to the new homebuilder industry, while continuously growing in the replacement residential market as well.

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I think at some point in our lives we all question our existence and purpose here on earth. Without getting to philosophical or spiritual on you, I certainly was at that point for most of 2007. Business was going well; we were literally changing peoples lives everyday. But on the opposite end of the spectrum, my life had no balance. I was working 60+ hours a week, leaving little time for other endeavors and social life. I was beginning to contemplate the intensity of my approach as an entrepreneur. Certainly I was still driven and loving working with all of the great clients we have, but at the same time I was unhappy. I needed a change. Then one day I read an email about an opportunity to visit Tanzania and volunteer as a teacher.

Without thinking, I decided to go. I booked my ticket, got my vaccinations and two months later I was on my way to Kilimanjaro Airport. Almost 32 hours in transit, I had a lot of time to internalize my decision. To an extent I had doubts. What was the food going to be like? How would people treat me? Where was I staying? All of these questions filled my head. Ironically enough, I was reading a book called the Alchemist and a quote jumped off the pages and put my mind at complete ease:

“He still had some doubts about the decision he had made. But he was able to understand one thing; making a decision was only the beginning of things. When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision ” Paulo Coelho - The Alchemist

From that point on I realized that all of my experiences would be positive, even life changing. I decided to live in the moment and not stress. Call it being open minded; call it the greatness that is Tanzania, my mindset became reality. I stepped off the plane and met Unambwe Kaaya, his wife Joyce, and his little boy Corfiled, my hosts during my 4 week long stay. I cannot begin to explain what great people they are. Polite, friendly, and welcoming, I have never felt so comfortable in my life. Over the next few weeks I would learn of Kaaya’s orphanage and school that he has been constructing over the past 2 years. I would learn how his efforts have helped provide food, housing, health care and an education for over 50 children in his village, many of whom have been abandoned or orphaned by their natural parents. I would learn how his vision is to add more classrooms and houses to help even more children in his village. All the while, Kaaya continues to work as Safari Guide in order to sustain the projects future. At the same time, the more people that visit him , the closer he gets to realizing that dream. He is truly an unbelievable human being and one I hope to help as much as I can.

The same can be said for all of the children of Peace Orphanage and Children’s Center (the official name of Kaaya’s project). Eager to learn and so energetic, they made my teaching experience one that I will never forget. Each morning from 8:30 to 12:30 we would sing and dance, learn english, kiswahili and math. In the afternoon, I would assume my role as Tanzania’s newest amusement park ride giving airplane spin and piggie back rides. 10 minutes into the afternoon I would be exhausted. So much for being in shape. During my stay, I would learn just how benevolent and innocent children really are. I was their “Teacha” and that’s all that mattered. Certainly the hardest part about leaving Africa was the fact that I wouldn’t see their smiling faces for quite some time (I plan to go back someday soon).

During my stay, I was so fortunate to experience the culture, the markets, the tribes, the urban center along with the rural surround. I visited Zanzibar (a gorgeous island made up of brilliant beaches and history). I joined Kaaya and Joyce on safari to Ngorongoro crater, Tangire, and Lake Manyara to view the most diverse wildlife and ecosystems on our planet. With these experiences, perhaps the ones I will cherish most are the ones I couldn’t capture with a camera. Sipping on a coke while discussing with Kaaya our goals in life (he too is 27 and has his own vision). Trading with an elder man the intricacies of our respective homelands. Or watching how the children would play with my hair, laughing at how I managed to spike it up. Best of all, how I was accepted as any other and greeted by all of the locals while traveling into town. Jambo. Habari ya leo? Poa! Nzuri. Karibo! Assante. Thank you Tanzania! Thank you Kaaya and Joyce! Thank you Children!

If you have ever wanted to travel to Africa or needed a life changing experience, but didn’t know where to start, please feel free to contact me at anytime.

Kwaheri,

Craig Spear