2013 2013PROFILES PROFILESOF OFSUCCESS SUCCESS ❱ ❱ MICHELLE MICHELLEKWASNIK KWASNIK--THE THEFITNESS FITNESSCENTRE CENTRE
Michelle Kwasnik
MICHELLE KWASNIK THE FITNESS CENTRE 177 PARIS ROAD BRANTFORD ONTARIO N3T 1J2 519.751.2500 www.the-fitnesscentre.ca
The Fitness C e n t re
2013 PROFILES PAGE 50 ❰ OF SUCCESS
hen she took over The Fitness Centre after her mother and prior owner Gerrie Devlin passed away in 2002, Michelle Kwasnik believed it was temporary. “I took a leave of absence from my career in deaf/blind services to figure out what I was going to do with the business,” she recalled. “My plan was to run it for about six months to figure out what it needed and go back to my career.” Now, 10 years later, Kwasnik continues to be in charge of a bustling whole body health facility that is far more than a gym to its members. “In that six months I came to discover the business was not just a fitness studio, that it was something very powerful and inspiring in our community,” she said. “It’s a support network for women. It is the only place that is all for them, where they can be who they are in the only place where what they do impacts only themselves.” Women-friendly services such as lowcost childcare while mom is attending a fitness class or working out on the equipment is one way The Fitness Centre supports women. “Women don’t have to make an appointment here, they can just stop in between 8:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. for childcare,” Kwasnik said. “My philosophy on that is I couldn’t find myself being organized enough as a busy mom to be right here at 2 p.m. if I had to make an appointment.” The active play centre promotes
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healthy living and allows children to connect with their peers while mom does the same in the adult environment. It is an important component of Kwasnik’s holistic approach to family wellness that goes beyond the walls of the centre. Through a secondary business, Navigate Life Positively, Kwasnik works with individuals and families in her home studio, using Neurological Linguistic Programming to facilitate positive life changes that affect things like emotional eating, weight loss, self esteem, stress management, relationships and intimacy. In addition to being an NLP Master Practitioner, Kwasnik also specializes in Reiki Therapy, Biodynamic Cranial Sacral Therapy, Magnified Healing and Yoga. She hosts Life Coach sessions, workshops and seminars about identity and community and family. “Most people can relate to a Life Coach because they want to improve on what they are already doing well,” Kwasnik said. Biodynamic Cranial Sacral Therapy compliments life coaching by allowing Kwasnik to work with the central nervous system to rid the body of unresolved issues and alleviate emotional stressors. By offering a whole body approach to care, women and their families can live life to the fullest. Kwasnik also works in the community and teaches fitness and yoga classes, in addition to offering children’s fitness programs for girls and for boys up to age 11. ❱ 2013 PROFILES OF SUCCESS ❱ PAGE 5