Ashleigh Atkinson

My athletic background started at a young age, as I was a competitive athlete in figure skating, synchronized skating, and track and field. I was able to reach great heights as my synchronized skating team was selected to be a part of Team Canada for two years and I was fortunate enough to travel to France twice to represent our country. I continued skating when I went to university, and started coaching the varsity team as well. When I decided to further my education by getting my Masters in Human Kinetics, I opted to stop skating and focus my attention on my schooling. At this point, I starting going to the gym regularly to stay active, and thus found Group Exercise.

An instructor approached me one day after class to talk to me about becoming an instructor myself, as she saw that I had good technique. From there, my life changed in ways I never thought possible.  I quickly went through the certification process with Les Mills International for four of their disciplines. Teaching classes was soon my passion, and I love being in the studio teaching or socializing with the members. The connection you get to make with so many people is amazing!

I have been recognized for my work with GoodLife, being named Rookie of the Year due to the fact that I completed two disciplines in a short period of time, and conducted myself as a veteran instructor right off the bat. Teaching classes came easily to me due to my background in skating - the musicality and choreography aspects were not new to me!

In the last year, I decided to further expand my fitness and health knowledge by training and competing in fitness shows. It's been an amazing way to push my body to new levels, and I can honestly say I am in the best shape of my life because of this.

Health and fitness has always been a passion of mine, and I'm lucky enough to be able to work both part-time and full-time with it.  My full-time job is as a Health Promotion Specialist, working on a team dedicated to workplace wellness programs for employees. We do research, write articles and manage challenges to get employees actively involved in improving their health and wellbeing through physical activity, nutrition, mental health and general wellness principles.

I truly love being a role model for fitness and believe in living that way 110%.  My husband is also a competitive bodybuilder, so our passion is shared - which makes it easier! We spend most of our "free time" at the gym, and it is usually the highlight of my day - it's a stress reliever as well as a social outlet.

I would love the opportunity to take my passion to another level with your company, and meet many people from various walks of life. I'm an outgoing person, who loves to connect with new people and try to learn something new from everyone.