Langara Family YMCA

Personal Trainers

Want to talk to one of our personal trainers? Contact us here and we will get right back to you! 

Nahid Sarhaddi

Her Philosophy:  "To share my enthusiasm, encourage a happier lifestyle and help our members realize what their body is capable of"

Credentials:

BCRPA Certified in:

  • Personal Training
  • Weight Training, Fitness Theory, Group Fitness, Pilates, Aquatic Fitness, Third Age

Interests and Sports:

  • Barre Class
  • Travel
  • Dance
  • Fashion

Matsuo Higa

His Philosophy:  "You’re stronger than you think"

Credentials:

  • Powerlifting coach
  • BCRPA Personal Trainer
  • Third Age Certification
  • Technogym Kinesis Instructor

Interests and Sports:

  • Powerlifting
  • Geeking out on movement and exercise
  • Coffee and bacon
  • Film noir

Jennifer Wong

Her Philosophy:  "A small change can make a big difference"

Credentials:

  • Bachelors of Science in Psychology from UBC
  • Can Fit Pro – Certified Personal Trainer

Interests and Sports:

  • Strength training
  • Volleyball
  • Basketball
  • Ballroom Dancing
  • Shopping

Charly Park

His Philosophy:  "Trust the process."

Credentials:

  • BCRPA Personal Trainer
  • Fitness Theory
  • Weight Training
  • Third Age Certification

Interests and Sports:

  • Basketball
  • Powerlifting
  • Hiking
  • Baseball

Kevin Prudencio

His Philosophy:  "Move well, eat well, live well, thrive to be the best you can be. Take adversity as a challenge rather than a set back"

Credentials:

  • Bachelor’s of Kinesiology from UBC
  • BCRPA Personal Trainer &  Weight Trainer
  • YMCA Group Fitness Instructor
  • Individualized training for clinical and aging populations

Interests and Sports:

  • Hip hop
  • Soccer
  • Meditation
  • Hang cleans 

Romina Gutierrez

Her philosophy: ““Athletics are invaluable in improving one’s self esteem, competitive drive, and in developing a sense of purpose and hard work.”

Credentials:

  • BCRPA Personal Trainer
  • BCRPA Weight Training

Interests and Sports:

  • Kung Fu
  • Taekwondo
  • Interval training
  • Running

Mike Lin

His Philosophy:  "To empower our members with the knowledge and the confidence in strength and conditioning"

Credentials:

  • Bachelors of Human Kinetics from UBC
  • NCCP Olympic Weightlifting Trained
  • Can Fit Pro – Certified Personal Trainer
  • TRX Sports Medicine Certified
  • Functional Movement System Certified
  • Strong First Kettlebell Instructor 

Interests and Sports:

  • Strength Training
  • Olympic Style Weightlifting
  • Muay Thai

Jason Lau

His Philosophy:  "Experience is the hardest kind of teacher. It gives you the test first, the lesson afterwards." Oscar Wilde

Credentials:

  • Certified Personal Trainer (National Academy of Sport Medicine 

Interests and Sports:

  • Strength and Conditioning
  • Group Fitness

Jason's passion for health and fitness began at a young age where he started competing in sports such as martial arts and competitive swimming. Later on, Jason discovered the importance of strength and conditioning within sports. Jaso enjoys helping clients planning to compete or just lead a more active lifestyle. 

Dominic Melanson

His Philosophy:  "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, it is a habit." Aristotle 

Credentials:

  • Masters of Kinesiology from UBC
  • Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist  - National Strength and Conditioning Association
  • Certified Personal Trainer - American College of Sports Medicine
  • Individualized Exercise Programming for Aging and Clinical Population
  • USAW-L1SP Sport Performance Coach

Interests and Sports:

  • Hockey 
  • Lacrosse
  • Football
  • Gymnastics 

Flavia Petruy

Her Philosophy:  "“Do something for you today, tomorrow could be late!”

Credentials:

  • Bachelor in Physical Education (PUC-PR)

  • ACE Personal Trainer

  • Pilates Instructor

  • Tye 4 Instructor

  • Group Power Certified Instructor

Flavia is a Brazilian personal trainer with over 10 years of experience in postural correction, exercises for pregnant and post-natal, overload training and functional correction, exercises for pregnant and post-natal, overload training and functional.

A graduate in Physical Education from the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, she also has a post-degree in Pilates Method from the Physical Mind Institute of New York.

Her work experience is not limited to her academic training but also her experience as an athlete of swimming, running, triathlon and pentathlon.

Cyrse Contreras 

Her Philosophy:  “If you want to change the world, start with yourself”: Gandhi 

Credentials:

  • Ace Certified Personal Trainer 
  • Group Power Certified Instructor

Cyrse has more than 10 years of experience working with people in pain. She worked as a therapist in a spine diseases clinic in Mexico, and she helped dozens of patients to overcome their injuries and resume their normal activities through exercise. 

She helped athletes, seniors, post-surgery patients and all kinds of people to rehabilitate their spine, knees, shoulders and other joints by focusing on the proper performance of the exercises and the adequate, balanced strengthening of the different muscle groups. 

She is passionate about her role as a healer, and she is currently studying to become a certified kinesiologist.