After failing to find the groove she was looking for with a couple of the big fitness chains, a referral from a friend led Melissa and her husband to fellow entrepreneurs and FFF owners Jean-Luc and Chelsea Boissonneault. Like so many busy business owners, Melissa found it difficult to consistently schedule a workout into her day. But FFF’s personal trainers provided the structure and routine she needed to achieve the results she wanted.
“I like having the accountability,” she said. “I am one of those people who if I don’t have an appointment I will find something else to do.”
And that’s when a joke turned into a case full of trophies.
Melissa was just turning 35 years old when she joined FFF, an age which qualified her for the Masters age category in the Ottawa Classic fitness competition. Her trainer challenged her to set a goal for herself and she chose to undergo the rigorous physical conditioning and nutrition guidelines required to compete. Much to her surprise, she took home not one but two trophies.
She has been a regular client of FFF ever since and now, as she approaches 40, she has set herself a new goal: to make her way up to the nationals taking place in the spring of 2014.
In June, Melissa passed the first step by claiming two top prizes in the GNC Ottawa Classic: Figure Masters (open to anyone over age 35) and Figure Short (classes are based on height, not weight). Her outstanding showing has qualified her for the provincials in the fall and a repeat performance there will qualify her for the nationals.
But while she enjoys the personal sense of accomplishment from competition, she is quick to point out that the most important benefits are the ones she feels everyday thanks to a regular routine of fitness and nutrition under the guidance of experienced and committed trainers. She can continue to enjoy her greatest passion without suffering for it.
“I feel better, I look better,” she said. “It’s easier to dance because my joints and everything just feels good and I’m less likely to have an injury.”
