Forward Friday is A New Story about Unsung Heroes. Truly it is a noble way to live that we can positively affect the lives of the people with no fanfare, no marching bands.. We just do what we do because it matters. Here’s to the many who make a difference where they are every day.
Today, we profile the Kettlebell Club with Coach Louka & Coach Matt, an amazing team who are coaches to many people looking to transform their bodies and outlook here in the West Island area of Montreal.
When most of the news has got us fatigued, here’s another true blue human interest stories about regular everyday unsung heroes! Incredible people who are making differences in the lives of so many!
I am very proud to shine the light on 2 incredible men, Louka Kurcer and Mathieu Goyer, coaches at Kettlebell Club in Montreal. These coaches are helping transform people, young and old, athlete or first timers, healthy or injured, guys and gals to become healthier, fitter, stronger and more mobile. #StrongFirst
It’s interesting when I think of unsung heroes, I drove past their storefront gym many times and didn’t even know where it was until I called for an assessment.
Their insertion into the story begins in a moment….
So to give some context, weight and the struggle with losing has been a battle for me for most of my life.
I can remember my parents buying me pants that were actually called “Stocky” and even though I didn’t know exactly what the word meant at the time, I knew I just couldn’t wear regular fitting jeans or pants.
In high school, I was always the nice guy; somewhat overweight but active and fun to be around. I wasn’t particularly fond of myself to be honest.
But in the summer of getting ready for grade 11, I wanted to make the varsity basketball team that fall so I worked my derriere off to get into the best shape to try and make the team.
I got down to 191 lbs and although I didn’t make the team, that year was the smallest I had ever been since being a kid.
Then, post high school, I had 3 back operations over 18 months and without realizing it, the weight slowly started to pack on.
After I was completely recovered, I was still as active as ever but, those pounds didn’t come off.
Tried at various times all sorts of methods to try and lose but it was very yo-yo like.
Fast-forward to 2003, I had ballooned up to 270 lbs. In the beginning of 2004, had an epiphany while speaking at a conference in Toronto that I needed to change.
Over the course of 2 years, I lost 50 lbs… Felt great and to always remember why I couldn’t go back to the way I was, I was in one of the local grocers one day and picked up a 50 lb sack of potatoes and held it for 10 minutes.
I remember thinking, “This is what I had on me for so long!” Pretty revealing moment.
But, I could never break the ceiling or floor of 220 lbs. Tried as I might, nothing was working.
In 2012, my former intern walked into my birthday party luncheon and had lost 15 plus lbs! We used to work out together so I know how hard she worked and nothing was working but here she was and after talking, I realized to get to the next level, I had to make further changes and we did.
So, we got down to 195 lbs that fall and it was pretty cool to be where I was years earlier as a teenager although my eating habits then were awful compared to the new changes I had been making.
Then the injuries: unless one has had a serious injury of some sort, it is hard to describe the feelings of, “Can I do what I did before?”, “Will I heal well?” etc….
In 2015 and again in 2017, I had to 2 pretty significant knee injuries and to some degree, there are a few things that are not as easy to do before the injuries but I have always pushed to give my best. Still playing hockey, refereeing, softball, curling, no wait, no curling… That was a typo!
Then in December 2018, I separated my shoulder.
Man, I forgot what kind of pain that was like. I had separated my left shoulder when I was 18 years old but I don’t remember the pain like this injury.
While I was trying to remain active, I noticed that I shied away from working out as much as I had in the past. Its one thing to play a sport, bike, be active but it’s quite another to push the body work out wise and of course, the weight was slowly ticking up to 220 lbs again.
Fast forward to June 2020; amidst the pandemic, I had been working out at home which was spurred on by a trip to Orlando to see my best friend, Dale. I had seen how he had been transforming his body over a period of a year. I worked out 2 days at his gym while there and realized that I could do more than I had been pushing myself to do.
So when I got home, I did these video workouts but, there was little or no change that I could see.
Save the fact that I knew my mind was now in the game for change; just knew I needed the right vehicle.
Enter Kettlebell Club.
One evening on my phone, I saw this ad that said that this club was looking for 20 men to get fitter and healthier. I won’t say it screamed out at me but it sure caught my attention. So I started to fill out the questionnaire but somehow, it took a dive into file 13 of the web.
Was disappointed as I couldn’t find the ad again that night.
The next evening, I was on my computer and lo and behold, the same ad came up!
I made sure I filled out the info and sent it off.
2 days later, Coach Louka called me and we talked for 30 minutes. I had a 100 questions and more but I knew this was it!
2 days later, I went for my assessment and started training the very next day.
To say I was intimidated at first was an understatement. I was watching mothers, a grandmother, people who looked like they never saw a weight in their life dead lifting 100 plus lbs plus all the other movements that Kettlebell puts one through and I thought that I was out of my league.
Until…. Louka said, not to worry, we’ll learn all the basic elements first and once you master the elements, you’ll be able to handle the weights, movements etc.
And that was it! Finally in a place where the coaches are concerned about every client; their strengths, weaknesses, injuries, abilities and possibilities.
Over the next 6 weeks, I saw a transformation in me; not only in my body but most importantly in my mind again that I was capable to perform at a high level while taking into consideration my injury but not letting it become an excuse.
(Notice the very flat feet)
Louka and Matt take the time to make sure every client uses correct form, posture so injury is minimized but gets to know their clients so well that they have this uncanny understanding when to push us because we can handle more.
One thing one may or may not want to hear from Coach Louka or Matt is; “How comfortable or what’s your level of effort when doing this exercise or movement?” That basically means, the degree of difficulty is going up!!!! But almost to a person, we love it.
It is more than a gym; they are concerned about nutrition, sleep patterns, having fun, enjoying what we do so we are fitter, healthier, well rounded as people as we attain and reach for goals that we set.
Kelly and I dramatically shifted our eating habits in June as we had been talking about more changes we needed to be making which are a huge part of any body transformation.
Coach Louka and Matt were asking how we ate and what we were eating and when I brought the list in of what we had been doing for the previous month plus, he was very pleased…
I guess some people do not correlate what we eat with seeing real change in our bodies when we are working out, trying to get fitter, healthier etc.
The coaches make sure they cover the bases and they have excellent nutritional resources too.
Coach Matt said to me when I was going to weigh in, be content with losing inches too because you are gaining muscle so the scale is not the only indicator of change.
To that end, I’ve lost 6 lbs so far which is only the beginning but I’ve lost a whole lot of inches and 9 of the 11 pairs of pants that were very uncomfortable in April all fit real well now and there are only 2 pairs left that are okay but we are on the way!!!
I salute Coach Louka and Matt not because they asked for this shout out or even wanted it but think of it; here I was for months looking for something that would energize me for change and I would drive past by their gym constantly.
They even have a huge swing set in the parking lot with the moniker on it and I didn’t even see it.
Yet, if you ask the teenagers, the adults of all range and ages if Kettlebell club is making a difference in their lives, they’ll undoubtedly say a resounding Yes!
So I’m home now working out with the home programs that Coach Louka provided.
While I miss the comradery, the voice of Coach Matt in my ear live (I still hear him though), I still get a good sweat on and what’s great about Kettlebell club is that it is always expandable.
I even am able to go in every once in a while for a refresher or techniques tip drill.
You may feel like you couldn’t handle this; there are some women at Kettlebell who look like they couldn’t do much but when the timer starts, they can crush it!
There are some senior men who could put some young folks to shame so..
Leadership is everything in every facet of life and I am glad that I made the call and found Kettlebell club; an unassuming place from the outside but with world class results for anyone who decides to crossover to the inside!
Thank you Coach Louka and Coach Matt for being who you are, sharing your skills, talents and expertise but even better than that caring about each and everyone who comes to Kettlebell so that they can begin the road to reach their potential!
Unsung Heroes worth getting excited about!
Dave
#ForwardFriday #Kettlebellclub #HardWorkGoodWork #KettlebellStrong #StrongFirst #UnsungHeroes #CommunityIsBetterBecauseTheyAreInIt #DoingWhatTheyDo #Grateful #NoFanFare #NoMarchingBand #NeededAndValued #Blog #Speaker #Unassuming #ItIsWhatTheyDo #WeNeedThem #Unassuming #Care #Effort #Talent #Skillset
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