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Dance4Life

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Ray

(RayJ)
Male, 52 Years Old
London, Ontario
Canada

Qualified To Teach

Woo Hoo, finally, learning the new chorey, LOOK OUT we will rock the house!!!! Again and again and again!!!!

SUBBED & SPECIAL CLASSES

OOOOps, bought new pedals and shoes for my bicycle. Got caught up and fell on my elbow. Cannot do triceps or biceps so I am subbing out my classes for a couple of days to recover. Crazy Carol is too funny and looking forward to my new set of wheels!!!!

Quick Update: Bursitis with a serious infection. Treated aggresively with drugs. Been 3 day and appears to be working. The massive swelling is down so that is good. All Pump classes have been subbed but Step classes will now resume as normal so adjust your workout upward!!!!!

Are you ready for this, I was hit by a car while cycling on Friday. This time I am really banged up and scraped on the right side. Landed on pavement on my shoulder and side at 40 kph. That hurts, looks like more subbing for a bit.....

WOO HOO back to teaching all my classes and back to full weights by next week!!!!! Really hope that some day I find the driver of that car!!!!

REGULAR CLASS TIMES AND LOCATIONS

BodyPump Mondays at 615 am at Windermere - CANCELLED NOBODY WANTS TO PUMP ON MONDAYS AT THIS TIME
BodyPump Wednesdays at 615 am at Sherwood -
BodyStep Wednesdays at 515 pm at Windermere -
BodyStep Thursdays at 430 pm at Palasad -
BodyPump Friday at 615 am at Argyle -

RELEASE CLASSES

BodyStep 73 Monday 20 Oct 530 pm at Palasad
BodyStep 73 Tuesday 21 Oct 530 pm at Sandringham
BodyStep 73 Wednesday 22 Oct 515 pm at Windermere
BodyStep 73 Saturday 25 Oct 9 am at Sherwood
BodyPump 67 Sunday 26 Oct 930 am at Palasad

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Over the years I have been involved in many different sports and many different activities to get or stay in good physical condition. The only activities that I can say have truly worked are the Les Mills programs. For me, Body Step is my passion and Body Pump is my second passion. Teaching these wonderful classes has taken me to a whole new level of fitness. I also enjoy Body Flow (Balance) and RPM. Who knows, one day I may teach these programs as well. My only disappointment is that I found these programs so late in life, but thank goodness I found them, or they found me!

In January 1976 I suffered a catastrophic knee injury while skiing. I spent many weeks in hospital, then wheelchairs then crutches and physio. It was a year before I could go back to work and school. The Orthopedic surgeon who performed the surgeries (five in total) stressed that I had to keep the muscles around the leg very strong in order for me to walk somewhat normally and that I could be looking at knee replacements by the time I turn 50. He went on to say that he was pleased to see that I was able to use the leg as they were close to amputating when they opened the knee and saw the damage.

I tried many sports including long distance cycling to keep the knee strong. Countless hours were spent weightlifting to keep it strong. It was never really great and I often walked with a limp or had a great deal of pain in the knee. I became very busy and for a number of years ignored fitness and lived on Advil.

In 1996 I started to put on weight and blossomed from my usual 165 to over 200 lbs. That was when the knee problems started back with a vengeance. In 1998 I decided enough was enough and enrolled in my local gym. For three years I attended faithfully, running on the treadmill and lifting weights. With this newfound fitness I decided I should be eating more. So, on September 9, 2001 I joined GoodLife Fitness in London at the tender weight of 245 lbs.

As we got to know people at the gym they suggested we try the classes. My wife tried Flow (Balance) and dragged me out; I enjoyed the class and attended when I could. She then tried Pump and dragged me out. I immediately fell in love with Pump and was hooked. We got to know one of the step instructors and she talked my wife into trying a class. She loved it; she tried to drag me out, no way. The usual excuses, no coordination, I will look stupid yada yada yada… Finally I gave in, the rest is History.

By attending the Les Mills classes, the support of GoodLife Instructors & Staff, and with a lot of help from Weight Watchers (a portion is what????) I was able to lose and keep off 65 pounds. My wife had similar results.

Thanks to BodyStep, Pump, Flow and the many dedicated instructors and trainers my life is changed forever and will be much longer because of it. I have dropped fifteen years in my real age and if it weren’t for the scar I would say what knee injury!

Thank you Les Mills and GoodLife Fitness

Messages

Showing 1 to 11 of 680

Susan (PUMPER48)	Wow Ray - OMG! Haven't checked your profile in a while and just read about your accident(s)!!! Glad to see you are back in the gym -- you are unstoppable! You make me proud to be a Canadian! Take care. Susan
	05 Oct 2008 12:11

Annette	Hello Ray! I very much enjoyed reading your profile. I just had shoulder surgery last week and have been feeling a little sad. It is hard staying out of the gym! It is also hard being in pain. I have started PT and am coming along. One handed typing takes a little longer than my regular sloooow typing :o) Your amazing recovery is inspiring! Have a terrific weekend! Smiles, Annette
	03 Oct 2008 03:14

Carine

Hey,

Shall I share a secret with you..
When I was about 18 (looooong time ago) I followed a course on dance gymnastics.Our teacher ,Leah Daen , was 70 years old and all my muscles ached . I followed drama school for 4 years to find out that at the end when people around you die because of cancer,motor neuron desease ,there is little to say in theatre...but so much more in alla the LM BTS classes !! I found my heart and soul in RPM an Balance...grasp what you can getwhen it is on your path...it doe have a meaning..There is so much I want to tell people in my classes because they deserve it as much as I did when I needed it....follow your instict buddy !that's the only way !!

regrdz,
Carine

02 Oct 2008 12:48

Carine

Hi Ray,

We all have to go through those "bad " days hey , mate? Just to make us feel better afterwards..
I am struggling with an infection in my abdominals(afte 1 year hurray !!!) and can start recovering now.
If you visit Belgium , you can find me foor a good RPM class in Diepenbeek (HC) or bodybalance in Hasselt...

aaaannnnddd I do have family living in England (London area) ;-))

sporty grtz,
Carine

02 Oct 2008 12:41

Connie	Hope you feel better soon!!! :-)
	30 Sep 2008 11:44

Sarah

Hi there Ray,

Saw your bio and thought well i had to share my wee bike crash story.
It is so horrible being injured! I can't use my leg as its in a brace.
You know its inevitable - crashing -its part of bike riding.....
So heres hoping that you have a speedy recovery, I am hoping that i will be ok for RPM filming in 4-5 weeks time..... fingers crossed for me please.

Nice photos of my hubby and you by the way!

Sarah

29 Sep 2008 02:08

Susan O.	Hello Ray, I am just checking in on my brotha (got my boston accent on). How u? I hope you are healing well after your accidents. Good thing not more serious. Please take care. SusanO.
	28 Sep 2008 07:26

Jim Fehlig	Ray, I'm glad you enjoyed my anthology of Les Mills. Absolutely! Please feel free to share our true history with whoever you like. It's good to meet another survivor! Jim
	27 Sep 2008 08:31

Steve	Hi Ray, thanks for the friend add! I hope you are well! I am having a week off training at the moment as I am in the US with work and am either working, entertaining or sleeping! Oh well, back to it next week - lots of sword swinging and lm classes.
	23 Sep 2008 07:20

Jenell

Hey, Ray!:-) Nice to meet you and have you request to be a friend! As you can see from my avatar, I'm a cyclist, too, but have, so far (knock on wood!), been lucky enough to avoid any major crashes or collisions. I have had many bumps and bruises from the times when I decide to be a bit more daring and head off-road on the mountain bike, but still nothing major. I hope you get well soon!! Your story is very inspirational! I, too, lost a lot of weight, fat, and inches through Les Mills (about 40 lbs), going from a size 12 (almost 14) to a size 2 (American dress sizes). Also like you, I came into the Les Mills programs as an active, fit person (triathlete), who just needed that extra push and motivation to send me to the next level. BodyPump and RPM certainly did the trick!! I was in the first group of instructors at my home gyms (Gold's Gym clubs in Austin, TX) to launch the BodyAttack program in our area. It's been great!!:-) Next year, I hope to add RPM to my instructing repertoire of Pump and Attack. Just keep on ticking away!!

23 Sep 2008 05:59