Renee is an amazing model of consistency, dedication, and patience. Not only does she demonstrate this with her commitment to her health and fitness, but also in her home, raising her two children. 

I had always really been into fitness but when I became an adult then it sort of began. My husband got me started and interested in the gym and teaching me different things. I was never athletic by any means or really interested in sports other than the social aspect and I certainly wasn’t that good at them. But I knew that when I was playing sports or exercising I just generally felt better and better about myself. I wanted to feel good and to feel confident, not necessarily “thin”.

Yet, Renee’s consistency has allowed her to remain fit and healthy over the years; taking care of herself while caring for her amazing daughter Jessica, who required special needs. 

My husband and I have always tried to be conscientious about healthy living and healthy eating. We would make a schedule of when each of us could go to the gym and make time for ourselves so that we could feel better physically and mentally. I want to be a good role model for my daughter and I can’t tell her exercise or eating healthy is good for her if I am not doing it myself. 

How can we teach our children the importance of health if we aren’t demonstrating it ourselves? 

We also want to be able to do enjoyable fun things when we retire and being as fit as possible into our later years is important for us. We love to travel and to do that you need decent health and physical ability to really see and enjoy your travels. Want to prevent as many ailments and diseases as possible to enjoy the later years. As a nurse, I want to be healthy to do my job, and seeing patients who unfortunately haven’t taken care of themselves is a reminder that I want to do what is in my control to stay healthy. 

If you struggle with staying active find what makes you happy and what works for you. It might not have to be something difficult; even walking. Setting goals can really help as well, and they don’t have to be big! Small goals that are attainable will motivate you to carry on and do something more. Exercise will make you feel better! And it does -  every mental health ailment should have exercise as a treatment because I believe it’s that important to do something that moves you/them. 

Renee’s dedication to herself isn’t overwhelming but is enough to keep her healthy inside and out.

My goal is always to exercise at least 3 days a week. Possibly 4, and sometimes it’s only once, but I know that I always feel better when I do. 

I also quit going on the scale. Instead, I go with how my clothes fit. If something gets tighter or snug I pay more attention to my habits. (This has helped Renee remain the same weight/size for nearly 20 years! ...Told you she was inspiring!). 

For Renee, it can be a challenge to take “me time”, but she knows how vital it is to help build her patience, to strengthen herself mentally, and to stay strong and healthy to be an advocate for her daughter. She encourages other women to find that time for themselves, too. 

Do what you can do and have fun with it. It’s not as intimidating as you think it will be, and finding a group that you can relate to and feel comfortable with really helps keep you to keep showing up. 

Renee has even remained patient and dedicated despite a shoulder injury over the last year when many others would have given up or let it be an excuse or hindrance. 

It’s been a frustration, and it has really given me insight on people with serious injuries. When I think of the difficulties of someone overcoming challenging injuries and accidents; I just think wow - they really have overcome so much. It is amazing to see people persevere. I don’t want to give up because I want to be able to get back to where I was, as long as I keep working at it and be patient. (Patience… ahh!)

At the beginning of my injury, I don’t really think I took it seriously enough. I kept pushing myself and I wasn’t taking time to focus on myself and healing it. I sort of let work be my excuse as to why I didn’t have time to heal it. Once I started losing mobility I realized how important injury recovery is. I took physiotherapy again and took it more seriously and diligently the second time. My goal is to be able to do normal things once we can do that again. So, I continue to attend fitness classes and substitute exercises and modify when I need to. I don’t ever feel pressured to have to do what others are doing - I can modify and do other exercises as an alternative and know that this will help my recovery. 

I think you’ll agree with us… Renee really is inspiring, dedicated, wise, and patient. Her final words with us? 

I’m a middle child - I’ve always been resilient and tried to get along with people. I don’t see or focus on faults in people. Having my daughter with special needs, my priorities were always so focused on caring for people that we just didn’t have time to focus on material things. I don’t let the little things get me down because there are so many things that are or could be worse. My daughter shows me this all the time by being so positive and uplifting in any environment - she can light up any room. 

We are certain that Renee’s dedication to herself and her health has allowed her to be a strong, supportive, and present caregiver for her family and her patients. We are honoured to celebrate Renee on National Women’s Day (week)!