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”I dropped out of Phys Ed in school as soon as I could. As a kid, I was always the last person chosen for the ball team, etc. (at least this is how I remember it!).”

Now, at 51, Susan Arnison’s views on fitness have evolved: “I realized how important it is, even for daily activities and general quality of life. I also have some nagging injuries that flare up and impede my progress. I want to be confident that I can do fun, outdoor stuff with my friends without struggling to keep up or hold everyone back.”

”I like doing weights and struggle to do cardio. I belong to a fitness centre, which is close to my house, so I pretty much have to drive by it several times a day. I generally do my workouts in the evening because that is when I have the most time.”

Susan hired One On One Fitness trainer Aletha Nuttall to help her maximize her results. For Susan, the most rewarding aspect of working with a trainer has been learning what to do, and how to progress without being injured. Plus, “Aletha is fun to talk to, and I look forward to our sessions.”

“Everyone has been very supportive. Both my daughters are fit and athletic, and we sometimes go to the gym together, which is fun. We laughed the day one of them asked me for some training advice—a big role reversal, for sure!”

Nutrition can be tricky: “I have a rare form of colitis and as a result have dietary intolerances to dairy, gluten, and soy. I mostly eat meat and rice (and chocolate!). Eating enough of the right foods is an issue for me. For breakfast I usually have hot rice cereal with peanut butter and applesauce mixed in. Lunch is often a bowl of chili or egg salad and a banana or an apple. When I have a meal for dinner it will be meat, usually chicken, with rice or potatoes and a salad or vegetables. I have been experimenting with different types of legumes and curries lately and am enjoying this. From One On One I have learned a lot about increasing the variety of food that I eat and the importance of healthy snacks, which I now try to include in my diet.”

Occasionally, Susan falls off track with healthy eating or exercise. She says, “It may take me a few days to talk myself back into healthy eating, but once I’ve had a few good days, I’m motivated to keep it up. I also know I feel better when I eat better and exercise, so that is also motivating.”

If you’re struggling with your fitness, Susan suggests that you get some help in understanding what to do and make a plan in advance. “One of the best things for me has been to learn about what to do at the gym, and now I feel comfortable, and not intimidated, to go to a new gym when I’m travelling or away from home. Fitness has become a part of my routine and just something I do, not something I have to decide to do each time I go.”

Susan’s Olympic Torch Relay Experience

Last fall I was offered the opportunity to participate in the Olympic Torch Relay. GE is a major sponsor of the Olympics, and as part of their customer appreciation program I was able to participate in the relay, along with several GE employees from other parts of Canada.

To practice, I ran on the treadmill holding a five-pound weight (to simulate the torch) a few times just to make sure I could go the 300-metre distance! I was well aware of how odd this looked at the gym!

On January 19, 2010, I ran with the torch in Chestermere. While I was excited about the opportunity and looking forward to the day, I had no idea how much fun it would be! The week before the run, I scouted the location and learned that my 300-metre segment was uphill! My portion of the run was near a school, so on the day of the run the street was lined with excited, cheering kids. As well, the torch relay committee did a great job of creating excitement among the spectators. After the run itself, I joined the community celebration and spent an hour or so with the crowd. Both kids and adults wanted pictures of themselves with the torch and the torchbearers and some of the kids even asked for autographs! I think we encouraged some future Olympians that day.

Even more unexpected, though, was the fun and excitement created by sharing the torch with others in the days after the run, including some of the staff and clients at One On One. A few weeks after the run, I travelled with the torch to a GE conference near Ottawa to share the experience once more. With four other torchbearers from across Canada, we were asked to tell our stories about the experience of being a torchbearer to a GE corporate group as part of their company’s Olympic-themed marketing program. The evening was a success, and I understand that the audience was inspired by our emotional stories. I have also been asked to lend the torch to a Calgary company for an upcoming Olympic staff event, so the fun isn’t over yet!

Editor’s note: Like many reader’s, I thought that Olympic torchbearers passed the one and only Olympic torch from the beginning to the end of the chain, stretching from one end of the country to the other,(much as a baton is passed from one runner to the next in a relay race). It was a surprise to learn that there is more than one torch and that torchbearers can keep their torch.