Client Stories
Bruce's Story
Bruce began his personal training journey at the age of 77 when he began working out with me at Goodlife Fitness. He would become a well known and loved gym member, working out 3 times a week and rarely missing a session. If you were at Goodlife Fitness Orangeville between 2017 and 2020 you might have seen Bruce walking around with his cane and rocking his honorary bright red Goodlife Personal Trainer t-shirt. Bruce loved a free t-shirt almost as much as he loved a good joke.
When the gym shut down in 2020, Bruce wouldn't be held back, and we quickly came up with a plan to meet outside his residence when the weather was good, and on Zoom during the periods visitors were not allowed inside the building. If you were around Chartwell Residence between 2020 and 2025 you might have seen Bruce ripping around the paths on his tricycle - his preferred mode of transportation that he proudly loved to tell people, "is on loan to me from my grandson", whenever he got a compliment on it, which was fairly frequently. Bruce was an inspiration to all who crossed his path, inspiring other residents to become more active too.
Bruce had many things working against him - Parkinson Disease and double vision to name a few. Eventually he traded his cane for a walker, but stayed strong in his belief that the best way not to "lose it" was to "use it".
​
During our time together we lifted weights and practiced vital life skills - such as billiards and being able to get up and down from the floor. Bruce maintained his ability to get himself off the floor independently until a few months before his death at the age of 84, a skill he used often as his Parkinson's progressed and falls inevitably increased.
​
Legend has it his physios were blown away by his sit-to-stands during his brief stay at Headwaters Healthcare Centre where he passed away on February 13th, 2025, a few weeks before his 85th birthday.
​
Bruce is a testament to what is possible as we age, with a little consistency and hard work. Thanks for all the laughs, my friend.
- Erica