This week’s Sports with Stranger heads to the gym with Host Darryl Stranger and an online coach.
Evan Ramsey, better known as Nish coach Evan, is a certified fitness instructor from the Chippewas of Georgina Island in Ontario.
“I got the basics down to work in one of the big box gyms,” Ramsey of his first experience as a fitness instructor, “and so I did that for a bit, but the way they did business was not where I was aligned with.
“So, when I had that option, I was like I want to do an online business and it was when the pandemic hit. It was like weird enough kind of motivation to build a business so that I can help people across Canada, the U.S., (and) a couple of people that are in Europe.”
The trend towards working out online opened a new fitness world for Ramsey.
“Not everyone has got a full-blown gym in their building or in their home or even a community club,” Ramsey said.
“I just want to highlight that you don’t have to have all the fancy gadgets to get a good workout that over time you’ll see changes in a positive direction.”
When asked if he would consider opening his own gym, Ramsey said not right now.
“I wouldn’t say no to opening a club or a gym, but it would be something down the road,” he said.
“The reason is I truly love the online atmosphere and how I do it presently and where I plan to go with it.”
Being an Indigenous person, Ramsey knows accessibility is an issue for fitness facilities and working out.
He said it gives him the best chance to give back to his community and others.
“It’s something I take pride in as an Indigenous man to be in the fitness and nutrition coach sphere.,” he said.
“But I like thinking that accessibility is kind of a huge driver, and especially for me to be able to give back to our community, or our people just in general, that accessibility component is a requirement for me at the moment.”
