As a Level 5 Personal Trainer, Giles Weeden understands the importance of living a healthy, active lifestyle. After spending 20 years as a Chartered Accountant in the United Kingdom, Giles relocated to British Columbia in 2012, joining the Team at GoodLife Kelowna Capri Centre soon after.
While living in the U.K., Giles, who had competed in sports throughout his life, caught the fitness bug, and he embarked into the world of CrossFit. He says that CrossFit opened his eyes to the capabilities of the body, and exposed him to a number of different training modalities. His commitment to improving his own life — and the lives of others —through fitness stems from his late father, who, at the hands of a debilitating illness, spent the last few years of his life in a wheelchair. Giles then recognized that he had a responsibility to help others improve the quality and longevity of their lives.
Naturally, Giles says that interacting with and helping people is his favourite part of being a Personal Trainer at GoodLife, something that also brought him joy in his past career as an accountant. A former Top-500 Associate, Giles has transferred that passion for assisting others to the GoodLife Kids Foundation, where he serves as an ambassador within his Club and community and is an active participant in Spin4Kids.
Giles’ association with the GoodLife Kids Foundation began shortly after joining the Team in Kelowna in 2012. The first few years, he enjoyed being a part of other Associates’ teams, taking part in the variety of challenges and festivities involved. In 2016, Giles organized his own team which participated in a local obstacle course event. They raised over $1,100 as a team that year, and the success pushed Giles to further his commitment to the foundation. In the following years, Giles worked to build a community spirit within his Club, and used powerlifting as a way to raise more money for the GoodLife Kids Foundation. Giles has competed in powerlifting since 2014, and by introducing others in his club to the sport, he and his Spin4Kids Team were able to compete in a team lifting event, raising money for the foundation in the process.
Giles says that though he has no children of his own, he understands the importance of regular activity for all children.
“I’ve seen the great impact that sport and activity can have on people’s lifestyles, especially those of children,” said Giles. “Not only does Spin4Kids support an incredibly worthy cause, it also brings likeminded people together and helps raise money and awareness for children with special needs. It is directly in line with my own personal mission to help people of all ages, shapes, and sizes, from children through to adults.”
GoodLife Kids Foundation Ambassadors like Giles are incredibly important to the success of events like Spin4Kids and made major contributions to the $920,000 raised through Spin4Kids in 2018. If you or someone you know is committed to breaking down barriers and helping kids with special needs get active, share your story for a chance to be featured!