How 15 Years of Dreaming Became Reality

Wow! It has been a year since our first private personal training, fitness and rehabilitaition studio opened in North Vancouver.  We wouldn't have reached this far without the support of our clients, referral sources, colleagues, and blog readers. Thank you! While it took me 15 years, I held on to the dream of operating my own studio;  last year that dream culminated in a lot of hard work to become a reality.   My goal to open a personal training studio for people with disabilities, medical conditions and injuries began in 1999 when I worked with my first client who had a spinal cord injury.

I remember wandering around the Kerrisdale neighbourhood of Vancouver and spotting a dream location. The businesses in Kerrisdale have been around 20-40 years so I thought it would be a good place to begin. The trouble was that the realtor was selling the new building for $7 million dollars.  Did I have that amount of cash just fresh out of university? No! During that time, I thought I was ready for my own business.

Boy was I wrong!​

Instead of pursuing this further, I toiled away at a major gym for seven years to become one of their top Personal Trainers. My niche was rehabilitation.  In 2007, my gut told me it was time to pursue my dream.  At that time, I convinced the gym owners to renovate unused floor space into a treatment room to provide assessments and Fascial Stretch Therapy, as well as an office space as part of a strategic partnership for me to provide rehabilitation to members and non-members.  

This partnership dissolved in 2011 when the gym changed ownership.  Lifemoves operated out of several independent personal training studios until the end of 2014 when one of the owners decided to sell the business.  

We had the office area and treatment area already established on Pemberton, but no major gym equipment. Now was the time to find the financing and open my own studio! After three months of planning, organizing and renovating, the doors were officially opened on April 1st, 2015.

It has been a pleasure to have a real home for my business where I am able to provide the individualized service for our clients in an environment that is welcoming to all.

I'm looking forward to growing the business in this location as well as taking it to the next level in the digital space.

Thank you very much for your support and remember - never give up your dreams.  

Please watch the video above and subscribe to our YouTube Channel where will be providing more health, fitness and rehabilitation tips.

Sincerely,

Alfred Ball​

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