Chelsea Raymond Full Bio
Raymond Fitness evolved out of the passion of the owner, me.
I've spent my entire life in the world of health and fitness. During my youth, I competed both recreationally and nationally in gymnastics, mountain biking and swimming.
During my teen years, I fell in love with the sport of rock climbing in which I competed internationally.
Exercise, whether consciously or subconsciously, has always played a significant role in my life.
During my middle and high school years I started teaching youth swimming lessons as well as private waterski lessons in Montreal, Quebec. I started coaching for a local youth climbing team as well and worked as a volunteer twice a week with kids and young teens for a local youth gymnastics club.
I always knew that I wanted to combine working with people and a love of sports.
After years of experiencing multiple sports on many levels, I entered the health sciences with a University Diploma in Human Kinetics, as well as obtained CSEP-CPT certifications. After graduation, I got my first personal training job (full time) with a well known north shore training facility, Innovative Fitness, in West Vancouver which lasted 3.5 years. This gave me the opportunity to expand my knowledge in many areas and experience many personal events I would have never imagined doing on my own.
Over the last 4 years, I have moved off on my own, and continued to build a strong base of clients and found myself working with a variety of people: teen athletes, active adults, elderly, competitive athletes, and simply those on a journey to improve their quality of life through fitness.
My ambition is truly to help each individual discover their inner strengths and help them to bring out the best in themselves.
Many ask, how did I get involved in the sport of triathlon? Well, its quite simple. When I was 20, I had been telling myself and those around me I wanted to compete in a triathlon (which I had been telling myself for close to 5 years) while never knowing how to even begin. Having never actually been on a road bike, and knowing absolutely nothing about the whole transition process or what was actually involved in training for one, yet alone race in one, little did I know I was about to journey onto a whole new chapter of my life. It was my first day ever working as a personal trainer for IF, when my manager, Chris, called me into his office and asked me what goal I had in mind that I wanted to achieve. I would have never imagined that at that moment, my life would change for the better. Signed up on that same day, with 4 months to figure it all out with the support of the other trainers, I was led through my first ever, Olympic distance Triathlon, in Crescent Beach, Vancouver. I can’t even explain the feeling of crossing that finish line that beautiful sunny day. The hard work, commitment, dedication, the ups and downs of struggles along the way, the focus on nutrition, the butterflies that almost took over during that morning of the race, the continual motivation and support I had the whole way through from start to the finish so not to give up... It was honestly a dream come true. I couldn’t have found a better sport to push me to my limits and couldn’t have done it without the support of my co-workers and clients!”
Immediately falling in love with the sport of triathlon; the challenge and the atmosphere, I have now been a member of the Canadian AG Triathlon Team, and had the opportunity to represent my country for the past 6 years, completing 5 World Triathlon Championships, achieving some of my best victories with a 12th place finish in Budapest, 2010, 3rd place finish in Beijing, China in 2011, 21st in London, England in 2013, and recently finishing in 7th in Edmonton, Alberta in 2014.
It is my strongest belief that if you can put your mind to something, anything is possible and attainable with the proper steps, support, and discipline. No matter what the goal may be; staying healthy and fit, hiking up that everlasting hill, getting on a bike for the first time, or travelling across the country to climb that mountain, anything is achievable and I want to be that person to help you achieve something great, something you have always struggled with and not known where to take the first steps to even begin. I will proudly lead you from start to finish.
I believe that fitness is a way of life and should be a routine. I decided that I not only wanted to achieve my own goals, but furthermore help others to experience their challenges and victories as well.
The hardest step to achieving good health is getting started, and having a trainer provide you with guidance will be the key to your success.
I feel that it is my job in life to encourage people to take those steps necessary to lead a long and healthy life. And if you are looking to be involved in an event that you have always had hope of achieving, and don't know quite how to get there, I would love to help you take those steps, and lead you to victory! All you need to do is walk in the door.
