Hi

I’m Yana-The Cubicle Dweller who loves to run. After spending several years as a self-employed fitness entrepreneur and achieving major milestones, such as getting my first mortgage approved, I decided to pursue a corporate career. I wanted something which would also allow me to take part in fun activities after work, do more for charities, as well as learn more about business. As a personal trainer, I was putting in 60-80 hours a week and was really starting to feel burnt out. An injury in 2016 meant that I was no longer able to work as a personal trainer full-time in the gym.

Fortunately, with my Bachelor of Commerce Degree from the University of Victoria, as well as administration and purchasing experience with the Federal Government, I was able to get a great opportunity at Viking Air and I’m extremely grateful for that. I love what I do and equally love the team that I get to work with.

I’ve helped multiple clients achieve personal bests in nearly every running distance and have organized a number of run clinics for Viking Air and MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-op). I’m a nationally published fitness writer and my work has been seen in Canadian Running, Ageless Living and CVV Magazines to name a few. In addition to working a full-time corporate job, I’m also a Reserve Logistics Officer in the Canadian Armed Forces.

The beginning of my dream…..One day, I had just finished work and was doing my regular 10k lap around the Victoria airport, when the idea of Run4Dreams came into my head. The idea was to create a Virtual 5k race that inspires cubicle dwellers, who are runners and walkers of all levels, to be active, live a healthy lifestyle and give back to the community. All proceeds from Run4Dreams will be donated to Help Fill a Dream Foundation. I’m very passionate about utilizing technology to inspire other cubicle dwellers to #run4dreams. Encouraging workplace wellness improves morale, which increases productivity, which ultimately leads to higher revenues.

My goal with Run4Dreams is to encourage as many people as possible to participate, so that down the road I’m able to raise more money for charity. I knew that, in order to increase success of my charity run, I needed to learn more about digital marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), content promotion and social media. When I contacted Manny at Q Academy, he was extremely supportive of my idea and he has helped me create a solid plan. Utilizing technology, I’m learning how to inspire everyday people to #run4dreams and lead a healthier lifestyle. Manny and his team really know their stuff and I’m very excited to learn from the best. The Q Academy training will help me make an impact on my community in more ways than one.

Hopefully, you too will be inspired to use technology to help you be healthier and achieve work-life balance while giving back to the community. Follow this blog for running tips, wearable fitness technology reviews, and posts on corporate wellness.