In this first episode of Teachings In The Air, we talk to the I·SPARC FitNation team about the benefits of being physically active. We had a chance to catch up with FitNation at their first Spring Leaders Training in Richmond, BC back in April. During our visit, we recorded interviews and learned about the connections between physical fitness and mental health - and how easy it is to get started. One of the key features of the FitNation program is that anyone can do it - and you don't even need a gym!
The Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity & Recreation Council (BC) is committed to inspiring Indigenous people in BC to Move, Play and Compete.
I·SPARC was established as a collaborative community health and social development initiative of the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres, First Nations Health Council and the Métis Nation BC. I·SPARC, through the sum of its actions, will create responsive and enduring sport, recreation and physical activity programs for Indigenous people across BC, which will result in healthier, more active individuals, families and communities.
On the show, we interview the following FitNation leaders:
Robynne Edgar is the Director of Healthy Living for ISPARC - we had a chance to speak with her to find out more about FitNation and other Healthy Living programs.
Dwayne Roberts is a Nike Sparq trainer, he met the ISPARC team at the N7 summit in Portland and worked closely with ISPARC to create FitNation.
Michelle Webster became a FitNation leader in 2014 and has never looked back. As the inventor of the famous FitNation freeze tag, Michelle continues to inspire youth in community as the regional coordinator for the Interior for ISPARC, and she's also acted as the head coach for the North American Indigenous Games girls softball team at the 2014 and 2017 NAIG.
Daniel Young-Mercer was originally trained as a FitNation leader back in 2013 for his community and now serves as the Provincial Coordinator of Physical Activity, Training and Development for ISPARC.
Tish Diamond has been one of the co-Master facilitators of FitNation since it’s inception in 2012.
Cole Sankey is one of the newest FitNation leaders being trained during our visit. We were lucky enough to catch up with Cole during his FitNation leader training to find out his thoughts on Indigenous youth wellness.
We had a blast meeting all the trainers, and even shot some video footage while we were at the training session. Be sure to find us on social media to see what we made! And if you'd like to learn more about I·SPARC, you can visit their website at www.isparc.ca, or sign up for their emails here:
http://isparc.ca/join-mailing-list