Get to know the CrossFit FYP coaches
Renée-Claude Rioux: Owner/Head Coach
Renée graduated from University Laval in Quebec with her Kinesiology degree in 2009. Since then she has dedicated her life to working in the fitness industry. She worked for the Canadian Forces as a fitness instructor for over five years, training military for special unit task and fitness test.
At the time, she was playing elite level soccer and training for several races (5K-10K- 21.1K).
Renée officially started coaching CrossFit in 2014, after practicing the sport for over 2 years. She completely fell in love and started to train hard to be able to compete at a high level. Renée qualified as an individual for the 2016 & 2017 Western Canada Regionals and finished in 18th place in Canada after the 2019 CrossFit Open.
She has her CrossFit Level 1 Certification and CrossFit Gymnastics course.
With 10 years of personal and group coaching experience, a running and gymnastics background, she has a deep desire to inspire and help everyone that is ready to get after their goals.
David Coulombe: Owner/Coach
David has always been a very talented athlete. He started really young training for speed skating before switching to soccer, which turned out to be very successful for him.
He played at a very high level (D1 under 15) in France, then with the most elite club of the region of Quebec for over 8 years. He also coached young talented athletes for over 7 years.
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Later, he needed a bigger challenge and started to get into running and took part in several races in the province. Since then, he completed 11 marathons (42.2K) and has discovered a real passion for endurance sports.
He now competes in triathlons and started training for his first IronMan next year. David is a very motivated hard worker with a powerful mindset.
No one can take him away from his goal.
Leesa Schlenker: Coach
As a ‘try it all’ type of athlete growing up Leesa fell in love with pushing the limits of her fitness. She competed in many sports growing up, but strength training and time in the gym is what she looked forward to every day.
From this passion she chose to pursue a degree in Kinesiology, specializing in health and exercise physiology, with a keen interest in strength and conditioning.
Throughout her schooling and over 7 years of coaching experience, Leesa has been a strength coach for multiple university sports teams, elite hockey teams, worked with aspiring speed skating and alpine Olympians, and has helped everyday athletes move towards their own goals.
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Leesa’s passion for fitness development has seen her pursue her own strength and fitness goals across many domains. From distance running to olympic-style weightlifting, athletic development, and road/mountain biking, she has always looked for new ways to test and improve her fitness, seeking new opportunities to challenge herself.
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All this led her to join CrossFit, a challenge she’s never looked back from. Leesa fell in love with the culture of continuous improvement and drive to be better every single workout. She is inspired daily by each person who walks into the gym and they challenge her to continue to seek the best version of herself.
Leesa is committed to helping you step out of your comfort zone and really see what you're capable of!
Liz Blackburn: Coach
Throughout her life Liz has always been an active person, participating in all kinds of sports including soccer, snowboarding, dirt biking, hiking, etc. At the time, she attended the gym often but her results weren’t progressing and quickly hit a plateau. Having a previous desk job has caused her to always struggle with back pain and other compensation patterns. After years of training in CrossFit, she can confidently say that it has incredibly benefited her by relieving back pain and teaching the correct movement patterns. Now, Liz can fully enjoy her favourite hobbies and activities, pain free! CrossFit has changed her life mentally, emotionally & physically.
Liz started CrossFit in 2014. She knew right away that she was hooked and only a few months later she felt a strong desire to become a coach. She then took her Level 1 and Level 2 CrossFit Course Certification. Her biggest motivation is seeing members progress and watching them achieve something they never thought they could do!
Since becoming a CrossFit coach, Liz felt an even stronger desire to push her understanding of the human body and learn how to correct muscle imbalances. She completed the Registered Massage Therapy program in 2019 and is now using the extent of her knowledge as an RMT to even further coach the client’s in the gym!
Liz is always amazed to notice the progress everyone has made and the friendly & welcoming vibe you get as you walk through the doors. She encourages everyone to give CrossFit a shot, no matter what your goal is, your age, or that you have never been to a gym before– there is something for everyone!
Come embrace the community, make new friends, get a little sweaty and change your life forever!
Kaylie Hadley: Coach
Kaylie has always been very active. By the time she was twelve she was already a top tennis player in the province of Ontario. She went on to play varsity tennis at the University of Toronto as well as varsity badminton at Ryerson University. All that while coaching tennis to kids in the Toronto area.
Kaylie’s competitive nature and drive for healthy living lead her to many other sports over the years including gymnastics, Brazilian Jujitsu, field hockey, volleyball and golf.
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In 2018 Kaylie began her journey into body building with the goal to train towards a physique competition which she completed in 2019.
Looking for a more sustainable fitness path, Kaylie tried CrossFit and was instantly hooked! She loves that in CrossFit there is always a new skill to learn or a lift to improve on, all while having a great support group around you.
In 2020 she completed her CrossFit Level 1 Certification with the goal to help others succeed in their fitness journey. Kaylie is committed to bringing a positive outlook to every class and helping you become the happiest and healthiest version of you!
Michelle Dumaine: Coach
Michelle grew up as competitive trampolinist and started coaching gymnastics when she was 15.
While attending SFU to become a school teacher, she completed her group fitness certification through Canadian Fitness Education Services. She taught bootcamp, TRX and aerobic classes before discovering CrossFit.
She instantly fell in love with the sport and began coaching in 2015 after taking her Level One CrossFit Certification. Michelle is passionate about making higher level gymnastics movements accessible and enjoyable for everyone!
As a mom of twin toddlers, Michelle enjoys coaching athletes of all different levels, experiences, and limitations. Differentiated instruction is very important to her as a coach. She is committed to helping each athlete that enters the gym find their perfect level. To her, giving athletes the knowledge and tools required to find the perfect progression not only keeps them safe, but pushes their fitness to the next level.
Challenging yourself with the support of an awesome community is what CrossFit is all about and why Michelle loves spending her time at the gym!