Our Story
Hi! My name is Georgia
I’m the founder of Fitness First
I grew up in the small town of Waterdown, Ontario, for most of my childhood. I believe I started playing soccer the same year I started running. In high school, I played many sports, but soccer was the most competitive where I played at the elite level for the last 4 years before throwing in cleats to begin the next chapter.
I started going to the gym in high school, but I had no idea what I was doing. I mimicked what I saw in videos hoping for the best, amounting to a ton of cardio.
I moved to the Nation’s Capital in 2013 for my Pre-Health Sciences certification with the goal of applying for either the Fire Service program or the Primary Care Paramedic (PCP) program.
The PCP program won the coin toss and was challenging for me at first, both academically and physically. This challenge was a wake-up call for me. Whatever I was doing in the gym wasn’t working well for my strength, and it showed big time.
I was luckily introduced to CrossFit by one of my classmates, who quickly became my rock and very close friend during the two years we spent trucking through the program together.
She showed me how compound exercises, coupled with high intensity and varied movements, are a sure-fire recipe to build strength and cardiovascular capacity.
I was remarkably close to failing my first fitness test, but I scraped by thanks to training every day with these new modalities.
I used CrossFit as my preferred method of exercise for the last several years, but I have gone full circle and returned back to the weight room. This time with a passion for learning and experimenting with tried and true methods of strength, hypertrophy, and conditioning training for myself and my clients.
I am currently working as a full-time Primary Care Paramedic, an instructor for the PCP Lifting and Equipment course, and a coach at CrossFit Closer. I live with my soon-to-be husband, a fellow first responder, and Paisley, our 90lb lap dog.
Credentials
Primary Care Paramedic Diploma, Algonquin College
Pre-Health Sciences Certificate
CrossFit Level 2 Trainer Certificate
CrossFit Kids and Teens Certificate
Active Life Immersion Graduate
Pure Programming Graduate
Certified Conditioning Coach - in progress
Precision Nutrition Level 1 - in progress
OUR STORY
You might be thinking, why the heck is she starting a fitness coaching company on top of HER other jobs?
Well, I have always been intrigued by the idea of working for myself, mostly from watching my Dad do it my whole life. Since I can remember, he has been his own boss, which always made me very proud.
The idea came and went throughout my early adulthood. I forgot about it often while I was hard at work trying to become a Paramedic, finally working as one, and then juggling side jobs on top of everything else.
After three and a half years of working as a medic and coaching CrossFit, I was very content, but I always had this feeling something was missing...
Then, COVID-19 hit.
It was and continues to be a strange and uncertain time for the entire world, as much as it has become our new norm.
People have shown incredible generosity and gratitude to frontline workers and first responders during the lockdown, I often found myself wondering how I could give back.
Over time I’ve developed a great passion for all things health and wellness, so I decided to share that passion with others.
I was sitting at a base with my partner during our shift, and this idea popped into my head.
I could start a Facebook group to film at-home workouts for people to do, so they could keep moving while gyms around the world were shut down.
It was a hit! The idea took off, and the group grew quickly.
Quarantine Workouts served mainly colleagues and some friends and family. I posted 4-5 workouts a week with a video description of all movements programmed, each of them only requiring everyday household items. I outlined the strategy and stimulus for each workout, warm-up, and cool-down.
Four months went by, and gyms started re-opening.
Some group members asked if they could hire me as their trainer afterwards. I was extremely honoured and excited about this new opportunity. After hearing that, my gut feeling went directly to the vision of creating something of my own and following in my Dad’s footsteps.
What made it even more sentimental was that I had such a unique opportunity to continue serving those who risk their lives every shift.
Enter, Fitness F1rst.
After months of going through potential programs that I could offer, learning how to run a business, and becoming more comfortable with technology (definitely the hardest part), I am profoundly excited and proud to present the evolution of Fitness F1rst.
Created by and for first responders, who lack sleep and energy most days, miss most family holidays and deal with A LOT during their shifts.
We are committed to keeping first responders strong and injury-free - on and off the road.
Fitness First is a company whose mission is to ensure first responders feel strong, supported, and understood in their health and wellness journey.
We do this by providing quick, effective workouts that can be done in a basement or at a gym. We provide the option of 1-on-1 coaching to customize your workout regime to the specific goals, environment, and lifestyle you have. All memberships offer an initial movement assessment that is analyzed with feedback from myself - this ensures you start your new workout program with a safe lifting technique and help you reap the most gains out of your training.
Thanks for stopping by -- if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.