News and Stories

Maria is a fitness instructor, personal trainer and holistic nutritionist at H2O Adventure + Fitness Centre who is currently at home, practicing social distancing, in a larger effort to help our community fight this global pandemic.

In a time when nothing seems normal, seeing a familiar face and participating in a familiar activity can bring a sense of normalcy back to our lives when we need it most.

Just over a year ago, I suffered a terrible injury that left me in constant pain and unable to work my physical job at the young age of 28. I build houses and in an unfortunate accident fell off scaffolding on to concrete in such a way that damaged my back and hip. 

A year ago, my world was flipped upside down when my wife passed away unexpectedly due to complications from childbirth. Everyone was equally shocked and devasted by this turn of events and overnight, I became a newly single dad with a toddler and newborn baby.

Growing up, my family suffered greatly at the hands of my abusive and alcoholic father. My mother was a smart woman who had to methodically orchestrate our departure while my brother, sister and I were still young. After leaving she was free but was also a single mother with little money and a grade 10 education.

Several years ago, my life changed dramatically. Within a short period of time, my father passed away and my aging mother’s health began to rapidly deteriorate. As a result, my priorities shifted. I decided to quit my job, move from a small town near Vancouver Island to Kelowna, and become my mother’s full-time caregiver.