In this episode of the Capital Strength Podcast, Nick sits down with Registered Massage Therapist Taryn Forrester to discuss her journey through sport, healthcare, and one of the most life-changing experiences anyone can face.

Nick first met Taryn as a teenage competitive soccer player, years before Capital Strength existed. Today, she's an integral part of the Capital Strength team, helping active individuals and athletes recover, perform, and stay healthy.

Together, they explore what makes Capital Strength's collaborative approach to care unique, Taryn's transition from athlete to therapist, and her passion for working with the active population.

The conversation then turns to Taryn's thyroid cancer diagnosis and the physical and emotional challenges that followed. She shares how becoming the patient changed her perspective, how strength training helped her stay grounded when running wasn't possible, and the lessons she learned about resilience, health, and finding purpose through adversity.

This is a heartfelt conversation about movement, mindset, community, and discovering that true strength isn't just physical—it's the ability to adapt, keep moving forward, and come out stronger on the other side.

In this episode, we sit down with professional hockey player Kyle McDonald of the Texas Stars and Matt Kelly, physiotherapist at Capital Strength, for an inside look at the journey from junior hockey to the professional ranks—and the challenges that come with it.

Kyle shares his path through the OHL, what it took to become a point-per-game player, and the biggest adjustments he faced transitioning from junior hockey to the AHL. We discuss the realities of life as a professional athlete, including training, recovery, travel, competition, and the habits required to perform at the highest level.

The conversation then shifts to one of the toughest moments of Kyle's career: the ACL injury that sidelined him last season. Kyle opens up about the physical and mental challenges of being injured, while Matt provides insight into the rehabilitation process, what elite athletes experience during recovery, and what it takes to successfully return to play.

Together, we break down the rehab journey from both the athlete and clinician perspectives, discuss the milestones that mattered most, and explore what it feels like to get back on the ice after months of hard work.

We finish by talking about Kyle's current off-season, how this summer differs from last now that he's fully healthy, the role training plays in preparing for another professional season, and what he's focused on heading into the year ahead.

Whether you're a hockey player, athlete, coach, parent, clinician, or simply someone who enjoys hearing stories about resilience, performance, and high-level sport, this episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to compete—and come back from adversity—in professional hockey.

In this episode, I sit down with Canadian professional golfer and 2025 PGA Championship of Canada winner, Craig Stefureak. Craig shares his journey from growing up at MontHill Golf & Country Club to competing at the NCAA level at Drury University, and ultimately making the leap into professional golf.

We dive into what it really takes to pursue a career in pro golf—the highs, the challenges, and the realities that most people don’t see. Craig opens up about the grind of trying to make a name for yourself on tour, the mental side of the game, and what separates good players from great ones.

We also get into something we’ve both been working on closely—his decision to prioritize strength and conditioning this season. Craig talks about why he made that shift, what he’s noticed in terms of swing speed, power, and performance, and how it’s impacting his confidence on the course.

This conversation is a mix of past, present, and future—from his early development and college experience, to the realities of life as a pro, and what he’s aiming to accomplish in a big upcoming season on the PGA and DP Tours.

If you’re interested in high performance, golf, or what it takes to chase a career at the highest level, this is a great one.

The MOST full circle Story yet. Jacob has been around Capital Strength since he was 14 years old.

In this episode, we sit down with Jacob, strength coach at Capital Strength and former OUA First Team All-Star volleyball player. After completing his Bachelor of Kinesiology at Brock University—where he also competed with the Brock Badgers—Jacob has transitioned from high-level athlete to coach, bringing a unique perspective shaped by years of experience both on the court and in the gym.

We dive into what it really takes to excel in volleyball, from the physical qualities that separate good athletes from great ones, to how strength and conditioning plays a key role in performance and injury prevention. Jacob shares insights on building power, improving vertical jump, and avoiding common training mistakes many athletes make.

We also explore the importance of training throughout the year—how to approach both the off-season and in-season, and why finding the right balance is critical for long-term development.

Jacob reflects on his own journey, including what he would have done differently, lessons learned along the way, and the advice he’d give to younger athletes coming up in the sport.

Whether you’re an athlete, coach, or just someone interested in performance and training, this episode is packed with practical takeaways and real-world insight.

Movement Literacy, Pilates, and the Future of Fitness Education

In Episode 18, I sit down with Liv Urquhart, founder of The Body Balance Studio, to talk about movement literacy, entrepreneurship, and the evolving relationship between fitness and healthcare.

Liv brings a unique perspective to the industry with a background that includes an Honours Degree in Human Kinetics, an Advanced Diploma in Massage Therapy, and certifications in Pilates, Lagree, FMS, Yoga, and Holistic Nutrition. After nearly a decade working in the wellness industry — including time as a Registered Massage Therapist — Liv made the bold decision to step away from traditional clinical care to focus on something she believes Canada desperately needs: better movement education.

In this conversation, we explore Liv’s journey from clinician to entrepreneur, why Pilates became the foundation of her philosophy, and what she means when she talks about “movement literacy.” She explains why so many adults struggle with basic movement competency, how pain has become overly medicalized, and why empowering people through movement education may be one of the biggest opportunities in the health and fitness industry.

We also discuss the growing popularity of Pilates, the misconceptions between the strength training and Pilates communities, and what a more integrated fitness + rehab industry could look like in the future.

As someone who still trains weekly at Capital Strength, Liv also shares her perspective on the gym’s culture, the collaboration between clinicians and coaches, and why environments that prioritize education and community can play a huge role in helping people reconnect with their bodies.

Finally, Liv shares her vision for The Body Balance Studio and her 100-hour Mat Pilates Certification, which aims to train the next generation of instructors and expand high-quality movement education to communities across Canada.

In this episode, I sit down with one of the true heartbeats of Capital Strength — Michelle Ayotte.

If you’ve ever trained at Capital, you know exactly who she is. The big smile. The loudest cheerleader in the room. The coach whose voice carries across the entire facility. The mastermind behind Boost Your Body Bootcamp, and so much of the creative energy that fuels our community.

Over the last four years, Michelle has grown into one of the most impactful coaches on our team — and in 2025, she challenged herself in a whole new way by completing a Half Ironman, showing a level of discipline and commitment that inspired all of us.

In this conversation, we dive into:

• What makes Capital Strength different and why she loves being part of this team

• How her coaching style has evolved since 2022

• Her most memorable coaching moments and the mentors who’ve shaped her

• Why she loves coaching women and what she’s learned from that experience

• The mental and physical challenges of training for a Half Ironman

• Her biggest lessons from endurance training

• What’s next for her competitively

• And her upcoming move to BC

Michelle brings energy, honesty, and heart to everything she does. This episode is about growth, commitment, community, and what it really means to lead from the front.

In this episode, Nick sits down with Matt, one of the physiotherapists at Capital Strength, to dive into hockey injuries, hip and groin health, and the role of sport science in modern rehab and performance. Drawing from his background as a high-level hockey player, Matt shares insights into why hip and groin issues are so common in skating sports and how understanding biomechanics changes both assessment and treatment. The conversation also explores how objective data from VALD testing is shaping smarter return-to-play decisions, reducing reinjury risk, and improving collaboration between coaches and clinicians. Matt also reflects on his first six months at Capital Strength, the power of an integrated team environment, and why community and culture matter just as much as the technology, or more!

Our first professional athlete on the podcast, and Capital Strength's first professional soccer player!

In this episode, we sit down with Emily, a professional soccer player for the Ottawa Rapid of the NSL, to reflect on her journey from collegiate athletics to the professional game. She shares what it was like being part of the Rapids’ inaugural season and how that experience compared to playing professionally in Sweden the year before. We dive into how her strength and training evolved across college, international play, and her summers at Capital Strength, and how an ACL injury in late 2024 reshaped her perspective on performance and resilience. The conversation wraps with insights on the growth of women’s sport in Canada and the lessons Emily hopes the next generation of athletes can take forward.

Donny came to Ottawa to be a Gee-Gee football player, but he stayed in Ottawa to be part of the Capital Strength family.

After football, through his love for the weight room, Don found Capital and never looked back. He retells the tale of how it all came to be in this episode.

Don takes us through his transition from Football, to Powerlifting, to Olympic lifting and his is debut on the marathon scene!

He’s a strength and breathwork coach, and the founder of Submerge Wellness.  A company redefining performance and recovery through breath, cold exposure, and sauna. We met during my planning phase of the 10 year anniversary party and we immediately connected on so many levels. He’s a husband, a father,  an inspiration to the health and fitness space, and leader in the industry here in Ottawa, welcome to the show Tarik Hassan! 

Today we’re going to discuss what got Tarik into the business of recovery and breath work and how he has progressed through his journey as a coach.  We’ll dive into the health and performance benefits of his recovery tools, we’ll get into some business stuff, challenges and lessons he’s come up against. And see where he thinks this space is going in the future…