True North Strong: A Sports Performance Podcast

Join me this episode as I catch up with Taylor Evernden who is one of the Co-Oweners and the Director of Performance at Orka Performance in Calgary, Alberta. 

We dig into Taylor’s journey into the performance field and get to know him through the “rapid fire” portion of the show. We discuss how coaches can develop a system to efficiently and effectively return athletes and clients to performance and sport from injury. We also chat about how the utilization of sports technologies fit into the Orka’s framework of rehab and performance  to create exit criterias for their return to play stages and how performance coaches can work together with the athletes health care team as they navigate the many ups and downs of returning from injuries. Orka has a tremendous learning opportunity for those working in performance through their “Plinth to Podium”  which is an immersive weekend which takes you through their entire rehab and performance system. 

This was a great conversation with Taylor for all those working to support their athletes and clients through the injury process.  Make sure to check out Taylor on Instagram at and Orka at and head to orkaperformance.com  for more info on their live educational events. 

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Welcome to Episode 26 of True North Strong: A Sports Performance Podcast

Join me this episode as I catch up with Sam Eyles-Frayne who is the Coordinator High Performance, Strength & Conditioning at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario.

We dig into Sam's journey into the Strength & Conditioning field and get to know her through the “rapid fire” portion of the show. We discuss how coaches looking to get into University/College environments can set clear expectations for coaches and administrators during the process of growing a department. We also chat about her new initiative and podcast “IntHERsections” which aims to “empower & foster a supportive community of young female students and professionals in the world of sport and science.” 

This was a great conversation as Sam prepares for the return of the student-atheltes in the fall. Make sure to check out Sam on Instagram @coach_sam.ef and IntHERsections @intersections

Welcome to Episode 25 of True North Strong: A Sports Performance Podcast. Join me this episode as I catch up with Brayden Miller who is the Sports Science/Strength & Conditioning Coordinator of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League.

We dig into Brayden's journey into the Strength & Conditioning field and his role with the Blue Bombers. We discuss the training schedule and challenges that come in the CFL, how he separates the roster into different training groups and how important it is to communicate with your athletes, especially when you are new to a role or sport.

This was a great conversation as Brayden prepares for another successful CFL season. Make sure to check out Brayden on Instagram @brayden_miller1 as he shares some great insights in his training process with the Blue Bombers

Welcome to Episode 24 of True North Strong: A Sports Performance Podcast. Join me this episode as I catch up with Jennifer, Love who is the Head Athletic Therapist of the Sarnia Sting Hockey Club in the Ontario Hockey League.

We dig into Jennifer's journey into the Athletic Therapy field and her role with the Sting. We discuss some of the performance gaps that she has seen in her 3 years with the Sting as young players enter the Ontario Hockey League and how performance coaches can help them prepare for the physical and emotional side of playing in the OHL. We chat about some of the performance testing they do, as well as how she works with the Strength and Conditioning Coach during the return to play process when injuries occur. We also have fun with some of the things she didn't expect to be part of the role, like assisting with equipment, laundry and even being a part of player's pre-game rituals!

This is such a great discussion for those working with hockey players with aspirations of playing in the OHL/CHL as well as practitioners who are working towards a career in high-level hockey. Make sure to check out Jennifer on Instagram @lovefitnesstrainingat as she shares a ton of insights into her role with the Sting.

Welcome to Episode 23 of True North Strong: A Sports Performance Podcast. Join me this episode as I catch up with Tanner Care, who is the Director of Performance: Head of Strength & Conditioning of the Vancouver Bandits as well as the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia.

We dig into Tanner's journey in the sports performance field from athlete, to the private sector, to his current role out west with the Vancouver Bandits of the Canadian Elite Basketball League. We chat about how professional sport and the athletes in the CEBL differ from the student-athletes in the collegiate setting, how he created 3 classifications to their In-Season lifts to deliver a clarity of expectations for the players, how the logistics of professional sport really challenged and helped to grow his ability and understanding of periodization, as well what he's excited about for year 2!

This is such a great discussion with a ton of takeaways for those working in the team setting. Make sure to check out Tanner on Instagram @coach.care as he shares a ton of insights into his coaching.

Welcome to Episode 22 of True North Strong: A Sports Performance Podcast. Join me this episode as I catch up with Sheldon Persad, who is a Strength & Conditioning Coach and Co-Owner of Personal Best Health & Performance which provides comprehensive health, wellness and high performance services to corporations and individual clients. Sheldon is also the Senior Advisor, Business Performance at the Canadian Sports Centre - Ontario where he leads the strategic planning of the organization and oversees strategic partnerships with external clientele. Sheldon is based out of Toronto, Ontario.

We dig into Sheldon's journey into the strength and conditioning and coaching field which has spanned close to 40 years! Sheldon and I chat about his role in the creation of two national organizations the Certified Professional Trainers Network and most recently the Canadian Strength and Conditioning Association where he served as the Inaugural President. We also touch on advice for young coaches, surrounding yourself with a diverse group of mentors as well as the changes he has seen in the industry since co-founding Personal Best in 1991.

It was such a pleasure to have Sheldon on the show as his passion for helping his clients and the field as a whole really shone through. You can connect with Sheldon by visiting personalbest.ca

Welcome to Episode 21 of True North Strong: A Sports Performance Podcast. Join me this episode as I catch up with Danielle Rancourt, who is the CEO/Lead Dietitian at Pivot Nutrition Coaching. Danielle is originally from Sudbury, Ontario but now calls Grand Forks, North Dakota (USA) home.

We dig into Danielle's journey into the nutrition coaching field, how her personal experiences as a former NCAA Division I hockey player showed her the impact proper fueling can have on sport performance. We also chat about her "pivot" into starting her own nutrition coaching business, the Four-Phase Approach to Sustainable Results of Pivot Nutrition Coaching, how working from home may lead to changes in peoples nutritional habits, things to consider if you are looking to add nutritional services to your gym or training business.

This was a great discussion with some practical takeaways as we are a couple of months removed from New Years resolutions.  

You can connect with Danielle via Instagram @dani_the_rd or her website www.pivotnutritioncoaching.com. She also has a great podcast called "But First, Pivot" where she shares her "all foods fit approach and real life client success stories to inspire you to pivot away from all the fad diet nonsense and confusion!"

Welcome to Episode 20 of True North Strong: A Sports Performance Podcast. Join me this episode as I catch up with Carmen Bott, who is the Founder/Sports Performance Coach at Coach Bott Consulting Services, as well as a Full-Time Lecturer of Kinesiology at Simon Fraser University. Coach Bott is based out of beautiful Coquitlam, British Columbia. 

We dig into Carmen's journey in the the performance coaching field, her extensive background working with a variety of athletes and sports, how to get clear on the demands of the sport when it comes to developing Repeat Sprint Ability, as well as the changes she has seen in the field over her 25 year career. 

This was a great discussion as Carmen continues to stay curious and is so open to sharing her wealth of knowledge through her various webinars, e-books, and speaking engagements. 

You can connect with Carmen via Instagram @coachbott or her website www.coachbott.com

Thanks to our sponsor Teambuildr check them out at teambuildr.com and start your 30-day FREE trial when signing up with the code "TNS"

Episode 19 of True North Strong: A Sports Performance Podcast. Join me this episode as I catch up with Scott Willgress who is the Physiology/Strength and Conditioning Lead at the Canadian Sports Institute (CSI) Atlantic based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. 

We dig into Scott's journey in the performance coaching field, what lead him to his position at CSI-Atlantic, what athletes and programs he works with, some of the things that went into the planning and preparation for the Women's Olympic Softball team in the four (five with the Covid-19 Global Pandemic) years leading into the Tokyo Olympics and their historic Bronze medal as well as what the role of a Strength and Conditioning Coach encompasses during the Olympics or major games.  

This was a great discussion as Scott gives us some great take-aways on how community outreach can help create relationships with athletes and coaches that may open doors in the future. 

You can connect with Scott via Instagram @sdubstrength 

Thanks to our sponsor Teambuildr check them out at teambuildr.com and start your 30-day FREE trial when signing up with the code "TNS"

Episode 18 of True North Strong: A Sports Performance Podcast. Join me this episode as I catch up with Callen McGibbon who is an Entrepreneur, CEO and Strength and Conditioning Coach. He is the Founder and Performance Director of Healthy Living Dynamic Fitness Centre as well as the Founder of REPerformance which is a Physical Education Platform/App for Physical & Health Education Teachers. Coach Callen is based in Sudbury, Ontario.

We dig into Callen's journey in the performance coaching field, what lead him to creating REPerformance, his passion around helping students and PHE Teachers build successful pathways in their health and fitness journey.  As always we also get to know Callen through outside the weight room through the rapid fire segment. 

This was a great discussion and really exciting to see the impact his is making on students and Physical Education and Health departments. 

You can connect with Callen via email at [email protected] to learn more about REPerformance head over to reperformanceapp.com or follow them on Instagram @_reperformance. You can also get in touch with Callen and the team at Healthy Living on Instagram @hlnorth_

Thanks to our sponsor Teambuildr check them out at teambuildr.com and start your 30-day FREE trial when signing up with the code "TNS"