GARY CANAM

Hi my name is Gary Kermit Canam, yes Kermit as in "Kermit the Frog". I grew up in Toronto Ontario, Canada, the great white North, where unfortunately we don't live in igloos or travel via polar bear or moose. I did grow up in a very sports-driven family. My mother played basketball all throughout her childhood and into high school and my father playing amateur level baseball. Somehow I endured the love for soccer. From as far back as I can remember I was either dribbling a soccer ball or a basketball. I was introduced to competitive soccer at the age of 7 and have continued ever since. The dream was to become a professional soccer player and to get drafted into the MLS or somewhere in Europe. From the time I entered elementary school to the day I finished high school I was the top athlete of my class on a very broad spectrum. I played soccer obviously, volleyball, football, badminton, basketball, rugby, and ran track along with cross country. I was the definition of a "jock" but a rather easy-going and warm-hearted one. The goal after high school was to land a scholarship somewhere in the U.S in order to continue my passion for soccer. Luckily I landed a spot on the Walsh University Men's Soccer team located in North Canton, Ohio. 

 

My family was very localized, didn't travel often unless it was traveling to a soccer tournament. This was a huge change for me, having to move to another country and live on my own, adapt to a new community. It was a little nerve-racking at first but I was determined to make this experience worth-while. Soccer is what made the change easy for me, practices relieved stress and games served as an accomplishment checklist. My first two seasons as a cavalier were not easy but individually successful. By the time my junior career came around, I had felt as if my ability and fitness level had plateaued. It was that "off" year everyone seems to have but it really affected the way I viewed my skills as a player and my fitness as an athlete. I wanted to know what to do in order to excel again or to improve from my recent season. This was around the time I switched my major of BS in Physical Therapy to BS in Exercise Science. I was learning more about what interested me, fitness/exercise, nutrition. and biomechanics of how the body moves. I was able to integrate what I had learned into my training regimen along with the training regimens of my teammates. I wanted not only to see myself succeed in my senior year but I wanted others to do the same. This is where I found the passion of fitness training because I loved seeing my teammates achieving their goals on and off the field. This has led me to where I am today, a personal trainer, and nearly graduating with my Bachelor's degree in Exercise Science. 

 

“Sometimes if you want to see a change for the better, you have to take things into your own hands.” – Clint Eastwood 

 

"Each new day is a new opportunity to improve yourself. Take it. And make the most of it"