Hello!
When Norm decided to organize the tour, he approached me and asked if I was interested in contributing to the health and fitness blog. He felt like I was the right person for the job and I must admit, I was touched. I said yes without hesitation. Since then, I have procrastinated to write the first line of this blog, not knowing where to start, what to write and if I would reach people with my insights and thoughts on health and fitness. I do have the Imposter syndrom and I still feel like and imposter, even though I have a degree in sports. I never wrote a blog on a regular basis, English is not my first language and I am not an athlete…maybe that’s why he approached me, so people can relate more with the reality of regular Joes like us. So here we go!
I thought that for the first draft, I would introduce myself; My name is Nathalie, I am a Paramedic in Amqui, a very small town in the province of Quebec. I live in Sainte-Irene, an even smaller village of 360 people, 15 minutes away from Amqui. I now work night shifts and I have started practicing 7 years ago. I went back to school when I was 30 because I felt the calling. I had been a lifeguard for 14 years prior to that thought Cégep and University. I also was an ocean beach lifeguard in Ocean City, Maryland (US). I studied to become a personal trainer, specialized in swimming and I liked it but not loved it. I always felt like I was not fulfilled. I realized I missed the feeling of usefulness that lifeguarding provided me; every time I had to go in the water to save someone from drowning, I felt like I had helped someone, that I had make a difference in their lives, literally. Becoming an EMT was the natural next step in my opinion and I never regretted starting over at 33 years old.
Sport was always a part of my life and still is. I have a small gym in my garage and I (try) to workout daily. I always ran and swam, these were my sports. I also always used a bike growing up in Montreal, more efficient then a car and public transportation so it was more like a transportation devise then a sport to me. It all changed when I was approached to give spinning classes. I was a spinning instructor at Nautilus Plus, one of the largest gym network. I kept that side line for a few years, up until 2016 when I finished my degree from EMT school. I found out about the paramedic Tour in 2018 and decided to take part in the 2019 edition. We biked about 450 km on a 4 days ride, from Sherbrooke to Ottawa and I was hooked; I participated every year since and I must admit that it is THE event I look for every year.
I found in the TPR a community of amazing human beings and devoted EMTs. Every year, I see the same people, the same familiar faces who welcomed me so cheerfully and encouraged me in dark times during the tour (we had a very difficult route that year). The atmosphere was festive, people would cheer me up and give helpful tips to continue and enjoy the 4 days. My butt hurted, my legs were dead and my shoulders were so stiff but my spirit was lifted. I knew I wanted to participate every year. The cause is so important to me as well.
Through this blog, I will share my routines, my workouts, the books I read and some recipes to (try to) inspire you in becoming the best version of your self and have the tools to face this enormous adventure that awaits us in June 2025. We got this!