FitSpirit is pleased to present this team's leader as part of the 2022 edition of the FitSpirit Mother/Daughter Challenge:
Marie-Josée Gagnon
CEO and Founder
Physical activity for a deeper understanding of yourself
As far back as Marie-Josée can remember, sports and physical activity have been a central part of her life. She trained for several years in figure skating, which required long work hours. As an adult, she was drawn to running, yoga and walking, mainly because they were easier to incorporate into her professional life and as a mother. However, no matter what sport or activity she takes up, they are always an important part of her wellness routine—a routine from which she rarely strays. However, she does like to change things up for fun on weekends, adding snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, cycling, horseback riding, and other activities to the mix.As a seasoned entrepreneur, Marie-Josée also integrates sports into her work teams, providing her colleagues with refreshing ways of bonding other than through the work itself. She is quick to point out how the pandemic has made us all keenly aware of how important it is to join others in some outdoor activity.
For Marie-Josée, there is no doubt about it: regular physical activity is essential to greater balance and well-being, especially when combined with healthy eating and sleeping habits. She also believes that physical activity contributes significantly to self-realization, emotional management, socialization and increased concentration. What’s more, she sees it as an effective way for young people to resist the many potentially harmful temptations that arise during adolescence. Overall, Marie-Josée considers sports and physical activity as powerful outlets and excellent tools for self-awareness.
Marie-Josée also recognizes the benefits of sports in keeping young girls healthy, both during adolescence and later in life; so she is totally aligned with the FitSpirit message. In addition, having heard the story of FitSpirit’s President and Founder, Claudine Labelle, she decided to become a leader in the Mother/Daughter Challenge—adding yet another commitment to the list of causes she has been supporting for years, including Garde-Manger Pour Tous, Défi TOUGO and the “Quit to Win Challenge,” in addition to the other causes championed by Capsana.
"It’s essential that we encourage girls to be active, especially during the pandemic! Best of all, FitSpirit lets them do it at their own pace, without any pressure to perform, and that makes physical well-being more accessible to young girls who might not be able to integrate it into their lives otherwise. I started running with FitSpirit during high school, and it’s still one of my favourite activities today!" – Sandrine, 20 years old, Marie-Josée’s goddaughter
