The Journey to Here

Allow Me to Introduce Myself… And Transform Fitness Coaching

I am so happy you are here visiting and taking the time to get to know more about me and about my journey to get here. I want to start by introducing myself – I’m Caren Carnegie, Mom to Andrew and Ava, Wife of Jeff, Personal Trainer and Founder of Transform Fitness Coaching. I was born and raised in Thunder Bay, ON, the youngest of three girls. I was fortunate to experience growing up in a small(ish), northern community, it helped shape who I am today. As a child I was pretty quiet and shy, but I was always a daydreamer; always imagining things in my mind, including what my future would look like. After graduating from Dental Hygiene in 2007, I moved to Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario where I would begin my career. Not long after, I met Jeff; we moved to Stratford, ON in 2009, got married in 2010, then started our family in 2013. Our favourite family activity is camping; I love being in nature, around trees and water, particularly sitting at a shoreline taking in all the beauty around me.

Now, I’d love to share a little about my journey with you…

My awareness began in late 2019, after a seemingly small incident resulted in fracturing my foot and ankle, putting me out of work for weeks, barely able to move; this on top of chronic stomach issues, years of food intolerances, inflammation and increasing anxiety. I knew something needed to change; I was witnessing my physical and mental wellness deteriorate, and I truly was not happy with myself. Not-to-mention, I was stuck in the shackles of a daily drinking habit that was keeping me comfortable and helping me cope day-to-day. I wore my smile and bubbly personality well, to cover up how unwell I was feeling. I tried so many different things that seemed promising: juices, cleanses, restricted eating and even medical interventions; nothing helped. I often questioned what I was even trying to achieve; did I want a healthier body or a happier mind? Once my foot and ankle healed, I made the decision to work with a Personal Trainer because I didn’t know where to start; I had tremendous anxiety at even the thought of a gym. When I was asked about my goals, I wasn’t really sure, I just knew that I should get stronger because being stronger would make my body look and feel healthier. I hoped this would give me the energy to make me a better mom to Andrew and Ava, and a better wife for Jeff. So we began with our sessions, I was nervous before every single one but I loved how I felt after; I felt happier, stronger, that I accomplished something really great. 

Then in 2020, the pandemic happened; so after just coming to the realization that I wasn’t happy with myself, now I was actually stuck with myself in lockdown. I maintained my motivation to keep working out with my Personal Trainer (virtually), however I also maintained my habits that were keeping me trapped: drinking and self-limiting thinking. I knew well-enough at the time that how I presented myself would affect the people around me, so I would slap a smile on my face and do it all again, every day, the best I could. I noticed though, an increasing fire in my belly when it came to exercising, strength training in particular, I wanted to know more and to do more, and my nerves turned into excitement. I began researching all aspects of fitness and the beauty of strength training. I set up a home gym in my furnace room with any equipment I could get my hands on. It was (and still is) far from glamorous. I began working-out in my home gym between sessions, studying and analyzing every rep of every exercise. The guidance from my training sessions had offered me the confidence to do this.

It was in 2022 that spirituality came calling, it took me until early 2023 to really answer the call. The message was clear: I am here in this lifetime for a reason; I have a mission, I have a purpose. I knew deep down I wasn’t ready to accept this message until now, because I knew there would be no turning back. I dove into spirituality head first; just like fitness, I couldn’t get enough information, and of course some resonated and some did not. I was grateful to have my own mentors to help me navigate through it all. In February 2023, I felt the strong urge to step away from drinking alcohol; I had work to do, and I realized (I always knew) that this habit was causing me to avoid my Self. I began feeling that change was coming, and the feeling came in the form of grief; I couldn’t help but feel like something was coming to an end; the details were blurry, and this feeling lasted on-and-off for months. This was also when my passion for fitness catapulted, I would continue my learning of fitness and spirituality by doing (and be-ing).

In March 2023, I became certified as a Spiritual Life Coach, to help guide myself. The tools I learned would be my flashlight along my journey within, because it got real dark at times. I learned that the little voice inside of me, the one cheering me on and giving me the drive to improve myself, was me. That voice inside was my higher Self, my Soul, my inner child (that little girl from Thunder Bay) – cheering on every step and encouraging me to do more and to grow to my highest potential! I began to treat my inner work just like strength training. I knew that to grow muscle and build strength I needed to introduce stress to the muscle in the form of weight, tension and reps, and to build more muscle, I needed to add more stress (in a nutshell). I knew that as I built muscle, my physical body felt stronger. So, what if I viewed these heavy lessons of managing my emotions, thoughts, beliefs and old cycles like lifting weights; I would acknowledge them when they arose, felt them, hung out with them, then released them, however many times it took. I was pushing past the limitations of my mind, just like when I lift weights, and I felt empowered as a result. I would add to my inner work by expressing more love for myself and others, having gratitude and by being present and aware of the signs and beauty all around me. There were days that this wasn’t easy, and it required work. I needed to remind myself that I didn’t have to feel grateful for every lesson at that moment, because like some workouts, the lessons aren’t all perfect, some are downright ugly. However, I was able to keep a positive mindset by knowing that I was always supported, even when it didn’t feel like it. I was no longer only training my physical body, my entire being was getting stronger; mind, body and spirit. And with strength training, some exercises need repeating, patience and consistency for a desired outcome, and similarly, there were (and still are) lessons needing the same. I now understood that the sense of grief I felt was not because I was losing anything, in fact, something new was beginning – a relationship with my true Self. My life would forever be different.

Once I had discovered the power within me, and that my passion for fitness and spirituality would unite, my self-healing accelerated; I was transforming. I began viewing every workout as an opportunity to inhabit my body, to be present and aware of myself: mind, body and spirit; my world seemed to integrate and I was the one in charge. Things now made sense, the direction that was set out for me was clear, this was my purpose; my inner guidance and life’s experiences had been leading me here long before choosing myself in 2019. In December 2023, I became a Certified Personal Training Specialist (canfitpro™), my preparation years (perhaps lifetimes) in the making. It is my goal that through sharing my journey, I will spread the message that the power is within you. My mission is to guide you on your fitness journey toward self-discovery, and to awaken the Coach inside of you, so you are ready to live the life you create for yourself with strength and resiliency. There is no need to look outside of yourself for change, and there is certainly no magic in powders, juices and fancy gym equipment – you are the magic, just as you are, and there is absolutely nothing to change about you. I now know what it feels like to feel good, and I wear my smile with authenticity; I have replaced my self-limiting thoughts with thoughts of accomplishment and empowerment. If I was asked now what my goals are, they would be: to maintain peace and clarity within myself, to continue to create and maintain habits that are sustainable, and to maintain a healthy, functional, and loving environment for my true Self to reside and thrive; so I can: be a leading example for my kids, tackle my purpose with power, live fully, and help others do the same. Life will always present challenges that test us as humans, but they are temporary and provide us opportunities to grow. It’s the moment that you choose yourself, that you begin to discover the tools and rewards within; this discovery is permanent and transcends beyond yourself… It’s the most selfless thing you can do. Your experience will look different than mine as our paths in this life are unique, but I promise I will be here to inspire, uplift and support you along the way. I understand that fitness is a very individual experience and it shouldn’t be confusing, society has over-complicated something that our bodies are designed to do. It is my goal to remove the confusing layers surrounding fitness and help you tap into your inner Coach, to find the drive and determination you are looking for. I look forward to seeing what lies ahead as my journey is ever-evolving, but what I do know is that I can now confidently extend my hand to you as you begin yours…

It’s your time.