meet our trainers
COWAN AUSTRIE
As a former hockey player and CIS champion for the University of Trois-Rivières, Cowan Austrie has dedicated over 20 years to a sport that has helped inform the bulk of his career as a trainer. Having had to train and perform at elite levels as an athlete, Cowan has now dedicated himself to achieving the ultimate balance of wellness, both in his life and his clients’.
He has furthered his existing training as a strength and conditioning coach and naturopath by pursuing certifications such as EXOS, Poliquin Group, Applied Athletic Therapeutic, BackFit Pro, Coach Export and Commission des Practiciens en Médecine Douce du Québec. His mindset is based on the belief that science, efficiency, integrity and creativity are the necessary cornerstones for both achieving personal goals and having fun while working out. Cowan is the ideal personal trainer and health coach for those looking for a full body transformation, training their respective sport or looking to embrace their wellness journey by achieving a new balance.
JEN PREGNOLATO
Jen's journey with movement began at a very young age and has evolved alongside her over the years. As a figure skater of international calibre, she learned about the many aspects of body alignment and endurance, all the while discovering how to push the body for long term performance. That being said, it is in becoming a personal trainer and coach, 20 years ago, that she truly felt that she had found her purpose. She is a certified Barre instructor and level 3 coach at SC. She created Sculpt Nation with the intent of empowering individuals through movement, having dealt with her own struggles with body image. Above all, she was fueled by a strong desire to break through the boundaries of her own freedom and physical expression. She understands the complex relationship most women have with their bodies and has made it her mission to help women to love themselves, feel strong and beautiful. Her combination of toning sets, lengthening and sculpting have created a unique coaching style that is all about having fun while training hard and gaining a sense of lightness and freedom within.
val desjardins
Val grew up as an avid athlete. She played in the ‘Ligue de Soccer Élite AAA du Québec’ for 10 years, captained the Concordia University soccer team and was chosen onto the All Canadian team. She was named MVP of the World Cup in roller derby in 2011. Val also opened doors for young female athletes by being the first girl to play in the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. Val has taken this innate passion for movement and developed her own unique method for training clients. Her background in sports has informed her knowledge of the body and in recent years she has studied mindfulness practices and has infused her coaching with a more holistic approach to wellness. Her clients range from professional athletes to Hollywood celebrities to any nice human willing to set some goals and show up to do the work. The PUMP METHOD combines strength and conditioning, nutrition, mindset and recovery. Her strength as a coach is using her decades of experience to tailor a specific programming for each client and their unique goals. She also specializes in helping clients recover from injuries and surgeries. She is certified in mat pilates, has completed all 3 levels of mentorship at the EXOS headquarters in Arizona, has studied the back with Dr. Stu McGill and done pre and post natal certifications.
VAGG TROULIS
Vagg’s passion for movement began very early on, as he embarked on his first kickboxing class at the age of 6 years old and fell in love with martial arts. Formerly both a Muay Thai fighter and gym owner, Vagg is currently a personal trainer and martial arts coach (Muay Thai and boxing) with almost 10 years of experience.
Functionality, injury-prevention, and sustainability are pillars in the design of training programs that help his clients achieve their goals. He is fascinated by the process of guiding people to better themselves and firmly believes in movement as a tool for personal development.
Vagg is patient, attentive and caring. He is a certified personal trainer, has studied with EXOS and with many martial art mentors to refine his craft as both an athlete and a coach. He can help you increase strength.
Gain mobility.
Lose weight.
Or simply move pain free.
His decade of experience as a coach allows him to adapt and create specialized programs for many goals.