Super Nova of 2024: Rob & Pam Smith
Congratulations to Rob and Pam Smith, our SuperNova duo for 2024!
Congratulations to Rob and Pam Smith, our SuperNova duo for 2024!
This recognition is a long time coming because since they joined Nova 6 years ago, they have proved consistency every year.
This is seen not just in them showing up to workout at the club each week but by challenging themselves to do something bigger with their fitness each year.
This is seen not just in them showing up to workout at the club each week but by challenging themselves to do something bigger with their fitness each year.
This past year they crushed two epic destinations:
1)South West Coastal Path in the UK (130km)
2)Tour du Mont Blanc (approximately 170km)
In preparation for these hikes they ramped up their training to 3 times per week and did things like hill training at Cross ave (if you live in Oakville you know). They focused not only on building the fitness to endure the distance but also on ensuring their bodies functioned optimally, with the right mobility, stability and nutrition.
Pam and Rob show us that age is just a number and that their dedication to improving their health and wellness allows them to travel the world and do amazing things!
Read on to hear our interview with Rob and Pam and learn some specific strategies they employed as well as to see what they have planned for 2025!
1)You are both very dedicated to your health and fitness. You have worked out with Nova since moving to Oakville in 2019 and I know you were very active before as well. What is your motivation behind the dedication you bring to your fitness?
“We are both dedicated to improving and maintaining our fitness in order to enrich our lives during retirement, continue with our hiking and travel adventures and spend quality time with our family and grandchildren.”
2)In addition to working out, you focus your training on travel destinations that test your physical fitness. How did you get into doing these destinations and how does having a destination to train toward fit into your bigger picture of health?
“As we approached retirement, we realised the importance of staying active and fit and discovered the combination of travel and hiking made for a great motivating factor.”
3)What strategies have you implemented to support your ability to successfully accomplish these travel destinations - are there any training, nutrition, recovery or other such programs you used to help you prepare?
“We have to thank the team at Nova for their dedication and encouragement in reaching our goals. The trainers always challenge us with focused workouts and always make it fun. With their help we have accomplished ever more challenging hikes and experienced some awesome destinations.
As well as focused workouts, consistency of workouts is key as well as improved nutrition. With advice from our trainers, increased protein intake is helping improve muscle mass and increased dietary calcium in addition to regular strength training has allowed me (Pam), to move from high risk for fracture category due to osteoporosis, to moderate risk and avoid medications.”
4)What challenges, if any, have you faced that could have held you back but you successfully overcame to achieve your goals? How did you overcome them?
“Fortunately only minor aches and pains sometimes get in the way but the trainers always provide us with relevant focused exercises and stretching to overcome this”
5)What are you most proud of this year and what do you want to improve upon in the coming year?
“We are most proud of accomplishing our Tour du Mont Blanc hike, our most challenging hike so far. This year we would like to continue to increase our muscle strength and endurance in order to continue with our adventures.”
6)What health, fitness or travel destinations goals do you have your sights on for 2025?
“For 2025 we have planned another Alpine hike, The Grindelwald Trail in the Bernese Oberland, Switzerland. This trail passes through alpine scenery in view of the peaks of the Monch, Jungfrau and Eiger mountains.”
