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What is your name?
Étienne Lévesque

What is your position with the Y?
I’m a Health, Fitness, and Membership Coach at the Downtown YMCA

Close up of Étienne

What do you always find yourself saying? 
An enthusiastic THANK YOU!!! after someone complains of a muscle burning during class. It’s nice when they let me know the exercises are “working,” haha.

If you could spend one whole day with anyone in the world who is currently alive, who would you select?
My partner, Christina. She’s still my favourite person, hands down.

If you were to receive any existing public award, what award would you like to win?
Canada’s Strongest Man

Please explain one fond memory you have of the Y.
In late July, 2019, I was preparing to leave for a few weeks to get married in early August. During the last Fit For Life class I taught before leaving, all the seniors I had been working with for months got together, gave me a card, and we took photos together to help commemorate the occasion. It made my heart feel so full and I’ll never forget it.

Etienne surrounded by smiling members who presented him with a card

What are you doing to stay connected while at home? 
I’m using social media. Despite its downsides, it has made connecting with my friends all over Canada much easier.

Are you staying connected with your Y family during this time, and if so, how? 
I am. Thankfully it’s easy for me to do since I’m back at work and able to connect with everyone during the day, through properly-spaced, in-person updates, or in e-mails from my work account.

Where is your favourite place to “dine”/order takeout in the Okanagan right now? 
My favourite place to dine in would be Renegade kitchen and bar, and my favourite takeout would be Momo Sushi on Bernard Ave.

What is your favourite activity while social distancing in the Okanagan?
Jogging and swimming are both tied in my mind.

Who inspires you (within your Y family or elsewhere)?
My family inspires me – both my birth family and my close friends which act like a kind of family social network. It feels like I have a lot of siblings.

What are 3 things on your bucket list? 
Bench Press 315 lbs; finish a university degree, and travel to France.

Tell us about a defining moment in your life. 
In 2015, I was in Newfoundland on a posting with the Canadian Coast Guard as part of my work with the Royal Canadian Navy Reserve. During my time there I was able to rescue people from actual life-or-death situations, wrangle icebergs, and spend a lot of time figuring out who I was as a person.

What are you passionate about?
Being a part of the process that helps people get where they want to be. Also cooking for others.

What has been your favourite day of your life, up to this point? 
The 24 hours after getting married when we were finally able to relax.

What did you miss the most about your Y? 
I missed the people the most! Members at the Downtown Y know you by name usually because we’re such a small facility, and they get very invested in our lives since we work so closely with them in classes.

If you could achieve one thing within your field, what would it be? 
Completing all levels of Precision Nutrition sports nutrition certifications.

What 3 qualities do you feel your Y exemplifies? 
Inclusivity, caring, and friendliness.

Etienne stretching on mat with member at the Downtown Y

How does your facility make a difference every day?
I see it as a safe place for seniors and young people to come work out. They don’t feel preyed upon like some commercial gyms. With our staff around, the social connections they make with each other really helps to fight the loneliness people experience, both before and after the pandemic.

What words of encouragement would you say to our Y member/participants/families right now?
Things keep moving – no matter how bad they may be, this isn’t forever. You’ve got this.

What would you like to say to your fellow staff/volunteer team?
Great work; would love to bring you through a squat session. >:)

How has your role changed since COVID?
I now choose to wear a mask when teaching classes and modify each class I teach to also be able to be done at home since we stream them live. For the member services type work I do, we’ve updated to Activenet from CLASS, which has streamlined a lot of services and made explaining our process to older or hard-of-hearing members much smoother.

What does community mean to you?
It means trusting that I can relax when walking around outside. I struggle with anxiety in some social contexts, so having all these people I know really reduces the amount of worry I have when being in a situation where I might have to interact with people I don’t know.

Etienne encouraging a member at the Downtown Y

What is your favorite part of your job?
Seeing someone recognize that they’ve made progress; that something that was hard is now easy; or that they finally have energy/strength/mobility again.

What Y team member would you like to give a shout-out to and why?
Tammy Stafford – it’s invigorating to work with someone so legitimately enthusiastic, empathetic, and thirsty for knowledge and new experiences.