Get to know Chris Martelli, who joined our Vancouver personal training team in July.
What were you doing before you joined Precision Athletics?
Sports and exercise have always been an important part of my life. I began my career in health and fitness at the age of seventeen as a lifeguard and swim instructor for the City of Saskatoon. I learned that teaching is a natural career for me, giving me a chance to help others learn, grow, and become more independent.
When I was competing as a bodybuilder, I coached posing workshops for individuals and groups who were preparing to compete in the men’s physique category for regulated events in the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness league.
Following my move to Vancouver in 2015, I joined a team of health practitioners at Yana Motion, a preventive biomechanics lab. At Yana, we administered biomechanic assessments to clients using a motion capture system to improve injury prevention and functional movement in occupational health, movement research, proactive wellness and performance athletics settings.
Why did you decide to join the personal training team at Precision Athletics?
A positive environment and culture are extremely important for effective learning, and I feel that Precision Athletics has accomplished this by building a community of outstanding staff members with diverse backgrounds and disciplines.
It is important to me that personal trainers are adequately prepared and aligned with my core values. After reading through the biographies of the trainers at Precision Athletics, it is clear that they have worked hard to promote personal growth, curiosity, and well-being in a safe setting.
My colleagues at Precision Athletics have encouraged my growth and have provided me with a welcoming environment where I can thrive. I admire their customer-centric approach to earning and keeping the trust of their clients. I look forward to assisting this team in building a community of supportive, like-minded people. 
Why do you enjoy working with clients?
I believe that the chief purpose of my life is to love, support, and serve others unconditionally. Inspiring others to educate themselves on the benefits of exercise, develop new skills, realize and achieve their goals are genuine interests of mine. I want to become a better teacher. I am fascinated by the idea of allowing clients’ interests to guide them towards the best-suited forms of exercise for them. My health and my relationships with others are two of my key values.
I notice a strong sense of belonging that clients have at Precision Athletics and I know that they feel safe in this environment. I enjoy this same sense of belonging and feeling of safety.
What inspires you in your work?
I am inspired to learn how I can create the largest impact and improve the health and productivity of those around me.
Working with athletes who intend to improve their skills and optimize their athletic performance is challenging and in itself rewarding. However, the tool where I will have the most impact on people is increasing the awareness of the importance of exercise and its benefits. When I am able to provide general education on the added value of cardio-respiratory fitness in sedentary populations and encourage lifestyle-based strategies designed to improve their prevention of cardiovascular disease, I am excited. I also take a great deal of pride and joy in encouraging others to connect with each other and use that connection to improve themselves and their community.
Trying to understand people and figure out why they do what they do is intriguing to me.
My goal is to train in a way that leaves everyone involved satisfied with the results we achieve.
I succeed only when my clients succeed.
Do you have a specialized area of focus in your training?
My focus is largely based on an integrated approach to health and fitness to improve the chance of developing effective training plans. I am interested in the physiological effects of different training interventions, recovery methods, nutritional aids, and biomechanical factors and how the body adapts to increase the movement health and work capacity of an individual.
What’s your fitness passion (something you’re obsessed with or that you just can’t give up)?
I enjoy objectively tracking and measuring everything from my nutrition to my annual periodized workout program. One cannot learn what one does not measure.
Another one of my fitness passions is training for a specific sport, encouraging my motivation and enjoyment of that sport. I love exercising outdoors, especially in nature. I also love to collaborate with others, especially if it means making personal training more accessible to everyone.
It is important to me to be able to express myself both creatively and honestly in all that I do. This expression allows me to continuously learn, be curious about new possibilities, and work hard to improve the well-being of my clients. I seek to see the world differently, inspiring and enabling me and others to learn. The more I learn, the more I am able to contribute to others’ success and happiness. One of my biggest questions is, “How might I continually find inspiration so that I can inspire others?” When I am able to pursue my interests in my own way, I am truly inspired.
