Kathryn Passalis, Cyclist

“I was teetering on the wrong side of a narrow side cut mountain bike trail. I drew in my core and rebalanced myself to an upright position and continued down the track. That is me today. My balance, strength and stability are attributed to the years of functional training I’ve undertaken with Donal and Cathy at Place of CHI. The beginning of the journey was quite different. I was plagued with injuries from overtraining, improper and non-specific training and various instabilities. My visits to the physiotherapist were regular and recurring. I invested in a full health and lifestyle solution with Place of CHI after an horrendous 100km running event where I suffered a torn calf and extreme ITB syndrome. I could barely walk and my last 5 km took about 2 hours. My recovery after that event was slow. I couldn’t walk the next day and couldn’t run for weeks. I decided it was time to try a more holistic approach and commenced working with Donal and Cathy.

Their focus is functional and individual. It focuses on the full spectrum of elements to generate a healthy body – nutrition, mobility, core strength, stability. My training initially addressed my imbalances and inflexibilities then transitioned to maintenance and sport specific strength and conditioning. I successfully completed the same 100km event the following year – no injuries, no issues and a quick recovery. Training with Donal and Cathy at Place of CHI has enabled me to perform and progress in my chosen sports of surfboat rowing and mountain biking. I’ve spent multiple weeks over multiple years riding difficult downhill and cross country trails in Canada and Europe, improving my technical ability over time. I love the challenge of a technical track, and I love the feeling of achievement when I conquer a tough section. The effective application of bike skills in mountain biking requires core strength, balance and mobility so training with Place of CHI directly contributes to continued enjoyment of my sport.

Most importantly, I’ve been injury free since training with Place of CHI. That is testament alone to Donal and Cathy’s experience, knowledge and personal dedication to their clients.”