(Posted 8:30 a.m., Jan. 25)
Elite Martial Arts and Fitness Centre owner committed to changing peoples' lives
By Fred Sherwin
Orléans Online

Elite Martial Arts and Fitness Centre owner Guy Ouellette takes a member through the paces in his Sculpt and Fit class. Fred Sherwin/Photo

No frills, just results. That pretty well sums up the Sculpt and Fit class at the Elite Martial Arts and Fitness Centre on Trim Road where owner Guy Ouellette is helping to change people's lives one class at a time.

Take Chris Penney for example. In the spring of 2008, he hit an all-time low. In August, 2006 he lost his wife of nine weeks to a massive heart attack and his weight had ballooned to more than 300 lbs.

"One morning I woke up and I realized that I had to do something to turn my life around," says Penney who immediately thought of Guy Ouellette.

Before he was married, Penny was a regular in Ouellette's cardio kickboxing class. He remembered Ouellette's enthusiasm and passion -- qualities which he knew would help get him back on the path to personal wellness.

In hindsight, it was the best decision he ever made. Today, he's a new man. He's dropped over 70 lbs. and he's fitter and healthier than he's been in years. More importantly he has a new lease on life.

"It's been a complete turnaround. It was like being reborn again or an awakening," says Penney "Guy knows how to push you. He sees things in you that you can't see in yourself."

Ouellette started the Sculpt and Fit class in 2006 after he noticed that his cardio-kickboxing students were beginning to stagnate. He immediately set to work developing a program that could allow him to integrate conditioning and fitness with healthy lifestyle choices. The result was the Scuplt and Fit class.

When each member joins the class, they receive a handbook which is part guide book, part daily journal and part log book. One of the first things the students must do is take a picture of themselves and place it in the front of the book to act as a daily reminder of why they joined the class in the first place. The book also contains recommended food choices and portion sizes.

Students can also use the book to track their food intake along with any supplements they may be using. There's also a place to keep track of their weight loss and body measurements.

Ouellette says he wrote the book to act as a guide.

"I'm not a dietician, but I know some very good dieticians and nutritionists and I know what works and what doesn't work. I don't tell them what to eat, I just give them ideas and choices. Ultimatelty, it's up to them," says Ouellette, "but they have to be truthful to themselves. It's about taking personal responsibility for your actions and your decisions."

"I can't make you lose weight, but I can guarantee that I'll make you work hard if you're willing to put the effort in. The pleasure you get out of life is equal to the attitude you put into it it. That's as true for personal fitness as it is for anything else."

Since starting the class, Ouellette has gained a legion of believers who swear by his approach to fitness and health. There's Jason and Jen who joined the class to lose weight before their wedding. Jason ended up losing 50 lbs. The pair haven't missed a class since.

MIke Chartrand had Type 2 diabetes and was totally out of shape. Today, both his diabetes and his weight are under control thanks to healthy fooid choices and his weekly sculpt and fit workouts.

Friends Julianne Austin and Julie Rioux joined the class two years ago.

"It's like you're part of a family. Everyone talks to everyone and encourages each other. There's no snobbishness and new people are always made to feel welcome," says Austin who has lost 40 lbs. and 18 inches overall since joing the class.

Julie has lost more than 20 lbs. thanks, in her own words, to Ouellette's incredible passion and his commitment to each and every class member.

"i've haven't felt this good since high school," says Julie.

The key is that Ouellette is more than just a fitness instructor. He's a fitness coach. He encourages, motivates and has even been known to call members at home if they fail to show up for a class.

"If someone doesn't show up it's nice to find out why. They might be sick, or out of town or whatever, or they might just be having an off day and and they need someone to give them a little boost," says Ouellette. "The reality is I need them as much as they need me and I'm willing to put as much into the class and as much into them as they're willing to put into the class."

To help make things interesting, Ouellette spends a great deal of his free time researching different types of exercises to spice things up. The result is that no one class is the same.

"Everyone comes to class with a sense of expectation. The trick is to keep it different. Keep it different for them and keep it different for me. That's why I do so much research," says Ouellette.

The Sculpt and Fit class is held Monday and Wednesday from 6:45 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:15 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday from 11:15 p.m. to 12 p.m.

Elite Martial Arts and Fitness Centre is located at 1280 Trim Road between Hwy. 174 and St. Joseph Blvd.

(This story was made possible thanks to thie generous support of our local business partners.)

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