Hi, I’m Kari Schneider – strength coach, exercise physiologist, life coach and athlete.

During the past 20 years of my career I have trained hundreds of performance athletes, from hockey players to swimmers, gymnasts to rugby players, and everything in between.

I worked with Team Canada Women’s Hockey, Team Canada Men’s and Women’s Volleyball, and also managed strength and conditioning for the Canadian Sports Institute in Manitoba.

During my time at the Canadian Sports institute, I learned that there were very few female strength coaches in elite sport. That adversely affected some of the top female athletes because they did not get the same degree of coaching as many of their male counterparts.

Between body image issues, lack of physical confidence or their coaches’ lack of understanding of their biomechanical differences – I found that many female athletes were not being trained to their physical potential.

Being a small female, I was was often overlooked and underestimated because of my small size. I learned at a very young age that I could use my size as an advantage and be stronger than anyone expected.

My love for weight training began at 16 and has never stopped.  I was an all-conference track and field athlete in high school and also competed in university, but I never had access to a Strength & Conditioning Coach.  I had to figure out how to train on my own.

Now, I derive satisfaction and success through the success of my athletes.

Hi, I’m Lyndsey Desjardins-Gee – strength coach, nutritionist, athlete, and lifter of heavy things.

Over the last 15+ years I’ve helped hundreds of athletes and clients achieve their physique and sports performance goals.  These days, I do most of my coaching online at lyndseydesjardins.com.

My journey as a competitive athlete has led me to a full-time career in fitness and nutrition coaching and I’m on a mission to help female athletes change the way they approach training and eating.

Growing up, I played competitive hockey and eventually went on to play varsity for Western University where I completed a Masters of Science in Sports Medicine and Honours Degrees in Health Science and Kinesiology.

I spent most of my hockey career frustrated because I didn’t have access to the professional instruction, training or programming that I needed to take my game to the next level.  I had to design all of the off-ice training that I did on my own.  I also struggled with disordered eating and body image issues throughout most of my competitive hockey career.

In retrospect, I made a lot of mistakes.  Sure, my self-made programs helped improve my overall fitness, but they didn’t maximize my hockey performance.  That’s why I’ve dedicated my career to teaching athletes, parents, coaches, and clients how to reach peak performance the right way.

Now, as a certified Nutritionist and Strength & Conditioning Specialist, I help athletes perform at their absolute best by emphasizing maximal strength development, speed and power enhancement, mobility, recovery, and balanced eating.