Okanagan Peak Performance Inc.

This week we’re celebrating another incredible member spotlight from OPP.

Crystal has been consistient at OPP for more than a year and says she has noticed significant improvements in her strength, balance, and overall movement.

Her biggest win?

“My body does not ever hurt”

As a coach it has been awesome to watch her go from hesitant to do lower body exercises to many impressive lifts including:

Multiple sets of 175 lbs trapbar deadlift
Increasing her 30 lbs goblet squat to 110 lbs Zercher squat
124 lbs Farmers carry for 20 m

A super recent victory was loading / unloading a brand new lawnmower all by herself!

After foot surgery that required two permanent pins and two months of being non-weight bearing, Crystal worked hard to rebuild her strength and confidence over time.

What she appreciates most about training at OPP is the individualized approach and support she receives from staff.

“They always listen if I notice something feels off and they will adapt my exercise.”

Born and raised in Grand Forks, B.C., Crystal has always loved an active lifestyle. Running became a huge part of her life at just 12 years old, and is working on returning back to longer distances.

She currently works as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counsellor with the Canadian Mental Health Association after many years working as a Rehabilitation Assistant. She’s also studying toward a professional designation exam.

At home, she lives with her 16-year-old son, longtime boyfriend, cat Rocky, and dog Vixen.

She also credits her close-knit group of lifelong girlfriends for being a constant source of support.

“They know all of my secrets and are my biggest cheerleaders.”

Crystal joined OPP hoping to stay motivated while building strength, improving balance, and reducing pain.

Now, after more than a year of consistency, she says she genuinely loves training at OPP and the environment the community has created.

Crystal’s positive attitude, consistency, and commitment to improving herself have been incredible to watch over the past year. We’re proud of everything she’s accomplished so far and are excited to continue supporting her moving forward.

Great work, Crystal!

This week we’re celebrating an incredible success story from OPP member Christine Ulmer.

Originally from the Okanagan, Christine returned home after years in Vancouver playing varsity field hockey at UBC and later living in Boston for graduate school. She started training at OPP in January 2026 after recommendation by her friend, Ben Smit. Thanks Ben!

She came with goals of building strength, improving body composition, moving better, and becoming more athletic on the ice.

“I’m training for a healthy life and to not be the slowest skater on my hockey team,” she joked.

From the beginning, Christine committed fully to the process.

Since starting at OPP, her trap bar deadlift has climbed from 95 lbs to 185 lbs, nearly doubling in just a few months.

Her vertical jump has improved from 13.6 inches to 17.8 inches, a huge increase in lower body power and explosiveness.

She’s also noticed major changes in muscle mass through her legs and shoulders, along with improved mobility overall.

One hesitation she had before starting?

“I hate burpees and a few other activities and I was worried I would be stuck doing exercises I don’t like or that don’t seem to have a purpose. I’ve had the opposite experience.”

What Christine appreciates most about OPP is the environment and community.

“There are awesome people working out at OPP and excellent staff. Everyone is dedicated and driven and also extremely friendly and supportive.”

She describes the gym as “old school in the best way” it’s a place where people come to work hard, learn from the coaching staff, support each other, and have fun without distractions.

“Walking through the doors at OPP always puts a smile on my face, even after a long day at work.”

What makes Christine’s progress especially exciting is her consistency. Since January, she’s continued building momentum session after session while staying coachable, positive, and committed to improving.

We’re incredibly proud of everything she’s accomplished so far and excited to see where her training takes her next.

Great work, Christine.

ISO of a personal trainer or strength coach in the lower mainland. Burnaby-Port Coquitlam area, near the IKEA. Request for a former client looking to get stronger and not get injured. Can post below or send me a DM. Thank you

Low back pain? That’s common, but the low back itself is often just the downstream area that feels the problem, not necessarily where it starts.

Limitations in places like the hips, glutes, core, or upper back can change how the body moves, and the low back ends up taking on extra work to compensate.

That’s why simply focusing on the area that hurts doesn’t always solve the issue. When movement improves elsewhere, the stress on the low back often decreases as well.

The low back tends to get blamed, but many times it’s just dealing with repeated stress because other areas aren’t contributing the way they should.

Understanding how the rest of the body is moving can make a big difference when it comes to addressing low back pain. That’s where we are ready to help.

Want to start feeling better? Want to stop stopping all of the things you enjoy doing? Come see us.

Workout Wednesday 💪

Today’s post contains 4 exercises to improve your balance. Whether you’re an athlete who needs more stability in sport, or someone hoping to stay steady and avoid falls, there’s something in here for you.

Balance training can feel frustrating at times, but it’s an important skill to maintain. About 1 in 4 adults over 65 experience a fall each year, and falls remain one of the leading causes of injury and death in older adults. (Send this to your mom or dad now before you forget)

Many people think balance is just coordination or a natural skill, but it’s really about strength and control through your ankles, hips, and core.

Like any skill, balance improves with practice. A few minutes of training now is a lot better than dealing with the consequences of a fall later.

Try adding just 2–3 minutes of balance work to the end of your workouts and see how quickly it improves.

And if you need elite balance, make sure you send us a DM.

That’s the post. It’s all up to you to make the decisions that lead you to your goals.

Change requires action.

Send us a DM if you need some help.

Meet Ethan!

Ethan Britton has been training with us at OPP for the past 6 months, and the growth we’ve seen has been incredible.
Originally from Toronto, Ethan moved to Kelowna four years ago with his mom, dad, and brother Charlie. He plays competitive soccer with Okanagan FC and is a huge sports fan all around (die-hard Arsenal supporter).

When Ethan first reached out, it was for one reason: his team regularly plays up against older age groups, and he’s often one of the smallest athletes on the field. He wanted to build strength and speed so he wouldn’t get pushed around by bigger opponents.

That mindset says a lot.

Since starting, he’s fallen in love with the gym and the process we take towards improving our strength. From trying new drills and games to tracking his speed and power with our OVR equipment, he enjoys seeing the numbers improve just as much as he enjoys feeling stronger on the pitch.

He’s winning more shoulder-to-shoulder battles. He feels harder to move. He notices the difference on the field, and his friends always notice the difference during school strength testing.

Some highlights from the last 6 months:

• Assisted pull-ups → 6 full pull-ups
• Trap bar deadlift: 18 lbs → 125 lbs (135 milestone incoming!)
• Faster, stronger, more confident in contact

For Ethan, one of the biggest challenges has always been being smaller on the field. But instead of seeing that as a disadvantage, he decided to control what he could.
The biggest tipping point? Realizing he wasn’t getting pushed around anymore.

As a coach, I’m incredibly impressed with his work ethic and attitude. He shows up ready to work, ready to learn, and ready to compete.

This guy is proof that size isn’t everything, but strength, consistency, and effort are.

Ethan! Thank you for making every session fun and larger than life. The gym loves the energy you bring and we are all looking forward to watching you grow and improve!

Rep ranges are guidelines.
Effort is the stimulus.

Train close enough to failure to give your body a reason to adapt.

That’s all.

How to guarantee you stay miserable:

Be ruthless about how you judge your body.
But careless about how you treat it.

Demand perfection in the mirror but accept inconsistency in your habits.

“I need to lose weight.”
But also, “I can’t make time for a 20-minute walk.”

“I want to feel better.”
But also, “I’ll start next week.”

That’s called ambivalence: wanting two conflicting things at the same time.

You want change.
But you also protect the habits keeping you stuck.

You cannot demand outcomes you’re unwilling to act for.

Change doesn’t require perfection.
It requires action.

Stop being extreme in how you judge yourself but then casual in how you take care of yourself.

Because health isn’t something you “achieve.” It’s something you practice.

One extreme workout won’t change your body. One perfect week won’t change your life.

But simple habits, repeated consistently? That changes everything.

You don’t need to go crazy. You need to go consistently.

Sustainability beats perfection.
Routine beats motivation.
Boring beats intense.
Repeatable beats impressive.

The goal isn’t to win one day. It’s to build something you can maintain for years.

Need help building a system that works for YOU? Send us a DM