BOBBY PEDERSEN

Dalhousie University: Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology
Canadian Society of Exercise Physiology – CSEP-CPT
NCCP – Hockey Canada coach certification
Titliest Performance Institute (TPI) - Level 1

Growing up playing competitive sports I always knew when my playing days were over I wanted to stay involved in athletics and make my passion into a career. After graduating from Dalhousie University, I worked for three years as the Director of Athletics and Head Off ice instructor at a private school in Nova Scotia, then began working with clients and athletes full time.

I have been a Strength & Conditioning Coach for the past 17 years and currently work with general population, rehabilitation clients and athletes /teams at all levels. Working with young athletes to achieve their goals is an extremely rewarding profession. I take pride in providing programs for my clients using science-based training to allow them to reach their full potential. I like to use those same training principals with general population clients to improve balance, strength flexibility, and overall health.

Outside of work I enjoy being outdoors, spending time with my family, and getting out on the golf course as much as possible.

VICTORIA SHUPE

Victoria has been working as a personal trainer for the last 10 years and exclusively in small local businesses. She primarily works with small to medium sized groups and knows how to deliver individualized, boutique-style training. Victoria actually worked with Matt and Evolve Fitness back in 2011 running some bootcamp classes!

At Evolve, you can find Victoria in the small group training room or Saturday morning bootcamps. Her small group training involves coaching up to 4 clients at one time as they work through their personalized program in a shared space. She is focused on getting her clients moving well and developing strength so that they continue to live long, healthy lives. Victoria has worked with individuals experiencing chronic pain, recovering from injury, youth athletes, teams, professional athletes, and people looking to stay fit and healthy.

Victoria completed a degree in kinesiology at Dalhousie University and has a Certified Personal Trainer certificate from the Canadian Society of Exercise Physiology (CSEP). She is a Precision Nutrition Level 1 coach and is currently pursuing a degree in Applied Human Nutrition (dietetics stream) at Mount Saint Vincent University. Victoria enjoys working with clients to see how food and nutrition fit into their lives and coaching them on how to build habits that support their goals, health, and general well-being.

Victoria is a native Haligonian who enjoyed playing competitive hockey and soccer growing up. She likes to cook and one of her specialties is making rice bowls – loaded with veggies, some sort of protein, and a tasty sauce! Her all-time favourite way to relax is reading on the beach (often in Siesta Key, FL), and she plays recreational tennis in the summer.

BECKY LYTLE

Becky has been a long time and loyal member at Evolve since 2016. Since beginning her fitness journey with the team, she has passionately sung the praises of this gem of a gym to any and all who would listen. Together with her sister Laura Little, Becky has helped add to the fitness program Evolve offers its clients, by instructing regularly scheduled Cardio & Core sessions. She also subs in for the occasional boot camp (A task she particularly enjoys).

A high school Drama teacher by day, fitness motivator by night, you can always count on Becky to bring the enthusiasm and positive energy! Becky strongly believes in the community Evolve has built, and works diligently to support and contribute to that community in any way she can.

Growing up, Becky was always much more involved in the arts as opposed to athletics and struggled to see herself as an athlete. Evolve and it’s trainers have offered Becky an opportunity in adulthood that has helped to change the way she sees herself. Becky has learned to “trust the process”, by setting fitness goals, and working hard to achieve them. As a result of her own personal journey, she is committed to supporting the other clients at Evolve by helping them to build self-confidence while realizing their own potential.

LAURA LITTLE

Along with her sister, Becky Lytle, Laura currently teaches Cardio classes at Evolve Fitness Halifax and promotes a welcoming community atmosphere through her positive energy and friendly personality. Laura learned early on that a positive attitude will take you far and brings this mentality to her instructional style. A firm believer in making fitness accessible for all, Laura is always ready to suggest modifications to different exercises.

Laura joined Evolve as a client in 2016 and has been attending boot camps ever since. With a background in government policy and administration and an unnatural love of spreadsheets, Laura’s involvement on the business side of Evolve began with providing administrative assistance for the popular Evolve Fitness Challenges. She began teaching, alongside her sister, the original Cardio/Core classes in 2018.

Growing up, Laura was not involved in organized team sports yet showed promise in individual sports such as gymnastics and track and field. Ultimately, she didn’t pursue either of these paths due to a lack of self-confidence and poor body image. Instead, she followed her other passions of singing, musical theatre, and academia. It wasn’t until her mid-twenties that Laura decided to revisit individual sports such as running, fitness, cycling, and kickboxing that she ultimately found the confidence to complete a Sprint Triathlon in 2015.

As a new mom, Laura understands how challenging it can be to find time for yourself while balancing work, home, and family. While her schedule may look different now that she’s a mom, Laura now prioritizes health and fitness not only to stay strong and healthy but also to model healthy habits and body image for her daughter. Laura is proud to be helping others realize their own potential by supporting their progress, embracing balance, and living by example.

“It’s not brave if you’re not scared”

ANDREW MACSWAIN

Andrew was born and raised in Charlottetown, PEI and moved off the Island after completing his bachelor's degrees in Psychology and Education at UPEI in 2010. Andrew then spent a few years traveling the world for contract work in both teaching and modelling until settling in Iqaluit, Nunavut in 2016 to teach. Andrew and his wife moved back to Halifax in June 2019.

In addition to classroom teaching, Andrew has experience in coaching athletic teams. Andrew coached provincial soccer teams and developed a soccer goalkeeping school while completing his undergraduate degrees at UPEI and playing for the UPEI soccer team. Andrew also has a passion for yoga and completed his yoga teacher training in Goa, India during the winter of 2019.

Andrew joined our Evolve team in the fall of 2019 as a bootcamp fitness instructor and in late 2019, he also began teaching yoga.

Andrew loves the fitness community at Evolve and is driven by the energy from each client and colleague he works with. He appreciates the challenge of tailoring his fitness classes to each individuals' comfort and skill level. He enjoys training in an environment that exposes him to individuals with a wide-variety of fitness levels and goals. He has a passion for life-long learning and overall mental and physical wellness and he feels that Evolve is the perfect place for him to grow in his experience as a yoga and fitness instructor for many years to come.

ZOE IRVINE

Growing up in the small town of Lunenburg, Zoe knew what it meant to involve herself in the community, so it felt completely natural to join the Evolve team! Throughout high school, she played every sport possible, which kick started her keen interest in fitness and nutrition. When she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition at Acadia University she knew that she wanted to work in an upstream wellness environment.

Zoe’s personal journey has provided her with a unique understanding of the struggle associated with food and body image. She takes a holistic, strength-based approach to helping clients, and believes that healthy eating combined with a positive attitude is fundamental to physical and mental well-being. Zoe is a certified mindfulness and meditation teacher.

Outside of Evolve, Zoe loves spending time with her two cats, and has recently begun using her organizational talents to help others declutter their lives.

AARON SMALL - ATHLETIC THERAPIST

Originally from St. John’s, Newfoundland, I grew up as an athlete playing a wide range of sports. After high school, I pursued a degree in Therapeutic Recreation from Memorial University. While in university, I played junior hockey and began to fall in love with training and seeing how strength and conditioning translates to athletics and performance.

I moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba in 2019 where I graduated from the University of Manitoba Kinesiology Athletic Therapy program in 2022, certifying as an Athletic Therapist in July 2022. During my education at the UofM, I gained valuable clinical experience working with a wide variety of varsity athletes, including basketball, volleyball, hockey, track and field, football, swimming and even golf.

While pursuing my degree, I became a Personal Trainer through the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology. In 2021-2022 I worked as a student athletic therapist with the Winnipeg Ice of the WHL where I had the ability to learn the profession while working with elite athletes.

As a trainer, I base my teaching and coaching on proper form education, biomechanics and anatomical movement to ensure that clients are training at their most optimal level to get as strong and healthy as possible.

My goals are to show the power and importance of movement and exercise in everyday life to restore function and to get you back to the sports and activities you love to do. By developing strength and healthy movement patterns, we unlock the freedom to push ourselves more than we ever thought we could, to be the best athlete of life that we can be.

HENRICK STRAIT-HINNERICHSEN

My journey started with having a natural enthusiasm for life and the outdoors, which evolved into a passion for competitive running, endurance obstacle course racing and triathlons over 10 years ago at regional, North American, and World Championship levels.

I’ve learned that your mind will quit before your body does, so I get excited helping others see and experience what their bodies are capable of with just enough hard work.

Active as a volunteer trainer in the HRM for the past 7 years, I love to celebrate people’s successes; from your first pull up, to your 100th, your goals are worth celebrating.

I make it a goal to help you achieve a happy and well-balanced lifestyle, and have a lot of fun along the way. Remember: Be kind to yourself. It’s the long haul that makes the difference in your life, and it’s worth it. You’re worth it!

SARAH WAUGH

Sarah joined the Evolve team in 2021 after being inspired watching her husband successfully lose approximately 75lbs and adopt a much healthier lifestyle through challenges and mentoring with Evolve. She graduated from Acadia university in 2007 with a degree in Kinesiology, she went on to the University of Western Ontario to gain a Masters of Occupational Therapy. Since moving back home to Nova Scotia in 2010 Sarah has pursued her passion of working with young children and babies at the IWK, where she continues to work part time.

Sarah grew up just outside Halifax and as a youth was competitive swimmer which she continued in university and then as a masters swimmer for many years. Since welcoming two kiddos she has become an avid runner, including a few marathons and half marathons. She can often be found at Evolve leading early morning boot camps both virtual and in person and jumping in on cardio classes when needed!

Sarah has a passion for helping other find that fine balance in life which includes enjoyable exercise and healthy eating choices. As a mom she is constantly seeking great new foods and recipes to share with her family.

Sarah can often be found at Evolve leading early morning boot camps both virtual and in person and jumping in on cardio classes when needed!

GINA O’LEARY

MEGHAN SIDDLE

JIM PAYNE

Jim started as an Evolve Fitness Challenge client in November of 2020. Since then, he’s been a regular at our Strawberry Hill location with the odd cameo appearance at our Bedford and Dartmouth locations. Born in Halifax, Jim spent most of his youth in rural Cape Breton until his university years, where he embarked on his journey of life-long learning, including a bachelors’ degree in Business Administration, as well as diplomas and certificates in Leadership Development, Public Procurement Law, ISO Management, and Information Technology.

His passion for SCUBA diving soon ‘surfaced’ with certifications in PADI Divermaster, NAUI Advanced Diving, PADI Rescue Diver, as well as various PADI Assistant Instructor modules. Jim also completed Hockey Canada’s National Coach Certification Program in order to coach his two boys as they made their way through the Halifax Hawks competitive hockey programs.  

Jim can be found leading mid-week bootcamps, Sunday afternoon bootcamp and cardio classes, or substituting for other instructors when the need arises. If you’re looking for motivation or inspiration during your fitness journey, look no further – Jim is your guy!

WILLIE NELSON-BENVIE

Everyone’s favourite (and most handsome) gym dog.

My name is Willie and I willie want you to be the happiest and healthiest version of yourself.

I am here to help you stay accountable with cuddles, sweaty and salty post workout licks and I might even let you give me some treats…..if you are lucky.

Things I love

-my dad Matt

-chasing balls,

-sticks

-ice cookies, strawberries, greek yogurt and PEANUT BUTTER

-cuddling at 5am

-country music

-road trips

-swimming and the beach

I hope you have a willie nice day