James’ passion for coaching, training, and educating others began at age 15 when he started coaching javelin at his high school. This passion led him to the University of Johannesburg where he completed his BCom  Sports’ Management undergraduate degree, with an Honors in Sports and Exercise Science. While in South Africa, James was a part-time presenter at the University of Johannesburg and a full-time presenter for ETA College in the Personal Trainer and Group Trainer Certificate and Diploma programs.

 

James, and his wife Caroline,  left the sunny shores of South Africa, in 2003, for their new home in Vancouver, where he started working for Innovative Fitness as a Professional Training Coach. In 2018, James, Caroline, and their son David moved to Kelowna to open an Innovative Fitness Franchise.

In January 2020, James was voted one of Canada’s top training Coaches by Impact Magazine.

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Innovative Fitness Kelowna opened in August 2019 and 6 months later, the arrival of COVID-19 has provided  2 years of unique experiences and learning opportunities for James as a new business owner,  including the opportunity to transition career paths to a more research-education orientated stream, allowing him to nurture his passion for learning and teaching.