Meet the Team: Kaede & Noah

Generation Health would not be the fantastic program it is without the hard work of our incredible team members who support families on their health journey.

Meet our program assistants, Kaede & Noah! 👋🏽

Both are in the final year of their degrees at the University of Victoria. Kaede comes to us from Pemberton, and Noah is from Cranbook, BC. They help to register families for our programs, put together equipment kits, and many important behind the scene tasks!

Why did you decide to pursue a degree in Recreation & Health Education (Kaede) & Kinesiology (Noah)?

Kaede: I’ve always loved sports and activities so I wanted to pursue a degree in something that would allow me to stay in this field. I’ve always been an athlete but I wanted to see what it’s like on the other side of sport, supporting others!

Noah: My father was diagnosed with a chronic pain condition when I was young. I was inspired by how much the kinesiology treatment helped get him back to active living. As a result, I decided that no matter where I end up, I want to dedicate my life to helping people.

What inspired you to work with Generation Health and what has been a highlight for you?

Kaede: The mission of the organization was very interesting to me and unlike any other job I’d had before.

Noah: I grew up as an inactive child who ate unhealthily and spent a lot of his free time playing video games. I had an amazing role model show me that I can still enjoy those games while also leading a healthy lifestyle. I spent more time in the outdoors, in the gym, and as a result, felt incredible. I saw that Generation Health is about health promotion and couldn’t believe how much it resonated with my past, as well as my values for helping others.

The program is an amazing gateway into healthy living and being able to play a part in a family’s journey to that is incredibly rewarding. Being able to work with a like-minded team has opened my eyes and has given me a lot of values I didn’t know were important to me. Without a doubt, working with Generation Health has been a highlight of the last year of my degree!

What are your favourite Spring activities?

Kaede: I love getting out for walks when the sun is out and the weather is nice again! I also like to get out for some road biking or mountain biking. When the weather isn’t as nice out, I’ve been doing lots of yoga and other activities like climbing and volleyball!

Noah: I absolutely love hiking (and geocaching), skateboarding, and rock climbing! I really like the mind-body connection I get from climbing. It’s like an active puzzle where the wall has all the pieces! I have really enjoyed picking up skateboarding with my friends too!

What are some of your favourite recipes or meal ideas?

Kaede: I’ve been making a lot more Japanese dishes lately. My mom made us so many delicious Japanese meals, and it definitely inspired me. My favourites to make are simple noodle dishes like udon or soba, and Japanese curry.

Noah: Ever since Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations”, I was hooked on cooking. My favorite new recipe that I made recently would have to be baked spicy-chipotle broccoli bites (vegetarian replacement for chicken wings). My all-time favorite meal I cook though is a ginger veggie stir fry!