Posts

Meet the Team: Sam & Bianca

Generation Health would not be the fantastic program it is without the hard work of our dedicated team members.

Meet Bianca and Sam! 👋🏽

1. Tell us about your journey with Generation Health.

Bianca: I have been with the program since it began in September 2018. I’ve worked as a graduate student researcher to help evaluate the program, on the delivery team as a physical activity facilitator, and more. In June 2021, I became the project manager.

Sam: I am a professor at the University of Victoria and I have been with Generation Health since 2018. I helped develop and evaluate the Generation Health program. We are constantly trying to improve program delivery based on the feedback we receive from our participants and partners.

2. What are your favourite ways to stay physically active?

Bianca: I enjoy being active outdoors and am fortunate to live in Victoria where nature and the ocean are never far away. Hiking, running, tennis, and yoga are my favorites. I also love walking – with my partner and our dog, or coffee walks with friends.

Sam: I enjoy many forms of physical activity. My favorite way to be physically active is skiing during the winter.

3. Tell us about your favourite go-to meal or snacks!

Bianca: Roasted chicken and vegetables with quinoa. My favorite snacks are Tamari almond and stovetop popcorn.

Sam: Ramen. I love a bowl of ramen during the winter.

4. What are your favourite tips for healthy living?

Bianca: Try carrying a reusable water bottle with you to increase your water intake, challenge yourself to turn off the screens during mealtimes, and aim to fit in physical activity when you can – small changes over time make a difference!

Sam: Try to make physical activity a part of your daily routine. Physical activity can come in many different forms from walking to the bus stop, taking the stairs, or taking a stroll after dinner. It all can add up!

5. Tell us about a memorable interaction with a participating family.

Bianca: As a facilitator, I was able to help families work towards and achieve their lifestyle goals which helped them to feel more confident and motivated to continue. One interaction in particular was with a family who had three generations attend the program – the children, parents, and grandparent all learned and made changes together 🙂

Sam: My most memorable interaction with a participating family was during the initial development and pilot phase. The family offered us helpful program feedback and encouragement for our team to scale-up the program.

6. What has been a highlight for you while working for Generation Health?

Bianca: Seeing the positive impact it continues to have for so many families is incredibly rewarding. I especially love hearing family updates and success stories months after they completed the program. We couldn’t do any of this without our fantastic team members all across BC. I am proud of how we have helped the program grow and evolve since 2018 and am excited to see what the future brings.

Sam: My research program aims to improve the well-being of families through lifestyle changes. Generation health enables me to apply best-practice to help families live a healthy lifestyle. I enjoy learning about how the programs have helped families and working with the fantastic staff and students to make the program delivery and evaluation possible.

7. Lastly, what would you tell families that are thinking of joining the Generation Health program?

Bianca: Generation Health provides a unique opportunity for both children and parents to learn and have fun together, and it’s free! We have a knowledgeable and dedicated team who are extremely passionate about helping families, like yours, make positive lifestyle changes.

Sam: The Generation Health Program is a great opportunity for families to improve their health and well-being by learning about nutrition, physical activity, and healthy habits.

Meet the Team: Rebecca & Amanda

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 Rebecca, our Research Coordinator,  and Amanda, our Generation Health app expert!

1. Tell us about your journey with Generation Health.

Rebecca: I started in September as the Research Coordinator.

Amanda: I started in July working on the implementation of the new Generation Health app. I’m also a PhD student at the University of Victoria.

2. What are your favourite ways to stay physically active?

Rebecca: I have three kids and they’re all climbers, so rock climbing at the beach is always a hit, or exploring new playground climbing walls all over the city. We also enjoy going for walks together around our neighbourhood (especially during blackberry season!).

Amanda: I love being active outdoors! My go-to outdoor activity is biking- either on the road or mountain biking. I have recently signed up to complete my first-ever marathon, which I am excited to accomplish!

3. What is your favorite go-to meal to make?

Rebecca: I’m a fan of quick, simple meals. My favourite supper to make is burritos with homemade wraps and lots of avocado and cilantro. Our tastiest meals are when my dad fires up the BBQ or when I’m lucky enough to have fresh produce from my in-laws’ amazing garden.

Amanda: My go-to meal is anything “dump and bake”. I’ve been making a one dish buffalo cauliflower and chickpea casserole lately that I’ve really been enjoying!

4. What is your favourite thing about working with Generation Health?

Rebecca: The people! I work with an amazing team of incredible people who make it a joy to come to work each day. I also love the opportunity to interact with the families we support. I have been interviewing new families this week, and it’s a privilege to hear their stories and see the impact this program could have for them.

Amanda: My favourite thing about working with Generation Health is seeing the impact that this program has on so many families! This program is incredibly diverse, covering many aspects of a healthy lifestyle, so it has something for everyone. Hearing everyone’s feedback after the program is super inspiring and helpful to continue to make Generation Health an awesome program that families want to attend again and again!

Meet the Team: Rebecca & Cam

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 & Research Assistants, Rebecca & Cam! 👋🏽

Both from the University of Victoria, they help to register families for our programs
and many important behind the scene tasks!

1. Tell us about your journey with Generation Health.

Rebecca: I started in July as a Program Assistant for Generation Health.

Cam: Coming from the Digital Health Lab at the University of Victoria, I have been working as a Research Assistant with Generation Health for just over a month now. In the little time I have been working, I have loved interacting with families that join the program, because I know how much what we do means to them.

2. What are your favourite ways to stay physically active?

Rebecca: I love to get out for a hike or go biking around Victoria. My favourite sport to play in the summer is grass volleyball! 🏐

Cam: My favourite activity as of now is surfing, when I can get out! 🏄🏽‍♂️

3. What are some of your favourite recipes or meal ideas?

Rebecca: My favourite recipes usually come from the oldest cookbooks! I love making one-pot meals or anything with an easy clean-up. 🍲

Cam: My favourite thing to make for myself is a breakfast burrito. 🌯

4. What’s your favourite thing about working with Generation Health?

Rebecca: Generation Health is an amazing program and I love hearing how it has helped families all across B.C. I enjoy being part of the process and helping families create healthy lifestyle habits.

Cam: Chatting with the families. All of them are so appreciative of the program, so it makes my job feel fulfilling.

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!

Meet the Team Part 3

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. Let’s meet a few more of them:

What’s your role with Generation Health?

Lisa, Coordinator and Group Facilitator in Prince George

Lisa: I have two roles with the Generation Health Program here in Prince George. I am the Coordinator as well as the Group Facilitator and have been involved with the program since 2018.
Lindsay: I am the Physical Activity Facilitator at the Prince George location. I have been in this role since 2018, when the program launched in Prince George.  I really enjoy making the physical activity sessions fun by playing fun games and teaching new sport specific skills.
Rebecca: I’m the Physical Activity Facilitator for the YMCA Tong Louie Generation Health Program in Surrey.

Lindsay, Physical Activity Facilitator in Prince George

What are one or two of your favourite fall activities?

Lisa: My favourite activities to do in the Fall are trail running or hiking to take in the beautiful fall colours and favourable temperatures. I also love to do yoga to help reset my body and my mind.
Lindsay: I love going for walks in the forest and looking at all the different colours of leaves and hearing the leaves crunch underneath my feet.  Fall is also the start of hockey season. I play on a women’s team in the Co-ed division.
Rebecca: My two favourite fall activities are going on hikes and nature walks.

 

What are some of your favourite fall foods or meal ideas?

Rebecca, Physical Activity Facilitator in Surrey

Lisa: In the Fall, I like to go to quick and nutritious ideas as it is usually a busier time with our family. I make a lot of hearty soups with lots of veggies and lentils and chilli always seems to be a staple in our home during the cooler temperatures.
Lindsay: Homemade soups (Potato bacon cheddar & chicken noodle) and pumpkin loaf.
Rebecca: My favourite fall foods are homemade soup and stews.