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Personal trainer, Annie Smith.
Annie Smith has been a local personal trainer and group fitness instructor for more than 29 years and her passion is helping others achieve their health and fitness goals.
Nine years ago, she faced a huge curve ball when she was diagnosed with an invisible illness: a rare, incurable, life-threatening heart disease called Cardiac Sarcoidosis.
A surgically implanted pacemaker and defibrillator were her first steps to recovery, along with daily medications she will take for the rest of her life. She became a patient at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre at University Health Network (UHN) in Toronto, under the care of world-renowned cardiologist Dr. Heather Ross who specializes in heart failure patients. At their very first meeting, Dr. Ross explained that Annie’s heart was extremely sick and she had to stop all exercise. Apparently Annie’s heart was so inflamed that it would be very unsafe to continue her regular fitness routines at the time. The only exercise allowed was walking. Annie describes that message the hardest pill she has ever had to swallow. Walking has since become one of her favourite exercises.
Controlling the inflammation around her heart and living with the scarring that remains are constant challenges. As a personal fitness trainer, she had assumed she was healthy. She imagined others would be surprised to hear their own diagnosis of heart disease, and wanted to remind people that heart disease can affect anyone and decided to spread awareness surrounding heart disease.
In 2019 she created Annie’s Pace, with a mission to walk as many kilometres on a treadmill in 4 days as possible to raise awareness. The initiative also raised funds for Dr. Heather Ross’ “Test Your Limits (TYL) Initiative” for heart disease. That first year, she walked 161km in four days and raised awareness along with $5500. Soon she expanded the reach of the venture, creating Annie’s Pace Global Adventure (APGA).
This has become an annual event where family and friends team up for fitness, fun and some healthy competition. During four days in May, Annie coordinates a program where participants exercise for a minimum of 1 hour each day (doing any activity for their heart health) or, they test their limits by exercising as much as they can every day over those four days. Participants include residents from Hong Kong, Scotland, Greece, United Kingdom, Spain and many locations in both the U.S. and Canada.
It’s also a heart fundraiser for Test Your Limits, an initiative founded by Dr. Heather Ross that has raised more than $4 million for heart failure research, heart health and cardiac transplant research at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre and the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Health Research at the UHN in Toronto.
The program runs from 10 am to 7pm May 24th and 26th and from 4 to 7pm on May 27th at All the Right Moves Studio, 109 Charlore Park Drive in Omemee where participants can work out alongside Annie. Closer to home, the program runs at the Cavan Monaghan Community Centre on May 25th between 9 am and noon. Kids are welcome to participate. There will be a variety of 30 minute fitness activities over the 3 hours, starting with Kids Play 9-930. Admission to either location is a minimum $10 donation to APGA and kids are free.
For more information, contact Annie at doyouevenliftmom@gmail.com. She looks forward to encouraging people to move their body to the best of their ability, whatever that looks like. It helps keep a positive attitude and an appreciation for every day. KG