Kinesiologist & Manager
Trinity Western University

Melissa Bowman

Melissa grew up in Cambridge, Ontario before moving to Langley to attend Trinity Western University for her bachelor’s in human kinetics. Growing up, Melissa was involved in several sports including gymnastics, figure skating, softball, and horseback riding. However, it was horseback riding that became Melissa’s all-consuming passion and first love. Melissa has experience riding dressage (5 years) and jumping, both in stadium and cross country (3 years).

Although Melissa does not currently own horses, she continues to ride recreationally on the weekends.

During her time at Trinity, Melissa was in a weightlifting course which got her instantly hooked. She loved the feeling of empowerment weight training produced as well as the physical results.
Since then, Melissa works hard in the gym to consistently improve her form/technique, but also to teach herself new exercises and lifts (including Olympic lifts!).

In her final year at Trinity, she not only made the Dean’s list but was the student athletic
therapist for the Men’s Volleyball Team (coached by Ben Josephson). It was during this time that Melissa started understanding the importance of coaching, weight training, and the injury rehabilitation process.

Since coming to Vaughan’s, Melissa has developed a passion for working directly with people and helping them accomplish their goals through personalized fitness programs. She continually pushes herself to learn about new coaching styles and exercises to teach her clients. Melissa is BCAK (BC Association of Kinesiologists) and CKA (Canadian Kinesiology Alliance) certified.

Kinesiologist & Manager
University of the Fraser Valley

Nemanja Savic

Ever since, he has always been intrigued by helping others achieve their fitness goals. After high school, Nemanja decided to complete his bachelor’s degree at the University of the Fraser Valley in Kinesiology. Where he could further understand the human body and learn how to help individuals rehabilitate alongside fitness. In addition to his degree, Nemanja pursued a minor in psychology to better understand how the mind works and the role of physical activity on mental health.

He completed his university practicum at Jim Pattison Outpatient Care and Surgery Centre in the cardiac rehab department. The patient population ranged from young to old, with cardiac limitations to exercise. Furthermore, he obtained his corrective exercise certification from the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). Nemanja is passionate about helping others achieve their fitness/rehab goals and will do his best to make your experience at Vaughan’s Fitness a memorable one.

Kinesiologist
Simon Fraser University

Jason Duong

Jason’s interest in health and fitness inspired him to complete a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology with a concentration in Active Health and Rehabilitation at Simon Fraser University. He also completed a certificate in Occupational Health and Ergonomics which aided in his understanding of how one’s work may be affecting their overall health.

In recent years, Jason has been focused on working as a Physical Rehabilitation Assistant with residents of long-term care homes with a variety of chronic conditions. His experience working with people with severe functional limitations has shown him even more how exercise can improve one’s quality of life.

Whatever a client’s goal may be, Jason is eager to use his experience and knowledge to support them towards it.

Kinesiologist
University Fraser Valley

Alex Olson

Alex grew up in Courtenay on Vancouver Island and was obsessed with sports from a young age. He was extremely active and played numerous sports such as soccer, baseball, golf, and basketball but hockey was always his number 1 and took up playing goalie very early.

Alex moved away from home at 16 to Wenatchee WA, to play hockey where his team won the state championship. Alex returned back to BC and played Junior Hockey from 17-19 in Victoria before moving to Bellingham at 20 to finish his junior hockey and was recruited to play at Iowa State University.

Alex spent 1 year at Iowa State where he led the league in goals against & save percentage, while also studying kinesiology before moving home for personal reasons. Alex continued his education at the University of the Fraser Valley.

Alex’s love for sport was always a driving factor in having such a big interest in kinesiology. More specifically the time spent rehabbing injuries is where he was always interested in – the biomechanics of how/why certain exercises are so valuable.

In his free time, Alex enjoys spending time with friends and family, taking care of his and his wife’s horses, and competing in Flyball competitions with thier dog Mya.

Owner and Kinesiologist
University of Texas

Jarid Vaughan

Jarid Vaughan is the founder and owner of Vaughan’s Fitness and operates the Gym at High Point.

An olympic hopeful and former NCAA div 1 competitor at The University of Texas Arlington, Jarid knows what it takes to lead you to your fitness goals. As an NCAA competitor, Jarid won many awards and victories while ranking 3rd in the NCAA division 1 in the 200m sprint in 2009.

• 2009 Ranked 3rd NCAA Div 1 200m
• Finalist in the 200m Canadian Olympic Trials 2008
• 3 time NCAA Div 1 Conference Champion
• NCAA Div 1 Conference, Regional All American
• Competed on Canadian 4×400 relay and BC Teams at Canada National Championships and Canada Games.
• Fastest man in BC 2007-2013 (Winner of the 100m and 200m)

Kinesiologist & Manager
Trinity Western University

Melissa Bowman

Melissa grew up in Cambridge, Ontario before moving to Langley to attend Trinity Western University for her bachelor’s in human kinetics. Growing up, Melissa was involved in several sports including gymnastics, figure skating, softball, and horseback riding. However, it was horseback riding that became Melissa’s all-consuming passion and first love. Melissa has experience riding dressage (5 years) and jumping, both in stadium and cross country (3 years).

Although Melissa does not currently own horses, she continues to ride recreationally on the weekends.

During her time at Trinity, Melissa was in a weightlifting course which got her instantly hooked. She loved the feeling of empowerment weight training produced as well as the physical results.
Since then, Melissa works hard in the gym to consistently improve her form/technique, but also to teach herself new exercises and lifts (including Olympic lifts!).

In her final year at Trinity, she not only made the Dean’s list but was the student athletic
therapist for the Men’s Volleyball Team (coached by Ben Josephson). It was during this time that Melissa started understanding the importance of coaching, weight training, and the injury rehabilitation process.

Since coming to Vaughan’s, Melissa has developed a passion for working directly with people and helping them accomplish their goals through personalized fitness programs. She continually pushes herself to learn about new coaching styles and exercises to teach her clients. Melissa is BCAK (BC Association of Kinesiologists) and CKA (Canadian Kinesiology Alliance) certified.

Kinesiologist & Manager
Trinity Western University

Marissa Bruneski

(Maternity Leave)

Marissa was born and raised in Langley and has always been involved in sports and the outdoors. From a young age summer was spent exploring parks, bicycling, swimming and hiking and the transition to the winter was no problem because that meant ski season was just around the corner. Between playing club soccer, basketball and every school sport offered, living an active lifestyle is engrained in her core.

Throughout her undergrad degree at Trinity Western University, Marissa worked as an athletic therapist with the mens soccer team and womens basketball team. With a passion for working with athletes in their recovery periods and a willingness to expand her area of expertise, she was rewarded the top student athletic therapist in 2017. Working alongside the head coach of the womens team and the strength and conditioning coaches at TWU, Marissa’s passion for functional and athletic performance continues to motivate her to provide a unique training environment for her clients as a Kinesiologist.

As life presents more opportunities, Marissa is looking to find new ways to get people out and active! The gym is a great place to start, but there is so much more to explore!

Kinesiologist & Manager
University of the Fraser Valley

Nemanja Savic

Nemanja has always been passionate about sports and recreation from a very young age. He has been involved in many team sports, such as soccer, basketball, swimming, and competitive water polo. His greatest sporting achievement was winning the U-18 men’s club nationals in Seattle against teams all over the US and Canada. Throughout high school, Nemanja’s interest in fitness and training was sparked in grade 11 when he signed up for a P.E fitness class.

Ever since, he has always been intrigued by helping others achieve their fitness goals. After high school, Nemanja decided to complete his bachelor’s degree at the University of the Fraser Valley in Kinesiology. Where he could further understand the human body and learn how to help individuals rehabilitate alongside fitness. In addition to his degree, Nemanja pursued a minor in psychology to better understand how the mind works and the role of physical activity on mental health.

He completed his university practicum at Jim Pattison Outpatient Care and Surgery Centre in the cardiac rehab department. The patient population ranged from young to old, with cardiac limitations to exercise. Furthermore, he obtained his corrective exercise certification from the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). Nemanja is passionate about helping others achieve their fitness/rehab goals and will do his best to make your experience at Vaughan’s Fitness a memorable one.

Kinesiologist
University of Alberta

Jorell Mendoza

The desire to help people through Kinesiology came from his own experience with debilitating injuries. This shifted his focus from recreation to the rehabilitation sector and paved his way towards becoming a rehabilitation professional through personal training. He enjoys educating people on the way the body moves and believes that understanding biomechanics is a lifelong undertaking. Jorell is dedicated to helping clients understand the process of their training and active rehabilitation here at Vaughan’s Fitness while guiding them on the path of their health and fitness goals.

During his free time, Jorell enjoys exploring different cuisines stemming from different cultures. His love for food is unmatched second only to his love for sports and fitness. Jorell also plays guitar as a hobby and delights in watching and reading self-help and DIY articles online. His favourite form of exercise is Rucking (walking with a weighted backpack). This stems from his experience of backpacking for a month through Northern Spain along the Camino De Santiago.

Kinesiologist
Simon Fraser University

Jason Duong

Jason’s interest in health and fitness inspired him to complete a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology with a concentration in Active Health and Rehabilitation at Simon Fraser University. He also completed a certificate in Occupational Health and Ergonomics which aided in his understanding of how one’s work may be affecting their overall health.

In recent years, Jason has been focused on working as a Physical Rehabilitation Assistant with residents of long-term care homes with a variety of chronic conditions. His experience working with people with severe functional limitations has shown him even more how exercise can improve one’s quality of life.

Whatever a client’s goal may be, Jason is eager to use his experience and knowledge to support them towards it.

Kinesiologist
Simon Fraser University

Caite Cartmel

Her interest in all things health led her to Simon Fraser University where she completed her Bachelor’s of Kinesiology concentrating on Active Health & Rehabilitation as well as a Certificate in Occupational Ergonomics.

Through her schooling she has discovered a deepened interest in return to work through active rehabilitation and correcting biomechanics in order to reduce pain and improve quality of life. She is dedicated to helping the clients at Vaughan’s to achieve sustainable fitness practices that can improve their health and wellness in all areas.

Kinesiologist
Fraser Valley University

Alex Olson

Alex moved away from home at 16 to Wenatchee WA, to play hockey where his team won the state championship. Alex returned back to BC and played Junior Hockey from 17-19 in Victoria before moving to Bellingham at 20 to finish his junior hockey and was recruited to play at Iowa State University.

Alex spent 1 year at Iowa State where he led the league in goals against & save percentage, while also studying kinesiology before moving home for personal reasons. Alex continued his education at the University of the Fraser Valley.

Alex’s love for sport was always a driving factor in having such a big interest in kinesiology. More specifically the time spent rehabbing injuries is where he was always interested in – the biomechanics of how/why certain exercises are so valuable.

In his free time, Alex enjoys spending time with friends and family, taking care of his and his wife’s horses, and competing in Flyball competitions with thier dog Mya.

Kinesiologist
Simon Fraser University

Hope Wilde

Now Hope continues to play metro Women’s soccer as an outside back and centre midfield. Hope chose to pursue an undergraduate degree in Kinesiology due to her passion for sports and fitness, alongside helping others. As someone who struggled with weight and eating habits during her teen years, Hope has grown to appreciate both the physical and mental benefits of working out (specifically weight/resistance training). During her years at SFU, Hope worked as a Behaviour Interventionist (and still does!) with a young boy, Tristan, who is now 7 years old.

While studying at SFU, Hope also chose to do directed research studies on the relations between higher obesity rates among ASD individuals. This led her to gain increased knowledge of gut health as well as the impacts hormonal, sleep and activity imbalances have on weight gain. At SFU, Hope also chose to concentrate in Active Health and Rehabilitation due to her passion to help others feel their best as they recover from accidents and injuries.

Hope’s main goal working with her clients is to help them improve functional strength and mobility while increasing confidence! She believes strongly in maintaining activity to remain active and strong for life.

Kinesiologist
University of PEI

Amanda Stanyer

Amanda learned to lift weights in high school when she took a Fitness class. Growing up as a skinny kid, weightlifting helped Amanda gain not only strength but also confidence, and it helped her to feel empowered. She now enjoys sharing her love for weight training as a way to help people feel good about themselves!

Amanda was an Academic All-Canadian at UPEI. Although she majored in Kinesiology, she also minored in Psychology, which piqued her interest in learning more about the mind-body connection. As a result, Amanda takes a holistic approach to health and wellness, and she enjoys helping people train not only their bodies but also their minds. Amanda finds things like yoga, meditation, and positive affirmations to be extremely helpful, and enjoys practicing them in her own life!

After graduating university with the class of 2020, Amanda became a registered Kinesiologist with the BCAK and started working at Innovative Fitness in Walnut Grove, where she worked for 2 years. There, she learned to use her knowledge and skills in a practical setting, and gained certifications in Functional Movement and Muscle Releases. In April 2022, Amanda passed the exam to become a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist with the NSCA. This past summer, Amanda used her skills to train youth athletes both 1 on 1 and in small groups, and she also ran a ladies’ bootcamp.

You can now catch Amanda lifting weights, running, hiking, snowboarding, and playing with her dog. Amanda is very excited to be working at Vaughan’s Fitness, to continue growing in the profession that she loves, and to help people to become the best version of themselves!