An Innovative Family
Program for Youth
with Weight Challenges

 

The Mobilize Team

The MobilizeYouth’s advisory and coaching team ensure that the delivery of the program is at a high level of skill, expertise and excellence.


Advisory  |  Nutrition Team  |  Fitness Team  |  Special Instructors


Founder

Dina Lieberman, Founder has spent the last fifteen years in senior management positions in the arts as Opera Atelier's Director of Development and on the University Health Network’s $400 million campaign as Senior Campaign Officer at Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation (Diabetes and Transplant Campaigns). She also produced and directed the first breast cancer documentary in Canada at the Montreal National Film Board and consulted on another award-winning documentary, “Exposures”, narrated by Olivia Newton John, linking the environment to breast cancer. A strong interest in health care with decades in organizational development and fundraising provide the impetus and background for this timely venture.

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Advisory

Dr. Glenn Berall, Chief, Pediatrics, Canada’s leading clinical specialist in childhood obesity, Program Medical Director- Pediatric Nutrition,  North York General Hospital

Barrie Shepley, Olympic Triathlon Coach & President, Personal Best Health & Performance. Barrie has been Canada’s National Triathlon Team coach since 1991 (the year Personal Best was formed). In that time, Barrie has coached over 500 people to national championship titles, Pan American Games World Championship as well as successful completion of the Hawaii Iron man and the Boston Marathon.

George Dickson, BPHE, PFLC is President and founder of Health Enhancement Systems Canada. He has over twenty years of senior management experience with leading organizations in the commercial fitness and corporate wellness sectors. George is passionate about technology solutions that will enhance the health and well-being of Canadians. He is one of the country’s leading experts on innovative technologies used by organizations to inspire their members, employees and patients to start and maintain an active and healthy lifestyle.

Jackie Allen, Registered Dietitian. Jackie Allen is a Registered Dietitian (College of Dietitians of Ontario), Certified Diabetes Educator in Toronto. Jackie has focused most of her attention on prevention and management of diabetes, heart disease and weight management counseling, and has experience in many areas of nutrition including individual weight management, group counseling, food administration, health promotion, and clinical research.

Dr. E. Laura Cruz, Sport Medicine Physician, Pivot Sport Medicine and Orthopedics.

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Nutrition Team:

Suzanne Bardos, Director & Executive Chef, Food & Nutrition Certified CSNM Member.
Suzanne is the Director of Equilibrium Nutrition in the Toronto-Halton-Peel Region.  Certified with the Canadian Society of Nutrition Management, Suzanne is a nutritional consultant and personal chef specializing in home services and private cooking classes for those diagnosed with chronic illness and their caregivers, in consultation with physicians and the Dietitians of Canada. Suzanne also works in a Long term Care Centre in Toronto, planning therapeutic menus, completing nutritional assessments, and training chefs and nutrition staff in in the preparation of nutritious meals for those with special dietary needs. She educates her clients following the guidelines on the importance of diet in disease prevention. All new families are assessed by Suzanne upon joining.

Christina Nigro
Food & Nutrition cert., CSNM member 

Christina graduated from George Brown College in Chef Training, and the post-graduate Food and Nutrition Management program. Having worked as a Food and Nutrition Manager in long term care alongside physicians and dieticians, she assisted in creating meal plans for special diets, created standardized recipes and assisted in creating care plans for patients. Christina works as a nutrition coach for Equilibrium Nutrition where her culinary skills are well utilized in the MobilizeYouth program, teaching children nutrition and healthy lifestyle skills and their parents interactive meal planning. She has also taught basic cooking skills at cooking school. She is currently continuing her education at York University, in her plans to pursue a Bachelor of Education


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Fitness Team:

Betsy De Boer, Head Coach. 
Betsy has led the team of coaches in assisting MobilizeYouth through fitness, nutrition and behavioural counselling, creating individualized fitness programs for teens to instil in youth the tools so that new lifestyle habits may be continued through life. Betsy is a graduate of the York University Kinesiology and Health Science program where she coordinated Kin Games, organized national conferences, was a Kids Come First Program Member, Peace by Peace Volunteer, Teacher and Senior Member on the Bethune Athletic Council. She has extensive experience as Lifeguard & Swim Instructor overseeing the swim programs for several facilities including York University and Bloorview Macmillan Children’s Centre where she taught children with special needs. She has a long list of fitness and lifesaving qualifications. 

Dina Dryden, Coach
Dina is in the Faculty of Phys Ed at the University of Toronto. She has been with the MobilizeYouth program for two years as Summer Boot Camp Co-Director and ongoing coach in the after school and weekend program. She has been instrumental in motivating participants to exceed their capacity in the running track, aerobics, and weight room programs. Kids have bonded with Dina through the many months - a contributing factor to the program’s excellent retention. 

Jaime Lea Anderson, Coach - Teens 
Jaime’s extensive experience in coaching adults and youth as weight room supervisor at the Metro Central YMCA and group fitness and lifeguard instructor at Valley Park Pool & Sir Wilfrid Laurier in Hamilton, puts her in an excellent position to coach MobilizeYouth kids with particular emphasis on teens. Her lengthy list of accreditations (Lifesaving Society & Canadian Red Cross) has led to a number of positions as instructor (National Lifeguard) and trainer. Jaime is currently in the Kinesiology program at Guelph Humber following two years in the George Brown College Fitness & Lifestyle Management Program. 

Aly Bailey, Coach 
Aly brings lots of certification to the coaching position at MobilizeYouth. Currently in York University’s Kinesiology and Health Sciences program, Aly holds a Co-op Certification for assisting in Phys Ed at an elementary school. She has her WHIMIS training and Bronze Certification with CPR. Her athletic background has garnered her soccer tournament trophies along with MVP and best athlete awards on three occasions. Honour awards for high scholastic achievement add to the leadership qualities she offers our youth and teens at MobilizeYouth.

Rana Abdel Aziz, Coach – youth 6-12yrs.
Rana is in York University’s Kinesiology and Health Sciences program. Her varied work background and multiple athletic awards in soccer, along with accomplishments in self-defence, karate and swimming foster much-needed motivation and confidence essential to MobilizeYouth participants taking on physical activity outside the program. 

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Special Instructors:

Kostas Balasis , Spinning.
Honors Kinesiology; Certified Fitness Consultant (CSEP/OASES) & Can-Fit-Pro Certified Fitness Consultant

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Dina Lieberman, Founder

MobilizeYouth coaches have special qualities. They are passionately committed to stopping the weight gain and turning the lives of overweight youth around through goal setting, instilling a hard work ethic, building capacity, and giving youth and teens the tools to make healthy eating choices. This is why we see many of our participants staying well beyond the 16-week program.


COACHES' CORNER


“As a coach at MobilizeYouth, I have the true pleasure of seeing adolescents immediately gain stamina, resilience and self –esteem when they become part of the team at this program. Children need the chance to feel good about themselves and achieve the confidence needed to participate in sports and other physical activities which are crucial to a healthy lifestyle. It’s amazing the bond that grows between the coaching staff and participants. I personally look forward to every day of coaching as I take great delight in observing the general improvement of a healthier lifestyle within the entire family in the program.” 
-
Aly Bailey




"Mobilize youth is an amazing program with a great cause. Since I started working with Dina Lieberman, I had the chance to work with a great team of coaches and meet new kids. I was able to encourage them and help them out with adopting healthy habits. It is truly amazing as a coach to see how much each individual progresses, and to see the level of self-confidence increase. Not only is this a program to get teens and kids into shape and be fit, but it is also a great chance to have fun, increase self esteem and learn new things."
- Rana Abdel Aziz
 
Call today for a free 1 hour assessment for the child in your life!   416-294-4356