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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