His adolescent love of fitness became a business he could grow into and a path for giving back. Coach Evan Ramsey is a fitness coach who is from Chippewas of Georgina Island. He’s been motivated to learn the history, get involved and move back to his community. “It's where I come from, and that's it gives me solace to know that and be able to pass that down,” he explains.

Back in high school, Ramsey got involved with fitness and nutrition, looking up to Arnold Schwarzenegger. His peers nicknamed him Arnie 2.0. His passion continued as he saw benefits beyond the physical, into the mental and psychological. He wondered how he could help others and he decided to get educated. He worked for a chain fitness club and enjoyed it but wasn’t aligned with how they did business. When it came to the client base, he also really wanted to work with Indigenous people.

Ramsey decided to take a risk and start an online business, before the pandemic when people were doing that more regularly. He furthered his business education, completing certificates to learn skills for his business after high school, wanting to give back and learn more. Trying to make ends meet after moving out at 17, he worked hard for what he had and figured things out for himself. Now he loves working with Indigenous clients in Canada and the US, learning from their varied backgrounds.

If he could give advice to Indigenous students, it would be, “Work towards something you love. Show up. It's not going to always be easy, but if you're willing to adapt, to learn and learn from other people who may be a little bit further ahead of you on that same similar journey, use it because it's advantageous and it's doable. Simple fundamentals will get you tons of business growth, your happiness, your confidence, those principles apply to so many different areas.”

When it comes to pursuing an education, his advice would be, “Take those avenues, even if you think that it's not a possibility for you, that doesn't mean it's not a possibility in the future or even a possibility at the moment. Collaborate and network with people and to really push that education, because it's about community. We are all connected in one way or another, and we all have different skill sets and different hobbies we love”

As far as obstacles, Ramsey has faced financial difficulties and struggles with confidence. Talking to people and appearing on podcasts was hard; he worried about being judged and his own self-image. It’s a work in progress. Another thing he’s struggled with is knowing what people need most when, given everyone has their own journey.

If Ramsey could give a message to his younger self it would be that anything is possible and to never shut doors. He reflects on the distrust that can build and how we can close doors on ourselves. His own journey has been far from linear and left him questioning his own path. He would tell his younger self, “Life is never straightforward. There's always going to be challenges. There's always going to be good and bad. But it's when we learn how to manage those and understand what they really mean, we unlock so many more doors.”  

To balance his mental health, Ramsey takes time to spend time with family or even watch tv. “Do things that you love, take time out, because with the busy world and everything going on, we forget ourselves,” he encourages. He believes in putting yourself first and going for a walk, making time for play and work.  

“Not everyone's going to understand you, and that's okay.”

When it comes to inspiration, Ramsey loves to learn about himself. His first fitness inspiration, Arnold Schwarzenegger, embodied not just the physique but also the philosophy he aligned with and aspired to. He was motivated towards improvement. He also looks to celebrities and sports figures who embody traits he admires and want to gain for himself. Growing up, Ramsey’s mother taught him to remember where he came from and to give back to his community through his success, being the change he wants to see.

In closing, Ramsey shares a quote, “life is full of challenges, and we all like to have a successful story. But the thing is, to have a successful story, you have to go through the trying times… Life is never a linear path, but learning how to handle the ups and downs, doing what you're passionate about, and just continuing to show up and do the hard work, it'll take you miles beyond what you think is even possible.”

“Just be you. I had to learn this from a mentor of my own, and it was when it came to business. Standing out with the niche of who you are, don't try to be something or not. The value comes from being yourself. The people who understand that will come to you. The science is the science, but when people want to have help, to lose weight, or put on muscle for whatever reason, the science is the science, but they buy the person. They buy the connection, but be who you are, and that's all you need to know. Not everyone's gonna like you, but the people who do like you will embrace you, will support you, and will open doors for you that you don't even realize just by doing what you love and being yourself,” he continues.

Being himself is also about knowing who he is as an Indigenous person and being proud of that. “We are awesome people. We do great things. The negative is minute compared to the great things that we have done, the things that we have overcome. Our people have faced challenge after challenge, but we are still here, and we're working and building that thriving that we've always wanted,” he beams.

An adolescent love of fitness became an online business Evan Ramsey could grow into and a path for giving back. He started off looking up to Arnold Schwartzenegger, but ended up finding respect and confidence in himself. When working a chain gym left him feeling unsatisfied, he found his own way to succeed, working with and for Indigenous people with pride.

Thank you to Alison Tedford for writing this article.