The Urban Poling Trailblazer Award is presented to certified Urban Poling instructors who have made an outstanding contribution to the wellbeing of their communities by promoting healthy lifestyles through urban poling.

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Wendi Paterson, owner of Nordic Walk Fit (www.nordicwalkfit.com), earned her Urban Poling instructor certificate in 2007. She quickly developed a love for the activity and began offering classes which were immediately received with great enthusiasm.

Today, she and two colleagues lead up to 10 classes per week taking groups of participants on a wide variety of local walking paths and public trails. This winter, seven of her weekly classes use snowshoes along with the Nordic walking poles. She also gives corporate presentations and runs a lunch hour class for Ottawa’s high-tech sector.

Wendi became an Urban Poling master trainer in 2009. In this capacity, she has certified dozens of fellow fitness professionals who are now operating their own successful Urban Poling programs.

Wendi has been instrumental in turning on hundreds of Ottawa-area people of all fitness levels and ages – from couch potatoes to burned out runners – to the urban poling workout. She has even given mayor Larry O’Brien a lesson!

Wendi is also a certified personal trainer, sports nutritionist and golf conditioning specialist.

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Kerstin Lemm, of Kincardine, Ont., was one of Ontario’s first certified Urban Poling instructors. After earning her certificate in 2006, she quickly rallied the populations of Kindardine and Owen Sound by offering them urban poling classes, clinics and demonstrations. “I call Kincardine the capital of urban poling,” says Kerstin, organizer of Grey Bruce County’s first Nordic walking club. “The town is perfect for poling because its many beautiful trails and beaches offer all levels of difficulty and challange.”

As an Urban Poling master trainer, Kerstin has certified an impressive number of instructors in Grey Bruce County who are now spreading the good word about urban poling with their own programs. She has been a tireless poling promoter at health fairs, corporate lunch-and-learn sessions and has partnered with local sporting goods retailers. The medical community in her area is now championing poling due to Kerstin’s strong connection with the Victorian Order of Nurses. Her marketing savvy and enthusiasm for urban poling has garnered extensive newspaper coverage over the past three years.

Kerstin is also a personal trainer specialist with Can-Fit-Pro and a seniors fitness instructor with the Canadian Coalition of Activity and Aging.

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Mandy Johnson of Active By Nature in Ajax, Ontario, is a consultant to Green Communities Canada,and the coordinator of Ontarians Walking Now (OWN), a government-supported project that helps communities put pedestrians first in their planning to create sustainable, healthy, active communities.  Mandy, also a certified Urban Poling instructor, has introduced urban poling to an enormous number of key decision makers in the health, fitness, recreation, trails and urban planning communities across Ontario.

As a huge believer in active transportation to address the health and environmental issues facing today’s society , Mandy can often be seen urban poling on short walking trips to the bank and grocery store, from public transit, to business meetings in downtown Toronto and while on vacation (most recently in New York City, see photo).  Mandy feels this is a fantastic way to be an ambassador for poling as these trips never fail to start conversations and spark interest.

Mandy has also championed urban poling at an impressive number of health fairs and conferences (including those of Parks and Recreation Ontario, the Canadian Volkssport Federation, the Ontario Heart Health Program and Walk21) and provided valuable consulting advice to Urban Poling Inc.  As well, she offers urban poling classes at the beautiful Ajax waterfront.