About Us - Urban Poling

Drive

We aren’t shy about it. We want to be the best. Our drive comes from deeply rooted family values and a strong desire to create a healthier future for all Canadians. We have a passion to provide superior education and the highest performance poles to help you, "Walk Your Way to Better Health".

Mission

We are focused on increasing mobility and function for every age, ability and fitness level. Through our educational programs and uniquely designed poles, our mission is to help people realize that their full potential is not only achievable but also sustainable, by doing exactly what their body was designed to do – move.

Vision

We envision a healthy future founded on prevention. We envision achieving physical and mental well-being by being active. We envision a future of feeling good, from the inside out.
Now we ask you, "Why wait?"
The future begins today.

Urban Poling is proud to be an awarding winning and 100% women-owned and operated Canadian company. Incorporated in 2005, it was one of the first companies to bring Urban Poling (generic name is Nordic walking) to Canada! Today as an international education centre & distributor, our high performance Urban and ACTIVATOR poles are found in 1000+ stores and have been adopted as a therapy & fitness tool by more than 5000 graduates of our training programs including, diverse healthcare professionals and fitness instructors.

Commitment

We are committed to helping people change their lives for the better and become healthier versions of themselves, no matter what their age or stage of life. It starts with a single step. Let us help you make it.

Urban Poling Inc.

Diana is a dynamic business professional with an extensive background in marketing, sales and fitness. She has a passion for promoting the many health benefits of Urban Poling, which stems from her personal experience. Diana combined Urban Poling with other positive lifestyle choices to regain a healthy weight and improve her cardiovascular health following two strenuous pregnancies. Her positive recovery has instilled a drive to help change the face of health care in Canada. In 2012 she became a certified Urban Poling instructor and taught classes in her own Pilates business. In 2014, she became co-owner of Urban Poling.

Diana Oliver

Urban Poling Inc. Owner and CEO

Urban Poling Team

At Urban Poling Inc., we’re passionate about empowering individuals and professionals to embrace an active and healthier lifestyle. Our dedicated team combines innovation, expertise, and a shared commitment to wellness, making us leaders in fitness and rehabilitation solutions.

Dr. Joy Cochran PT, DPT

Clinical Evidence Specialist

Barb Gormley

Director of Education

Rodrigo Silva

Marketing Manager

Lisa Limper

Sales & Marketing

Giselle Giammarco

Customer Service

Anna Azaryan

Project Manager

Summer Tibando

Marketing (Practicum:)

Sandra Malta

Orders Desk and Administrative Assistant

Urban Poling Master Trainers

Our Master Trainers bring a wealth of knowledge gained through education, professional practice, and hands-on learning.

Lisa Limper, MS, CSCS, ATC

I’m a certified CanFitPro Fitness Instructor Specialist and Personal Training Specialist. I currently teach Pound Fitness, Urban Poling Walking and several formats of Zumba, including regular Zumba, Zumba Gold and Zumba Kids. I am also licensed to teach Zumba Toning, Zumba Sentao, Aqua Zumba and Strong Nation. I offer classes for everyone from children to seniors, in all formats mentioned. I also do personal training.

Joy A Cochran PT, DPT

Joy Cochran is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, Owner of JOY Explorations and a member of Urban Poling’s Clinical Evidence Team / Master Trainer. Joy’s passion is to empower clients, specifically older adults and those with neurologic conditions, to play, explore movement, and go on adventures to promote healthier, happier and more fulfilling lives. She is a Credentialed Balance and Falls Professional and Certified Exercise Expert for the Aging Adult (CEEAA) through the Geriatric Academy of the American Physical Therapy Association, and also holds certifications specific to treating Parkinson's Disease – PWR! Moves, LSVT BIG, and Rock Steady Boxing Clinician.

Melanie Kidder, Trainer

Nina Munthe Lepage, Trainer

Nina LePage has been a Manor Park resident since 1988. She is Swedish and the mother of four beautiful children. Nina met her husband Marc in Stockholm and moved to Ottawa in 1988. Since her mid twenties, Nina has worked in some capacity with health and wellness. Through walking classes, healthy cooking classes, fitness classes and yoga.

Wendy Wilkerson, MS.Ed.

Wendy Wilkerson, MS.Ed., holds a master’s degree from Old Dominion University and is a highly skilled specialist in both Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis (MS). With over 14 years of experience working with the Parkinson's population, Wendy has earned specialty certifications in Rock Steady Boxing, PWR! certified instructor, Parkinson’s disease and MS Exercise Specialist and also Master Trainer for Urban Poling. She founded her LLC, Empowerment! Wellness in 2018, a specialty fitness facility center for Parkinson’s disease to provide a place for those individuals to exercise without being defined by their disease.

Sartre Jean-Gilles, Kinesiologist

Sartre Jean-Gilles is an online personal fitness coach who is passionate about working with busy home-- worbased entrepreneurs to form healthy habits and improve their overall fitness. Sartre supports your individual weight loss goals without you having to give up your favourite foods or spend a lot of time exercising.

Lisa Workman (M.A., B.P.E., CSEP-CEP

Meet Lisa Workman. With an impressive 24 years of experience, Lisa has earned her stripes as an international award-winning clinical exercise physiologist. But don't let her accolades fool you – she's as down-to-earth as they come! Lisa's journey began at the University of Alberta, where she earned her Bachelor of Physical Education and Masters of Arts (Physical Education) degrees. She dove headfirst into the world of physical activity and health, and she's been making waves ever since.

Nina Camacho ACE-CPT, FAI-FAS

Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, Nina was heavily influenced both the rich, local bounty of seafood and produce surrounding the area. Her grandmother, who she called “Lola”, taught her to give back to others because we were all very fortunate. Nina strived to always give back, but noticed in “The Big Easy”, people seemed to overindulge in that bounty, rather than work on their physical health. At a chance encounter at a family grocery store, she met someone who would change her perspective of fitness.

Lorene Hughes, Fearless Leader and Wellness Coaching

Lorene Hughes, Fearless Leader of Scary Bunny Fitness and Wellness Coaching, has been teaching fitness classes for more than two decades: Urban Poling, aka Nordic Walking, Kettlebell, Circuit Training, Chair Fitness, Barre, Dance Fitness... and many more. Her credentials include Alberta Fitness Leadership (AFLCA), the Canadian Fitness Professional (Canfitpro) and a myriad of program-specific certifications. She is both a Certified Nutrition Coach and a Certified Wellness Coach. Most recently, Lorene became an award-winning Co-Author of Fear Less.

Kim Bercovitz, Ph.D.

Ph.D. in Behavioral Science & Health from the University of Toronto  Former National Cancer Institute of Canada postdoctoral fellow  MS in Exercise and Health Studies (Miami University)  Bachelor of Physical Education (University of British Columbia)  Worked at renowned hospitals, including University Health Network, the largest hospital-based research program in Canada  Published in peer-reviewed journals  Consulted to pharmaceutical companies and health organizations about the patient disease journey experience  Professional speaker (virtual and in-person) for the meetings

Susan Yungblut, PT, MBA

A passionate advocate for Urban Poling, Susan Yungblut integrates Nordic walking into both her physiotherapy practice and personal fitness routine. Certified as an Urban Poling Instructor in 2017, she founded Ottawa Nordic Walks in 2019 to promote the physical and mental benefits of Nordic walking. (Ottawa & Region) - With a background in physiotherapy and health policy, Susan has worked extensively in chronic disease prevention and exercise promotion, including as Director of Exercise is Medicine Canada. She incorporates Urban Poling into rehab programs for a variety of conditions and serves as a role model for active living in her community. Susan teaches classes for individuals and groups—visit www.ottawanordicwalks.ca to learn more.