hiah chat - Leland Guillemin

Leland Guillemin is an IT Analyst at the Saskatoon Health Region and competes in the Epee weapon in the sport of fencing. He is currently ranked 5th in Canada and has aspirations of attending the 2016 Olympic Games.  Leland began fencing in 2004 when a hockey injury forced him to change his path. His fencing career began in the city of Regina where Leland fenced for two years. Leland quickly fell in love with the sport and realized that he had a talent in fencing that he wanted to pursue. In 2006 he moved to Saskatoon in order to fence and train at the Provincial Training Centre, the Salle Seguin and began working toward his goal of someday reaching the Olympic Games.

The 2012-2013 season was Leland's best season to date. He medalled both provincially and nationally and was the only Canadian epeeist to reach the quarterfinals at all three of the Canadian Cups. Leland finished the season ranked 1st in Saskatchewan and 5th in Canada. Leland is a member of the Canadian High Performance Program and has been a member of Team Saskatchewan since 2007.

Leland currently trains 6 days a week, often twice a day. He follows regimented fitness and meal plans as laid out by his trainer Andrew Leslie at Craven Sports and nutritionist Stephanie Langdon at Something Nutrishus. When he’s not carefully counting out how many almonds he’s allowed for snack, or hitting the gym, he enjoys spending time with his fiancé and his cat Tuna.

Twitter @lelandguillemin
Blog  lelandguillemin.wordpress.com

1.    What does being healthy mean to you?
To me, being healthy means being active and treating your body with respect by means of proper nutrition and exercise!

2.    Do you feel that you lead a healthy life? How? (or what would you change?)

I believe I do lead a healthy life! I've come a long way from when I was younger, but if it wasn't for sport I wouldn't have taken the proper steps to become educated and to seek a nutrionist!

3.    What is a healthy meal that you often eat?

My favourite meal that I eat now is overnight chia breakfast with coconut milk! I also really enjoy chicken chili.

4.    How do you stay healthy when life gets hectic?

I just stick to my habits. I follow the meal plan that has been laid out and I make sure my body gets what it needs to deal through the hectic times.

5.    What is one of your challenges or struggles when it comes to leading a healthy life?

The biggest challenge I have is dealing with all the dishes and mess on a daily basis. I'm not a very clean cook. Staying on top of the dishes is hard, but necessary.

6.    Are you currently working towards a goal or starting/stopping a habit? What?

I am currently working towards qualifying for the 2016 Olympic games in Rio. I believe it is very important to fuel my body properly so that I can have an advantage over my competitors and be in perfect shape on game day.

7.    What motivates you to be healthy?

I am mostly motivated by my athletic goals, but I am motivated to stay healthy for the rest of my life. This is the only body I get and I'm going to respect it and honour what it can do for me!

8.    What is a treat or indulgence that you enjoy?

Cookies. All kinds. My craving used to be Salt and Vinegar chips, but it has since shifted to cookies. If I could, I would eat cookies all day for every meal.

9.    Any inspiring words or comments that you’d like to share with our readers?

Anything is possible if you put your heart and soul into it. We can accomplish incredible feats by pushing ourselves and staying true to who we are!


Thanks Leland!

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