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“PACE is a place where the clients can socialize, share their experiences, and motivate each other to reach their full potential. ”

When I first joined PACE, I thought it would be a strict, fast-paced environment where the volunteers only strive to help the clients meet their physical goals. However, PACE is so much more than that. It is a place where the clients can socialize, share their experiences, and motivate each other to reach their full potential. The volunteers also benefit greatly from this program. The clients have so much to offer, and after a stressful day of classes I look forward to a friendly chat with the PACE members. The meaningful friendships you make while watching your clients reach their milestones are priceless. I experienced the rewards of a career in healthcare firsthand through PACE and I appreciate the chance to volunteer in such a welcoming environment.

“PACE was such a friendly and inviting environment to volunteer in!”

PACE was such a friendly and inviting environment to volunteer in! It was such an amazing experience to be involved in such a functional and innovative space that provides support for many individuals in the area and eye-opening for what I would like my future career to look like.

“To this day I still visit clients both inside and outside the PACE on a regular basis as I truly do consider them friends.”

My name is Andrew Mikhail and I’m a former volunteer and staff member at the PACE. My first experience with PACE was after my first year of undergrad when I began volunteering in the MacWheelers exercise program. I truly enjoyed my summer volunteering there, helping out the clients in a very friendly and supportive environments. I found myself wanting to be there more often and it didn’t feel like a “volunteering task” but more of a place where I can come socialize with clients while helping them follow their exercise programs. During my second year, I increased my volunteer shifts to 3-4 times per week where I got to know more of the lovely clients and previous staff. During May 2016, I had the honour of being hired as a staff member for the MSFITT and MacWheelers program. I can confidently say that it was my favourite employment. Aside from building on my friendships with both staff and clients, I was able to have more responsibilities and further help clients by creating individualized exercise programs and leading one on one sessions on specialized equipment such as the lokomat and Zero-G. Unfortunately, I am no longer a staff member at PACE after beginning my master’s degree, but my experience there will stay with me forever. Many of the skills I learned at PACE including good clinical practice and modifying exercises to fit an individual have really helped me in my graduate studies while organizing my own research studies. To this day I still visit clients both inside and outside the PACE on a regular basis as I truly do consider them friends.