Home

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.

I’ve forged amazing connections with clients over the past year as a volunteer.

I’ve forged amazing connections with clients over the past year as a volunteer. While every shift gives me an opportunity to apply concepts learned through my Kinesiology degree, I’m fascinated by the ability to put a face to the science of healthy aging. I’m simply inspired by the MacSeniors and MacCardiac clients. While I may help them through their exercise programs, I’m learning so much on what it means to keep my body and mind as top priority.

There is no doubt in my mind that the McMaster Cardiac Rehabilitation Program has contributed to my success as a long-term transplant survivor

In October 1989, I received a heart transplant at London Health Sciences University Hospital six days after suffering a massive heart attack. Following three months of treatment as an outpatient including six weeks of physiotherapy sessions, I was discharged and returned to Hamilton. I vowed to take better care of myself in consideration of receiving this second chance at life. Since regular exercise plays an important role in a healthy lifestyle and after attempting to exercise unsuccessfully at home, I decided to look into facilities in the community. In February 1991, I became aware of the Cardiac Rehabilitation Program at McMaster University and entered the program shortly thereafter. That was over 27 years ago and since then I have become a dedicated member of the MacCardiac Program exercising regularly in a bright, well equipped facility under the supervision of attentive, qualified staff. Many other men and woman of like needs attend and over time a spirit of camaraderie has grown. There is no doubt in my mind that the McMaster Cardiac Rehabilitation Program has contributed to my success as a long-term transplant survivor; one who has enjoyed and continues to enjoy a healthy lifestyle.