Dubbed a work that arrived on the scene just in time to beat the holiday rush as well as beat back some of that holiday stress, Gym Bag Journal – Stretch for Success is a new book written by Manitoba Fitness Instructor and former Snow Laker, Patrick Furkalo.
This offering is first in a series of fitness journals, and the news release touting its launch states Gym Bag Journal – Stretch for Success features 72 pages covering over 50 stretches.
With the release of the book, and by his own admission, Furkalo wants to make training and fitness more accessible to those in rural communities.
Folks from Snow Lake will not only remember Furkalo’s affinity with fitness, but also his many exploits on and off the trap line. One of his masterpieces still graces the Gordon M. Rupp Rink Clubroom. That would be the menagerie of squirrels housed in the upstairs trophy cabinet.
They look like they are involved in a much better game than a few this writer watched at the recent Winnipeg based Roar of the Rings. Several of his mounted road kills also grace the shelves of the Dorothy Salahub Community Library. Furkalo still does a lot of bird and animal mounts and his amazing work has made it around the globe.
The taxidermist / author / fitness instructor, who now lives in Dauphin, says growing up in Snow Lake provided him with a limitless amount of specimens to practice on.
He says it was hard not to love nature, when he was surrounded by it for so many years.
“In high school I did a lot of trapping and hunting, so that’s where it started,” he explained. “Winters were... well… long to say the least, so that gave me lots of time to perfect my craft. The people of Snow Lake also showed faith in my ability and supported me that way. I will always appreciate that. I have met so many people who tried taxidermy, but gave up after a while. I kept at it... had support from the community and over 30 years later I am still going strong and still learning.”
Furkalo says that the fitness aspect of his business also came natural to him, as did regular exercise to him and so many others growing up in that time frame. “I was constantly active growing up in Snow Lake,” he said. “There was always a lot to do in every season. Curling, hockey, skating, skiing in winter; to running, tennis and baseball, to name a few, in the summer months. Snow Lake was absolutely wonderful growing up, with so many opportunities to be active. So for the most part... being active kept me motivated for my next journey, which came when I moved away.”
To set the stage for that journey, Furkalo moved from Snow Lake in 1989 in order to attend the then Keewatin Community College (Now UCN) and pursue a degree in Business Administration. “I suppose it was time to explore what the world had to offer out there,” said Furkalo.
Instructor
Since then, he has spent 18 years as a certified instructor through the Manitoba Fitness Council and has owned and operated Ladies Choice for Fitness in Dauphin, Manitoba for the past eight years.
Operating that gym gave Furkalo firsthand knowledge on how people go about their fitness routines. Through his observations, Furkalo noticed that stretching is one of the most neglected parts of a workout and he thought the topic was a perfect introduction to his Gym Bag series.
Growing up in Snow Lake, Furkalo also noticed the difficulties experienced in getting quality instruction from print materials, when no other sources were available. “I created this book because I want to promote fitness to people in communities whose only source of fitness information comes from late night infomercials,” said Furkalo. “This is an easy to read book, which features a number of photos, diagrams, and helpful tips to ensure the reader gets the full benefit from their workout.”
Gym Bag Journal – Stretch for Success follows the release of his fitness DVD Formula 3 Fitness in 2007.
Gym Bag Journal – Stretch for Success will be made available in retail stores across Manitoba, with plans for an e-reader version to follow. Snow Lake’s Sweet Nothings carries the book locally.
Asked what he missed about Snow Lake, Furkalo was quick to reply.
“I don’t think you can print a big enough column to explain what I miss about the community,” he joked. “It truly is a little gem in the north, with so much to offer if you give it the chance. I always believe that you can’t just sit there and let things happen, you have to make things happen. I miss the friendships that I made over the years.
“As weird as it sounds... I miss the smell of the trees and the freshness of the north. Periodically, here in Dauphin during the summer months, we get the smoke from forest fires passing through the area... the locals here will say, ‘Oh my… do you smell that smoke?’ I take a big breath and say, ‘Yes, I do... and it smells like home.’”
My Take on Snow Lake runs Fridays.
Patrick Furkalo with his other passion, taxidermy.
PHOTO COURTESY OF DEANNE JOYCE
