Angie Bryans - Mountain biker

If you’ve ever competed in a local race you know Angie Bryans…. And that while she may be petite she packs a punch! At 34 years old Angie has returned to Fernie with more enthusiasm, energy, goals and experience. This impressive athlete and physiology enthusiast boasts a degree in kinesiology, masters in kinesiology and most recently completed a physiotherapy program.

Angie grew up ski racing up until her early 20’s and was always interested in how to maximize performance, which led me her to study kinesiology. This progressed to coaching, which only made her realize that she wanted to continue her education. After graduating she worked as a kinesiologist for four years.

“When I was working with people they needed rehab and sometimes exercise just wasn’t enough. More and more I became interested in manual therapy and wanted to head into that direction to make myself more versatile,” she says.

With her many years of experience competing as an athlete and partaking in sports, coupled with her education and practical experience, Angie now feels like she can work with people from beginning to end (as in rehabbing an injury to training for an event).

Angie has always been in competitive sport. Ski racing morphed into mountain bike racing, which she has been “dabbling” in since she was 16 years old. She pushes herself by always committing to races, as she believes she’ll get lazy or lose motivation otherwise. From long distance running to adventure racing and now mountain biking, Angie is always pushing her limits. And she believes Fernie is the place to do it!

“I came out here because I was following the snow and Fernie is an amazing place to come and ski, but it’s also a place full of talented, fit and driven people. There is a really great athletic community here, motivated to push their own limits.”

1. What is it about competing and training athletes that you love? What I love about competing is that it keeps me focused. I love setting a goal, sticking to a program and having a race ‘deadline' to keep me on track. Being able to stick to a program and finish a hard race also feels like a great accomplishment and helps to give me the confidence to take on other challenges in sport and life. I love to share that passion for focus, competition and training. Whether the people I train share that love, is another story! I just love seeing people achieve things that they didn't think were possible. The 'Sole Sisters' running group in Sparwood is a great example of that. I spearheaded the first women's running group in Sparwood almost 4 years ago, and although I haven't been involved with the group over the last 2 years they are still going strong, if not stronger than ever! The way that they support and inspire each other to greatness is truly inspirational.

2. How do suggest people prepare/train for events? A couple of key points on training for competition (especially endurance sports) that I have learned over the years:
A. Give yourself lots of time to train for an event. You can cram for an exam, but not for a race. Believe me, I've tried. It doesn't work.
B. Train easy on the easy days so you can train hard on the hard days. Too much training at moderate intensities will make you slow and 'stale'.
C. Follow a periodized, progressive training program that alternates easy, moderate and hard days with adequate rest. In the words of one of my old exercise physiology profs, "Rest is the most under-utilized training tool."

3. What are the events you are competing in or training others for this year? I just moved back to town and I am working towards establishing my new career as a physiotherapist at Fernie Physiotherapy, so I am not currently training any other athletes...but that's not to say that I wouldn't. As for myself, I have really fallen in love with mountain bike racing in the past few years, so I am registered for the TR3, and plan to do a few other local races including the Salty Dog in Salmon Arm, 24 Hours of Adrenaline (if I can find a team), and as many cross-country races as I can get to in Montana, Southern BC and Alberta. I would also like to do one (running) marathon before I die. It's on the 'bucket list'.

4. What are your main goals when competing or training others? When I am training other people, I let the individual decide their goal, but really try to instill a sense that anything is possible, and not to be limited by preconceived notions about themselves. I enjoy trying to empower people to help them achieve their full potential, whatever it may be.

5. How do you think Fernie's recreational side has changed since you've lived here? Aside what seems to be a transition (at least in my age group) from hardcore DH to lighter, faster, more spandex-clad XC and all-mountain biking (love it!), the biggest change I've noticed in Fernie in the past few years is the increase in the number of health and fitness professionals, rehabilitation professionals and alternative health practitioners. You can now enjoy bootcamp, pilates, yoga or one-on-one studio training, followed by anything from massage to acupuncture to PT, AT, OT, DC and even osteopathy to fix your sore spots. We are so lucky to have such a diverse and talented group of health professionals in one town. It’s an inspiration for me!