Family, Coach Denis is going to back off of coaching to retire – for real, this time.
Denis’ first career was with the Canadian military. When he retired from that job, he didn’t stop – his mission just changed. More on that in a moment.
I met Denis when he brought his son Eric – then just a young kid – to Catalyst nearly 15 years ago. Even then, Denis was already volunteering to help coach hockey. I can remember Denis’ strong desire to help Catalyst from way back then: he had a college project on growing a local business, and of course he chose Catalyst for his pitch.
When Denis’ mom went into a retirement home, his mission became clear: to help people over 50 live longer, healthier lives. He began volunteering to teach movement to seniors. He made “Never Too Old” his mantra: you can see it on his tshirts and even on his license plate, and he lives this example every single day. Since going through his own heart issue, his mission and passion have redoubled to help others survive traumatic physical events.
Denis is also the guy behind the camera at every Catalyst event. If your picture appeared in our social media or on the website in the last 5 years, it’s because Denis has volunteered his time to make you feel famous – and inspire others through your example, as he does his own.
Now Denis will balance that mission with his own: to be a living example of living a healthy, fit and happy life through travel, time with his son and friends, and photography. Denis will continue to BE the example for others, but also document his story to further inspire people to take control of their health and longevity.
No matter his age, Denis will always be “never too old” – and despite his retirement, he’ll never be fully gone from the Catalyst family. 🙂