Our Instructors

Simone Swonek

Simone was a weird kid and not much has changed, honestly. Who thinks riding a stationary bike in the dark is a fun time? It’s a bit of an odd concept. Give your best effort to go as fast and hard as you can while actually not moving anywhere. That’s sort of a metaphor for real life, if you ask her. 

Simone grew up in a large, loud family of over achievers. There was a lot of competition for attention and recognition. She spent a lot of her life wondering how she could be the best, and what she could be the best at. For a while in those younger years, she was the best at being the worst. It was a hard lesson learned. With time, growth and evolution she came to a conclusion. She can be the best at...being herself. That’s it. That’s the answer. She can be as good as she can today with the energy and knowledge she has and she can always try again tomorrow if she feels like she can do better. And here is the best part. She doesn’t care about you being the best out of a group either. Especially when it comes to fitness or working out, she doesn’t care at all if you are good. She doesn’t even care if you are terrible! She doesn’t care if you are fat or thin, tall or short, loud or quiet. She really just thinks it’s pretty awesome we exist at all- that we were gifted these incredible bodies and they all do different things for us, and that we should always try our best to take care of them. Not beat them into submission or make them the thinnest or the fittest or the strongest. Maybe just loving what they can do and taking pretty good care of them is the answer. Not THE BEST possible care of them at every single minute of the day, but most times make the choice that is pretty good.  In fact, she thinks the secret to taking the best care of your body is first taking care of your brain. What she really values aren’t physical characteristics, but traits like trying, and showing up. Being the best doesn’t even crack the Top 100 on her list. Things that do make that list are: Be funny. Life is a lot better when you are smiling with someone. Be kind. Be a contributing member of your village. Be a friend. Be a dreamer. Be a hard worker. Be impactful in a positive way. Take responsibility for your choices. Do the best you can until you know better, and then do better. Always keep trying, even if at first you fail. In fact, failing is just a first try. The reward is in the journey. Use fitness as a way to focus on your brain and emotional health, and treat the physical aspect as a secondary, but really awesome, bonus.

Simone started spinning in 2016 and by 2020 she had taken over 1000 in-person classes, at which point she stopped counting. She started instructing in 2018 and has taught over 750 in-person classes. She graduated with honours in 2022 from Civil Engineering Technology at NAIT and is currently in school for her Personal Fitness Training diploma from NAIT. She loves spin, running, fitness class, laughing, reading, creativity, friends and her family most of all. She is still weird.

Rhondelle Ferguson

Werkhaus seeks public assistance to locate unhinged spin instructor

 

Strathcona County and area spinners are asked for public assistance to locate Rhondelle Ferguson, emotionally aged 100 years old. She was last seen on a stage, riding a bike to no where, in the dark.  Rhondelle is believed to be in the Sherwood Park or Edmonton area.  Rhondelle’s family and emotional support friend (Connie) are concerned for her wellbeing. She must be found before Wednesday at 0930 hrs.

 Rhondelle is described as:

  • pasty white;

  • being built like a Kleenex box;

  • playing music with little to no lyrics;

  • having dry humour;

  • talking too much;

  • brown eyes;

  • owning limbs and fingernails

If you have any information on Rhondelle Ferguson’s whereabouts, you are asked to contact Simone or your local police. If you wish to remain anonymous, you cannot. To report the crime of Rhondelle’s bad jokes online, or for access to schedules and information, download the Werkhaus app through Apple or Google Play.

*Baby Photo attached*

Tanya Mucha

Lover of pink, black coffee and laughter.

 Born and raised in the USA, I met my husband in my hometown of Portland, Oregon before moving to Canada in 2011. After having two children and previously never being into fitness, I found myself dragged to a group fitness class with a friend and have been hooked ever since.

 You will find me singing and dancing to every playlist (the brighter the outfit the better) and it's always extra credit for those who join me! Cardio queen by nature, I am learning to love weights but don’t be surprised if you hear me complain while using them – it's automatic. Professional snacker and optimist, I love meeting new people every class and learning their story that brought them to our community.

 Anything is possible with positivity and a little pink. Let’s ride!

Jina Boychuk

I was born and raised in Edmonton, with the exception of 6 years in Yellowknife NWT; I wore many different hats while there. Maid in Yellowknife kept me busy… yes I was a maid! It was a very successful business I started and ran for 5 years. 

Fitness became my new direction once I returned to Edmonton. I am coming into my 20th year in fitness. People know and often refer to me as JinaJ.

Club Fit was my first fitness job where I ran the 6:00am Bootcamps in the Edmonton river valley. 

I opened my own studio, BBC Body By Choice, teaching a wide variety of fitness classes over the years. Except NO DANCE CLASSES- I have two left feet!! lol 

I have continued teaching and love fitness and coaching as much as I did 20 years ago!

My favourite food -Nachos

My weakness- CANDY!

I have been married for 15 years and have a wonderful 11 year old daughter who came into my life at 42.. I waited a long time for her … She is my world

Now you are doing the math aren’t you !! Lol  

I’m 53 years young.

Jilly McKay

Let’s set the scene…

As the spin bio deadline was approaching fast, Jilly was starting to enter a state of panic. Knowing she had to write a “funny and clever” spin bio and also knowing she was only one of those things (funny, not clever) she thought to herself..who oh who could help her with this? Ah ha! None other than her dear husband Taylor. On the best of days he is always both of those things . Jilly reaches out to him in desperation …

Jilly: Can you help me write a spin bio?! It has to be funny and clever and I need it done asap! 

Taylor (husband): “you could just list all of the foods that make you fart. It would be a nice long bio” 

Swing and a miss. 

All jokes aside (SERIOUSLY HE WAS JOKING), my love for spin runs deep to my core. When I started teaching spin back in 2018, I can honestly say it was the first time in my life where I found a true passion of mine, which says a lot since it took me 31 years to say that. If I were to use a movie title that best describes my classes it would be “Fast and the Furious”. I like the music loud, light low, the beats heavy, and the workout intense.  And although not every track is fast, I can guarantee you, every track will be furious. So as Vin Diesel once said, “let’s go for a ride”.  See you on the bike! 

Sherri Reimer

STAY TUNED…

Kristen Rosato

Don’t. Give up.
 
Period.
 
There are A LOT of reasons not to try…Right?
 
New things are scary. Being vulnerable is hard.
 
Take it from a fellow overthinking, overdoing, living ball of empathy. I never stop moving and saying yes to a lot of requests, requests that more than likely required a no. I love to love. I carry too much. My bucket is off balance, so to speak.
 
So, what does that have to do with spin? It is just a workout, right? Except…it’s not. It is here that I find some balance. Here, on this bike seat in a dark room with no one asking for anything, this is where my breath lives. (And my shameless gasping).
 
I feel calm in this community of kind humans that pull away from the world we race around in. I love to see people claim back their energy and plant it into themselves. To see them be present, to look up, to evolve, to breathe. It is a place to focus from the inside out. To stop the noise and be still -- legs not included.
 
Biking brings me joy. Whether racing down a path with a dear friend or in a dark room with several new ones, it’s the time I get to put back into filling my own bucket so I can keep filling others’. That is what I love about a werkout – time to werk it out.
 
If you’re looking for motivation. If you are looking to try something that your future self will thank you for. If you are looking to have a minute without interruption. If you are looking for variation and music that makes you move. If you are looking to see someone who sees you. If you are looking to see yourself – I am your girl. Come join me on the bike.
 
There are A LOT of reasons to try.
 
Don’t give up.
 
Just move, period. 

Alissa Liska

When did you first fall in love with spin?

Fun fact - I actually HATED spin when I first tried it :D BUT I needed to add some cardio workouts while training for a bodybuilding show many moons ago. The treadmill was my nemesis so I would force myself to endure a freestyle spin class at Goodlife with a wonderful instructor who made it bearable and even fun at times with his wit and humour. Bodybuilding show life ended and I was all set to never sit on a bike again…and then I landed a contract position as a recreation advisor at an oil camp and found out I would be teaching spin classes. Soooo back I went to Marc’s classes with a totally different mindset to attempt to learn how to endure 60 mins that horrible little seat, found myself a certification to take that was in Brooklyn, NY to get excited for, and after getting some rides in as an instructor, I felt the endorphin rush from a room full of humans, feeling the beat of the music, pushing through and challenging their bodies and minds to do something hard. Anddd cue being addicted. For me, spin is 45-60mins when I actually have control over the amount of “hard" I choose to put myself through…and that rarely happens in the real world. That is what keeps me coming back and what I hope to help others to feel and experience as well <3 

More fun facts

1. Signature dance move? Anything a dad would bust out on the dance floor, trying to look cool

2. Geese- friend or foe? I will reroute my entire walk if they are in my path

3. Fav childhood book series and why? Archie Comics because Betty and Veronica lol

4. Childhood crush and why? Shania Twain - need I say more

5. Worst fitness experience? A $50 USD underwater spin class in NYC…or that one time cauliflower ruined my life while training a client (full story upon request only)

Monique Lozeron

Do you like to listen? Monique will welcome you to class with likely no less than 500 words, sporting an attitude of joy and a smile that guarantees you know she loves what she does. She is passionate about spin for the athleticism it brings out in everyone and pushes you to give it your best. Using her degree in Kinesiology, Monique leads classes with an emphasis on body positioning and muscle control. This is the only time our resident Empress of the Outdoors is found inside, so catch her class before she rides back to the forest.

Allie Pipella

I have always enjoyed and understood the importance of living an active lifestyle. I love to keep busy, cook and experiment in the kitchen, or try out the latest fitness or yoga class. Through my first pregnancy in 2013, I vowed to stick to my routine and ensure my children would grow up seeing first hand the importance of creating healthy habits.
A few years into motherhood, and after the birth of our second daughter, i got hooked on classes with a Pilates focus. After a few months of attending regularly, I was no longer seeing a chiropractor for back pain and I felt a new sense of strength I hadn’t discovered before. I couldn’t wait to be the one leading classes! Since 2018 I have obtained several certifications and led hundreds of classes.
I’m so thankful I’ve found this path to follow. Creating diverse, fun, and challenging classes brings me so much joy!

Outside of the studio, my husband and I keep busy with our two soccer loving girlies and our feisty Min Pin, Zoey. Whenever we can, we love to vacation, and spend time at our family cabin on the Little Smoky River.

I can’t wait to sweat and smile with you :)