GOODLIFE FITNESS CENTRES
Gym · Health · Gym/Physical Fitness Center
KEY BIOGRAPHIES
David Patchell Evans or commonly referred to as “Patch” founded GoodLife fitness in 1979 while he was a student at Western University in London, Ontario. Patch experienced a bad motorcycle accident where he had to go through serious physical therapy, and this inspired him to start a fitness facility. His company expanded and is currently considered the top gym in Canada and with multiple locations across the province. He has been recognized for his many accomplishments specifically, 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures Award in Canada where he now serves on the board of directors. Patch states, “One of my favourite sayings is ‘good enough is good enough.’ Patch claims that that no one other than him has ever used this in relation to fitness. Let’s be clear that fit is not about being athletic, it’s about being healthy. It’s not about perfection; it’s about knowing when you have reached a good enough level. It’s easy. All you need is 30 minutes of exercise, three times a week, to feel at home in your body, to have more energy and confidence and to stay fit and healthy for life!”.
Patchell- Evans
Jane Riddell is the Chief Operating Officer at GoodLife Fitness and a starred in episode 8 of “Undercover Boss” in 2012. Riddell has a masters of Library and and Information serviced from the University of Toronto, in which helps her optimize her public speaking skills in the workforce. As the Chief Operating Officer Jane oversees the daily operation of the company as Patchell-Evans right-hand woman. Riddell’s job doesn’t stop when GoodLife Fitness closes for the night. Her job entails to not only oversee the success of the company, but in her spare time she writes blog posts that can be found on the Goodlife Fitness website. Much like Patchell-Evans, Riddell appears to be a Western University alumni and received the Women’s Athletic Alumnae Award 2. Her passion for fitness is what has brought these two Western Alumni together to dominate the fitness world.
Jane Riddell
After Lisa Burrow was inspired by Patch’s speech on children fitness she decided to create The GoodLife Kids Foundation. Burrows is the executive director of GoodLife Kids foundation and the director of special events for the London health sciences. As a firm believer in physical activity having both physical and mental benefits for children, Burrows saw this project as a no-brainer. Since the introduction of Goodlife Kids in 1998 Burrow has been a large part of keeping the foundation running smoothly.She is very fortunate to be connected to so many individuals passionate about getting more kids active. She reaches out into the community beyond fundraising and the outcome is that more people understand the importance of diminishing the rate of childhood obesity. Although she admits that running a charity can be challenging, GoodLife Kids has impacted the lives of over 240,000 kids in Canada through their available programs.