STORIES AND TESTIMONIALS
I think the single best way to give people an idea of what we do is to let the tribe tell their stories. These are stories of change, success, and accomplishment. In an age that is inundated with claims of expertise and internet guruism, it seemed best to let the success stories speak for themselves.
Profile: One of those run/ski uphill types
Injury: Shoulder
Issue: See ‘profile’
I didn’t understand strength. I didn’t understand capacity. Not until I walked into Ascension.
Do you really know how to train? What hard work truly is? Probably not. I didn’t. I thought I did—thought I understood effort, the grind, the satisfaction of pushing myself. Then I met Ian. And Ian shattered that illusion. He exposed how weak I really was. I didn’t understand strength. I didn’t understand capacity. Not until I walked into Ascension.
I went to Ian because I wanted to climb mountains. I had a trip to Peru ahead and needed to prepare. I thought I was signing up to get stronger, fitter—but it turned out to be so much more than that. Shortly after starting at Ascension, I injured my shoulder while climbing.
Ian didn’t coddle me through it. He didn’t say, “Rest up, and we’ll try again later.” Instead, he focused on what I could still do. Rehab wasn’t about sitting still for six weeks; it was about building strength in other areas while slowly working my shoulder back. Thanks to Ian’s approach, my shoulder came back stronger than it had ever been. By the time I left for Peru, I was as fit and capable as I’d ever felt.
Ian is something else entirely—a mentor, a provocateur, a mirror reflecting your weaknesses, both physical and mental.
But Ian isn’t just a coach. Coaches are everywhere. Ian is something else entirely—a mentor, a provocateur, a mirror reflecting your weaknesses, both physical and mental. He doesn’t just teach you how to train; he teaches you how to think about training, how to build resilience, and how to set goals that truly matter.
Ian’s a character—there’s no other way to describe him. Unapologetically himself and a master of his craft, he’s the person you want in your corner. Whether your goal is to look good naked or reshape yourself for the mountains, Ascension is the place to make it happen. This isn’t just a gym; it’s a crucible. If you’re ready to face that, step through the door.
Kyle Potts. Alpinist, Runner, Climber
Profile: Masochist
Injury: Mind, Body, Soul
Issue: Mind
com·mu·ni·ty
– a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes,
interests, and goals.
The word community gets thrown around a lot, and like most words, the true meaning has been bastardized, manipulated, and hijacked. However, if one seeks and is open to, they can still find it. I have found a community since entering the halls of Ascension. A fellowship of fascinating individuals from different walks of life and experiences. At the centre of this controlled chaos is Mr. Ian Holmes. Friend, mentor, training partner, confidant. A person that will take your dumb idea for a workout, laugh, add something even more ridiculous to it, and then suffer along by your side. When finished, will sit and talk, share laughs, wisdom, and if needed, tears; always ending with a big hug.
Alex Mohtadi, Thinker
Profile: Driven to the point I encourage more time with croissants.
Injury: Laundry list available.
Issue: A need for grace.
Been a wild ride learning to deal at this gym. Getting slightly offended in a good way on a semi regular basis and having that drive me to keep at it.
Ascension has made me love sitting with being humbled and just learning to keep showing up.
I’ve been surprised with what I could build in a shorter time than I thought but also never expected the camaraderie and community that this place has been to me. Grateful for being pushed hard and for having my weaknesses levelled with. Made me love sitting with being humbled and just learning to keep showing up. Also with a subtle but consistent component of learning to be kind and patient with myself built in.
Assuming the best and without expectations – kind of sums up what I’ve gathered so far from this space. Thanks for the excellent and multifaceted coaching. Being humbled is the best when it sets you up for big real life adventures.
Tami Nolan, Alpinist
Profile: Football player, trainer, aspiring firefighter
Injury: Burn-out
Issue: Not yet as sly as his coach
As long as you aren’t against a little hard work, this is the place for you.
When I first joined Ascension, I was struggling to find a sense of purpose and direction for myself. Up to that point, training and sport had always given me the outlet and the confidence I needed to thrive in other areas of my life; but then I lost that. The stresses of life, running a business, simply feeling lost in my mid-20’s, it all caught up to me.
Before joining Ascension, I was more or less just going through the motions with no intent or sense of why I was doing all the things that I was. Ian has really given me the perspective and the support I’ve needed to steer myself back in the right direction. He is there not to just guide you through your training, but to listen to you when you need to be heard. Ian and the community at Ascension have instilled that confidence I’ve always craved with training, which has allowed me to find a direction for myself outside of the gym. If there’s anywhere community and support is emphasized, it’s Ascension. As long as you aren’t against a little hard work, this is the place for you.
Max Hamilton, Coach & Athlete
Profile: Gypsy, World Cup Mixed Climber, Occasional Redbull addict.
Injury: Shoulders
Issue: Shoulders. Occasionally the bit between and a bit above the shoulders.
Trying to do the impossible, doing the unthinkable; it takes a certain skill set to comprehend what it really takes, how deep you have to go, and how close to the edge you need to get.
His skill sets as a coach is unmatched.
Ian has taught me what I’m capable of doing, and then showed me how much further I can still go. His skill sets as a coach is unmatched; the full package if you will. Whether sport specific training, rehab work on injuries, or mental fortitude, it’s everything you need in someone to help you with taking the impossible and smashing any limit attached to such an idea.
He’s the guy that believes in you…through thick and thin, and won’t let you down, no matter how “heavy it gets”.
Gord McArthur, North American Champion
Profile: Climber, Skier, Mountain Biker, Moon chaser.
Injury: Back Pain.
Issue: Hyper-mobility, FOMO.
Whatever your ability level, age, gender, or other defining characteristics you may adhere to, training at Ascension will kick your ass.
Despite the variety of individuals that make up the devoted clientele, Ian takes the time to individually assess and provide programming for each and every one. It appears, that so long as Ian is torturing some (albeit reluctant) individual he is happy. Not only are we challenged physically, but emotionally and mentally. Ian has cultivated a community that is entirely unique to his facility and doles out suffering to all.
His ability to address (and belittle) any manner of injury is uncanny. No matter how many practitioners you may have seen, or how hopeless you may feel your diagnosis is, Ian will pick you up, dust you off, and set you on the appropriate path to full recovery via a combination of sarcasm and inappropriate humor that stems from a seemingly endless wealth of knowledge.
Being welcomed into this tribe of passionate individuals led by a (possibly sadistic) gym gremlin has helped reclaim my body and rekindle my passion for my sports.
Clare Webb, RN
Profile: Nurse, snowboarder, too tall.
Injury: Back Pain
Issue: Tallness
Ian’s coaching has been the key to improvement, yelling at you from across the gym to do better, or laughing at you when you’re doing a really bad lift with terrible posture has kept me on the right path.
I was logging kilometres training for a marathon, doing deadlifts with bad form, and picking patients up from awkward positions. It could have been any one of those that extruded my L5-S1 intervertebral disc and pushed it against my nerve. My left leg was numb for 6 weeks and with pain going down my nerve root movement and muscle disappeared.
After 10 months of minimal progress seeing crowds of specialists, some reinjuries, cortisone injections, and contemplating surgery, a buddy told me to check out Ian’s shop. I was sceptical when I walked into Ascension like a zombie, how was this strange loud guy going to be any different than anyone else I’d seen? I was berated for not coming in sooner and felt weak. After that, Ian spent the time and found where my issues were, then he focused movements and his wooden thumbs to those spots.
Each workout is customized for your needs, whether it’s rehab or sport-specific. Because of this focused approach you don’t waste anyone’s time.
He shares the wins, even if it’s straightening your leg for the first time in over a year. Comparing where I’m at just 6 months after starting at Ascension is unbelievable. This gym is for people who want to improve and will put in the time, you will be surprised at the results.
Jon Taplin, RNP
Profile: Snowboarder, Mountain Climber, Whiskey Drinker
Injury: Broken Heel
Issue: Fragile Bones
I stumbled across Ascension a couple years ago when I was looking to get over a plateau in my snowboarding. I couldn’t seem to effectively train myself in the gym, and other trainers just didn’t seem to understand what I was trying to do. They didn’t listen or take it seriously, I was just another ‘client.’
The first time I walked into Ascension I was intimidated. This place looked like Schwarzenegger-era World Gym but for outdoor athletes. Super accomplished and inspiring climbers, skiers, runners, and even acrobats all in one place, forging bodies that could keep up with their minds. Despite the ability levels present in the room, there were no egos here. Everyone was immediately friendly and welcoming to a scrawny newcomer hoping to do what they had done.
Soon after I walked in, and before even introducing himself, some guy who seemed to be a cross between the drill sergeant from Full Metal Jacket and Satan himself, was shouting workout instructions at me and jamming his fingers into all the tight muscles in my legs. This was Ian.
After a summer of driving from Canmore to Calgary twice a week to train with Ian, I finished my first competitive freeride snowboard season ranked number one in Canada and number 10 in the Americas, due in no small part to the soul destroying workouts at Ascension. Fast forward to midway through the next snowboard season. I had dropped a cliff right onto a rock, fracturing my calcaneus. While it was unfortunate, I truly believe that I would have been much worse off had I not been training with Ian all year – I should have blown out my knee or dislocated my talus (again), but instead the injury was limited only to the heel bone.
After a few X-rays, surgeon consultations, and PT visits I was told I would be on crutches for 8 weeks, I would not be riding for at least 10 weeks, and even then I would not be able to hit jumps or drop cliffs for the rest of the snowboard season.
I went back to Ascension.
Ian immediately had a training plan for me that focussed on helping me get back on snow as fast as possible and strengthening everything else in the process. After 7 weeks I was fully off of the crutches, in 8 weeks I was snowboarding, and today, just over 9 weeks after my injury, I am back hitting jumps in the terrain park and planning an expedition to the Yukon next month.
Upon meeting you, Ian will quickly tear down all of your excuses and ego-preservation mechanisms. Then he will guide you to becoming a better version of yourself. The results are extremely tangible. The only limiting factor is how hard you are willing to work.
Rob Hopkins, #1 Free-ride Tour Snowboarder
Profile: Climber, Design Guru, Giant dog owner
Injury: A really fucked leg
Issue: Falling
It took hard work, countless “zero” reps ( you’ll learn about these the hard way ) and lots of verbal abuse from Ian
Even though my leg is better now, I still train at Ascension today and will continue to train there until Ian kicks me out. This isn’t just because I believe Ian is an amazing trainer, it’s because of the atmosphere and all the incredibly talented people who train there. Ascension is always a motivating, humbling and inspiring place to be.
Zak McGurk
Profile: Sponsored Snowboarder,
Injury: Ruptured PCL
Issue: Solid Objects
I had numerous winters with 100 plus days on my snowboard without a second thought about what it meant to actually be in shape, and the power of injury prevention through taking preemptive measures. I was young and stupid – still am actually!
That all began to change about 3 years ago when I first seriously hurt myself. The ol “wrap a leg around a pole” trick. I learned about the wonders of physiotherapy, and that brought me back to snowboarding at an equal or higher level then before – perfect right?
Ian will kick your ass. Sometimes it will hurt and suck, but the reward is worth it.
Fast forward to early summer 2018 when I tore a ligament in my knee. All I could think about was how I completely blew it for the upcoming winter. Whenever I got injured, I was diligent about doing my physiotherapy to recover. As soon as I was back on my feet, my wonderful physiotherapist Sarah felt like it was time to take things up a notch (scroll up to read her 2 cents on Ascension). She told me about this guy who could help me with my recovery AND help get into better shape to prevent getting injured in the future. That’s when Ian at Ascension came into the picture. On top of that, he’s an avid snowboarder that understood my passion and what I wanted to get out of my time in the gym.
Honestly, after the first session I was like “f*ck, what did I get myself into”. Ian will kick your ass. Sometimes it will hurt and suck, but the reward is worth it. I learned better ways to stretch and to roll out. I learned how to go to any gym and help myself feel better. The Ascension app is really cool and helpful. We worked together the end of summer and throughout the fall. Ian worked with me to help deal with my torn ligament as well as the long-term effects of my leg break from years ago.
Ian will get your shit sorted out, simple as that.
Finn Westbury
Profile: Urgent care doc, obsessive climber
Injury: Ego
Issue: Smallness, lack of strength at end range
As physicians… we learn the parts of a human body, but there’s a difference between understanding the pieces of an instrument, and making Mozart come out of it. I’d put Ian in the latter category when it comes to analyzing human bodies and being able to tweak them to bring out performance. That is, if Mozart was punctuated with sarcastic comments, cackling, and a sly grin. If you train at Ascension, you’ll notice that there are quite a few of us medical types hanging around. I train with surgeons, specialists, GP’s, nurses, physiotherapists and other allied health folks who all value Ian’s opinion on rehabilitation and athletic programming.
He knows what he’s doing.
I’m stubborn, and have had my share of injuries. Most recently I fell trad climbing, cracking my ribs and collapsing my lung. This isn’t the first or the last injury Ian has helped me deal with. He can completely overhaul a program in minutes to deal with each athlete’s specific weaknesses, and will find ways to make you stronger than you anticipate. I haven’t climbed outside for months, and haven’t actually been going to the climbing gym much. When I stopped in Squamish last weekend, I warmed up on a boulder problem I couldn’t even send last season. It felt easy. I was pleasantly surprised. As a climber, having a thoughtfully crafted cross-training program is clearly making a difference, and I’m looking forward to seeing the effects on my trad climbing this season. Although I have a diploma in mountain medicine, Ian is who I would ask regarding mountain performance.
The tribe at Ascension is full of wildly inspiring athletes. There are rock climbers, ice climbers, skiers, mountain bikers, power lifters ..… people who push themselves, work hard, and get stronger. The only limit is how hard you want to work. The tools, the culture, and the knowledge to get you there are all here.
Mika Hemphill, MD, BSc, CCFP, FAWM, DiMM
Profile: Ex moto, rides bikes, goes fast
Injury: Ankle, shoulder position
Issue: Too fast.
I came to Ian looking to improve my functional movements. After a short time I began seeing improvements not only in posture and movement but also in my sports.
My body shows many tales from years of motocross and mountain biking. Along with some that I’ve sustained in sport recently. Ian has been a great help in rehabbing old injuries and expediting recovery when I dislocated and fractured my ankle this summer.
Noel Bolso, Bad Ass.
Profile: Power lifter, climber, bad ass.
Injury: Back, head.
Issue: Stronger than she has yet to realize.
Ian’s an asshole. He’s made me cry and swear and bleed and cry some more. But he’s also made me into the best athlete I’ve ever been. I joined the gym in April, 2017 with a nagging back injury I’d sustained at some point during my last six years of competing in various strength and power sports. I was at the point where I couldn’t walk up stairs without back pain, much less squat heavy, climb, or do anything else I wanted to do. And then I went and got a concussion. I went from training six days a week to being unable to ride a stationary bike for more than ten minutes. I wore tinted glasses to the gym to protect my head from fluorescent lights, and often trained while hiding in the quietest corner of the gym, avoiding any kind of human interaction because that was too much stimulation for my brain to handle. Ian worked with me through all of that, finding ways to keep me moving despite my injuries and reminding me to be patient with my recovery. Once I got to a point where I was able to train hard again, we sat down, set some goals, and got to work.
He’s made me cry and swear and bleed and cry some more.
Cult’s probably the better word.
Erika Stark, Powerlifter
Profile: Mother, wife, skier, care-giver.
Injury: Undiagnosable Back Pain
Issue: Mothering is hard work.
“You should go see Ian”. Sure, friend, I’ll go see your rehab guy.
What was this place? Why is not everyone here?
I move now. Without the mask of pain. He pushed me, and pulled me back, and while it was not without tears, insecurities, and finding my voice to vie for his attention, a day never ended with the unmanageable pain that I had first walked in with. It took about 6 months till he was shouting out things to me and I am forever grateful to this place, to Ian and his family of support that is Ascension Fitness.
Shelley Westergard
Profile: Runs, Swims, Climbs, Plays
Injury: Herniated Disc
Issue: Easily distracted by dolphins
The minute to minute experience of being, well, not in pain, is unexplainable unless you have lived in that reality.
Ian’s ability to asses, collaborate with other team members, and treat injury is unmatched. Having seen numerous practitioners and taken to alternative therapies without relief, I cannot articulate the magic that is the change I have experienced. But beyond that, Ascension is a place where I’ve come to know community, regain a passion for movement, and a fervour for adventure.
Lynnette Oliver, RN
Profile: Skier, trouble-maker, too tall.
Injury: Knees/Back
Issue: Thinks he is a lumberjack.
Game Changer – Not Exaggerating
I first met Ian at a backcountry event he was speaking at and I asked him if he could help me with my knee which had been giving me problems since my first ACL reconstruction back in 2002 (I met Ian in 2015). When I met Ian I had accepted that I may not ski that season (wouldn’t have been the first season I missed all or part of due to my knee) but Ian had other plans. Ian invited me to come to his gym the next day and over the course of the next two weeks and beyond he and I made more progress with my knee than I had made in years of seeing physio‘s, sports med docs, trainers, getting shots of Durolane, etc.
Ian’s approach was different than I’d ever seen and instead of telling me to do the same lunges, squats and other standard physio exercises I had been told to do for more than a decade, Ian started off by looking into what was happening with the rest of my body. I could go on and on, but to summarize, Ian’s approach towards my knee injury exposed me to a new way of thinking about my body, my joints, muscles, tissue, etc., and my knee is still much better to this day.
Sound too good to be true? Well, you do have to deal with Ian peppering you with “words of encouragement” that some might call aggressive, but hey, it’s all part of the Ian experience!
More recently, I injured my back and after 2 months of chiro with very little progress I went to see Ian (I moved to BC a while back which is why I haven’t been seeing Ian all along) l. Long story short, repeat of my knee injury story, Ian had his own approach, got me moving and strengthening again, tortured me by jamming his evil thumbs and elbows into various parts of my body, and here I am well on my way to overcoming my back injury. Ian’s gym and its members are simply different, a great bunch of people who are all there because of Ian and the environment for self-improvement he has created.
Tristan MacDonald
Profile: Surgeon, Runner, Occasional Climber, Lover of Books
Injury: Fractured one of those foot bones.
Issue: Frail Bones
My surgeon firmly suggested I forget the possibility of running again.
After one day of backcountry skiing, I made it to a friend’s place barely walking due to the pain. Ian talked me into let him mobilize my ankle. Fifteen excruciating minutes later, I managed to walk out with barely a limp and minimal pain. Convinced, I joined Ascension and the regular torture sessions continued. Working on the ankle, the entire leg and all the compensatory overuse habits I had developed, Ian made sure my strength and balance returned. His fingers really are wooden and they leave bruises, but the range of motion and functional gains are well worth it.
Anna Cameron, MD
Profile: Sponsored Skier, Loves Mas Forte Mojitos,
Injury: Ruptured Achilles
Issue: Stumps
I am an action sports athlete and high level skier. Injuries are an expectation and rehab is an important part of functioning at a high level, in the sports that I like to do. After suffering a grade 2 MCL injury in 2015, I went the usual route of physiotherapy. Just like the many times before (same experience with different injuries) I had become frustrated. Standard operating procedure for physio therapists seems to be; set you up with ice and an E-Stim machine for 30 mins, then give you exercises to do on antiquated equipment while they set-up other patients on E-Stim machines, providing you with little to no feedback on your movements.
I had full clearance from my surgeon at the 5.5 month mark!
With lingering knee pain, I expressed my frustration and Ian told me to come into the gym. He gave me exercises to do and would watch and correct poor movements. I quickly saw improvements in my knee function and in a short while dropped all of the weight I had put on while injured!
Fast forward to December 30th, 2016, I had fully ruptured my Achilles tendon. It is supposed to be a 6-9 month recovery time to a full return to sports. Again, working with Ian at Ascension Fitness I had full clearance from my surgeon at the 5.5 month mark! The cherry on top was being able to come back strong and with full confidence, so that when I was skiing in Chile 9 months after the injury I was able to charge!
Roy Mitchell
Profile: Physio, snowboarder, climber, red-head, debaucherous trouble maker.
Injury: Knees
Issue: Stubborness
Ian’s a pr*ck.
