Our Staff
All Staying Alive Fitness Instructors are certified in CPR. We have a defibrillator on site. Our gym adheres to the highest level of safety- and hygiene standards in the industry. Emergency preparedness is part of the safe and healthy environment we proudly offer our clients. Our Business is a Member of Can Fit Pro.
Our Instructors
Leanne Monaghan
Leanne, the driving force behind Staying Alive Fitness, always made fitness and active living a priority in her life, even more so after she was diagnosed with cancer in 2002. Determined to support conventional medicine with a healthy living approach, she embraced Hydrotherapy, Detox and Pilates as means to support her recovery. She has been cancer-free since 2003. This experience gave her life new direction. Leanne grew up in the Ottawa Valley, where she obtained a diploma in Business Administration from Algonquin College. She competed successfully in Dressage and Three-Day Eventing and turned her hobby into a career, establishing and managing a horse training and boarding business. As a Certified Level 1 Coach, Leanne taught riding, trained students for competition, and judged provincial competitions. She has also trained and rehabilitated race horses. Leanne’s leisure activities now include snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, kayaking, canoeing, camping, mountain biking and in-line staking. Leanne has recently completed her first half-marathon in September 2011 for which she ran a time of 1:53:46 (21kms). Over time Leanne has attended Pilates seminars in NYC and San Francisco with such greats as Mari Windsor, Elle Herman, Nora St. John, Brent Anderson, Tom Cooke, Rael Isacowitz, Alycea Ungaro and Lolita San Miguel. In the Pilates world these personalities are considered to be absolute experts. She also continues to attend the annual Can-Fit Pro conference, the largest fitness conference in North American, as well as the Yoga/Pilates conference held in the spring each year.
Leanne’s Credentials Include:
- Releasing the Pelvic and Shoulder Girdles Massage Therapy (2011)
- Registered Massage Therapist (Canadian Therapeutic College, Burlington 2002-2004),
- Esalen Deep Massage (2010),
- Certified Personal Trainer Specialist (Can Fit Pro, 2005),
- Certified Pilates Instructor (trained with former Lululemon ambassador Christine De Bellefeuille of Total Balance, 2004),
- Yoga Instructor Level 1 and 2 (Maureen Rae Studio, 2008)
- Certified Spin Instructor (Mad Dogg Athletics, 2005),
- Certified Bosu Trainer
- Certified Resist-A-Ball Instructor
- Reiki Master (1998)
Barb Smith
Barb has been on staff at Staying Alive Fitness since it opened in December of 2005. After taking many Spin classes and loving it, she became a Certified Spin Instructor in June 2007. Since 2009, after many hours of extensive education and training with Leanne, Barb now also teaches Pilates, Spin/Strength/Stretch, Core Action and Outdoor Walking Bootcamp.
In November 2011, Barb is attending the Can-Fit Pro Course to achieve her Personal Training Certification. In her free time she enjoys kayaking, cycling and running. Barb and her husband, Steve, have been long time residents of Acton. They have four children and four grandchildren.
Terry McCann
Cheryle Da Ponte
Cheryle has been with Staying Alive Fitness for two and a half years. She is a Certified Level 2 Curling Instructor (Canadian Curling Association). Cheryle has been a drummer with Scottish Pipe Bands for 25 years and as such has won a Canadian, an American and two North American Championships. Knowing Cheryle’s love of dance and music, Leanne asked her if she would be interested in becoming certified in Zumba which Cheryle was eager to do. September 2011, she received her Certification and started teaching Zumba in October 2011. She urges everyone to give it a try; you need not be co-ordinated, just love music. Zumba is a full body and cardio workout and you don’t realize you’re working out because you’re having so much fun.
Lana Tutino
After suffering rehabilitation challenges after a skiing accident left her with a steel rod in her right femur, she was determined to find an alternate solution to control her pain. In 2009, Lana joined the Yoga in the Park program to investigate if Yoga would help and found it exceptionally effective for her pain management. 2010 found her on the stage as an assistant instructor for the Yoga in the Park program. 
That same year she obtained her Yoga Instructor Level 1 and 2 (Maureen Rae Studio, 2010). Since then, Lana has pursued further training in YIN Yoga (Mark Laham, Mind Body Warrior, 2011), Thai Yoga Massage (Deanne Villa, Thai Massage Toronto School TMT, 2011) and Traditional Thai Foot Massage (Simon P. Gall, Toronto School of Thai Massage, 2011). Grounded in firsthand experience, Lana is dedicated to her chose profession!
Jenn White
Jenn joined Staying Alive Fitness in May 2008, during her first year of university. She has continued to return to Staying Alive every summer throughout her university education because she enjoys the enthusiastic atmosphere. 
Physical activity has always been a part of her life, both through sports and involvement at the gym. Jenn is a Certified Synchronized Swimming instructor (Halton Hills Association of Synchronized Swimming) and has received her trillium 10 level. She has coached and competed in both group and solo routines all over Ontario. Jenn has grown up in Georgetown but is very thankful for her opportunity to work in Acton at the Club because of the strong friendships she has built both with staff and with the members. Jenn is looking forward to her first fall season with Staying Alive.
