About Us
Steven Moniz is the sparkplug behind Monvida Sports Inc.
Driven by a passion to help people lead a more active and healthy lifestyle, Steven is a knowledgeable and fully qualified personal training specialist. Known for a unique ability to construct nutrition and exercise programs for his clientele, he is a rising star and has quickly earned a reputation for his comprehensive, motivational and personalized training programs.
A young entrepreneur with a knack for making fitness enjoyable, Steven recently branched out on his own to showcase his distinct take on fitness. He developed Monvida Sports Inc. to share his message and expertise on healthy living through the use of fundamentally sound practices. In developing an engaging Terra Training program, an outdoor all-season, all-terrain workout, as well as personalized fitness regimes, he has created a comprehensive resource for everyone from athletes to weekend warriors alike.
Steven Moniz
CSEP-CPT, PTS | 647.887.4964 | steven.moniz@monvida.com
We keep expert company:
Sean Ruppel – Mountain Bike Guru
Having grown up from a young age in the mountain biking scene, Sean has either ridden, raced, or organized events for over 20 years. His dad spent an unprecedented $1200 on a mountain bike in 1983! That classic Tom Ritchey is still around, though technology has definitely evolved! Sean makes his living running Mountain Bike events with both Superfly and Chico Racing, and also builds trails as part of his job. In addition to continuing to race and ride bikes, he is very active in other elements of sport, be it participating in yoga, running, hockey, or crosstraining a la Balboa (see “Homage to Rocky”). This makes all around fitness and well being, diet and a wholistic approach to athletic endeavors a daily routine. Look for Sean’s input on cycling specific workouts that simultaneously train the core and make you a better all around athlete.
Learn more about Sean’s events at both www.chicoracing.com and www.superflyracing.com
Mike Smith – Kayaking Guru
Known to most simply as Smitty, Mike Smith first encountered whitewater kayaking in 1996 while working as an expedition rafting guide in Nepal. As he rapidly fell in love with the sport, Smitty retired from raft guiding to pursue a career in kayak instruction, kayak guiding, photography and video. In 15 years as a kayak instructor and guide, his love for rivers and travel have taken him to the rivers of British Columbia, the Grand Canyon, India, Nepal, Turkey, Mexico and Costa Rica. He is still one of the head instructors at the Madawaska Kanu Centre, one of North America’s best known and longest running paddling schools. His work as a video kayaker has given him the opportunity to paddle alongside some of the sports top boaters, including Bill Harris, Ken Whiting, Tyler Curtis, Tanya Faux, and Steve Fisher. He is currently a learning facilitator in the Canoe Kayak Canada whitewater kayak instructor development program, certifying new and old instructors and leaders, and provides instruction and training to staff members of Mountain Equipment Co-Op. While working at freelance jobs in the city of Toronto, Smitty finds nothing so rewarding as leading a group of boaters on their first run of a challenging river, and hopes to be able to continue to guide for many years to come.
Brandon Moniz – Personal Trainer
No stranger to competitive sports, Brandon’s recent plunge into the adventure sports scene was a natural transition. He’s a third-year Psychology major at York University and certified personal trainer, merging his studies with his athletic background to join Monvida not only as a trainer but also a blog contributor, sharing his insight into human behaviour, particularly as it relates to sport and fitness.
Josh Velez – Marketing Manager
Josh is an obsessive hobbyist dabbling fearlessly into anything labelled challenging. A seasoned world traveler, adventure junkie, writer, musician, and sports fanatic armed with a joint honours degree in psychology and business from Trent University, also having attended Seneca College for Creative Advertising, Josh advocates a limitless perspective with a plate that never gets full.
