MEET THE TEAM





Daniel English



HEAD COACH AND CO-OWNER





Daniel is the co-owner and head coach. He is a CrossFit Level 1 & 2 certified instructor. He was drafted to the CFL in 2015. He has 10+ years of experience training at a high level and 4+ years coaching clients of all fitness levels.


CONTACt DANIEL

Catrina English (Guglielmucci)



Coach , Co-Owner, Registered Physiotherapist and Certified Athletic Therapist





Cat has worked with a wide range of individuals, from working professionals and general population to high level athletes and weekend warriors. She has a passion for helping others, whether in the clinic as a Physiotherapist, or in the gym as a CrossFit coach and personal trainer. Cat has been a practicing Athletic Therapist for 9 years and a Registered Physiotherapist for 5 years. She believes in working only one-on-one with patients to provide the best possible care. She strives to address structure and alignment, before prescribing corrective exercises, to avoid building on dysfunction, prevent further injury and avoid compensation patterns. She always encourages and finds a way for her clients to take an active approach in their rehabilitation. Cat LOVES the amazing community at Driftwood Athletics, her puppy Brooklyn, and staying active and healthy!


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Alnoor Mawji



Crossfit Coach & Personal Trainer





AL is a CrossFit Level 1 certified instructor with 10+ years of experience training at a high level and 4+ years coaching clients of all fitness levels.


CONTACT AL

Samantha Girard



CROSSFIT COACH, PERSONAL TRAINER & Registered Holistic NUTRITIONIST





Sam is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and also hold a Bachelors in Science focused mainly on Human Anatomy. She has been making waves in the nutrition and fitness space for 7+ years now. Prior to that, She had full intentions of pursuing Marine Biology but during her internship in Bamfield, It quickly became apparent that her active personality couldn't take sitting in a lab all day. In the 7+ years that she has been in the industry she :

  • Coached Spin Classes for a solid 5+ years
  • Obtained certifications from TRX, multiple and Strength and Conditioning Classes, CF Level 1
  • ACES certified Personal Trainer for 4+ years
  • Graduated with Honors as a Registered Holistic Nutritionist


You can find her at Driftwood and also working for herself, running a Nutrition business to help people find freedom in the way they eat and exercise.


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Drew Kuperman



CROSSFIT COACH





Drew has been a personal trainer and CrossFit coach since 2019. Sports and fitness has always played a huge role in Drew’s life, both casually and competitively. During her university years, she played varsity lacrosse and continued to develop her love for sport, fitness, and community. Drew enjoys focusing on sport specific movements with her athletes and helping them achieve their fitness goals, no matter how challenging they may seem. She is passionate about being a part of the CrossFit community, helping others stay healthy and find a way to add fun movement into their life. When Drew isn’t coaching or doing her own workout, she is probably hanging out with her rescue pup, Happy!


Contact Drew

Andy Merrylees



Olympic Lifting coach





Andy Merrylees, our Olympic lifting coach, was once a national-level weightlifter in the United Kingdom and competed internationally on the world junior stage. He was destined to compete at the Olympics before they were unfortunately boycotted that year. With over 28 years of experience coaching, Andy is one of the highest level coaches in Canada with his level 3 NCCP club Coach certification. Andy has been the head coach to 6 BC Junior Team National Championships and 3 BC Senior Team National Championships. Having coached 4 Junior athletes to World competitions it is no wonder he is sought out by so many high level athletes. We are truly lucky to have Andy for the patience and knowledge that he brings to his coaching. Not to mention his goofy sense of humour.


CONTACT ANDY

Emilio Serkin



Crossfit Coach & Personal Trainer





Emilio started weight training in his early high school years and developed a heightened passion for fitness when he started learning the art of programming. Emilio is an SFU Kinesiology major and has also spent lots of time tutoring students in physics, kinesiology, and chemistry. Combining the satisfaction of teaching with his love for strength training led him to become a personal trainer. Emilio is now a NASM Certified Personal Trainer and CrossFit Level 1 Trainer. He is excited to become a part of the Driftwood community and help people and athletes of all ages achieve their goals


CONTACT EmIlio

Ankit Yadav



Crossfit Coach & Personal Trainer





Ankit is from New Delhi, India and started his coaching journey in his hometown in 2017. He became a CrossFit Level 1 Trainer in 2018 and has since been helping many people reach their goals, lead a healthy lifestyle and love their fitness journey. Ankit finds joy in seeing athletes achieve milestones, both small and large, and has many memories coaching athletes to get their first pull up or muscle up. He also has experience with sport specific training for cricket, wrestling and badminton. Ankit’s favourite movements to do are handstand push ups and handstand walking.


CONTACT Ankit

Kevin Hua



registered physiotherapist





Kevin grew up right here in Burnaby! He completed his undergraduate degree at SFU, where he also played rugby and dabbled in research on ice hockey head injuries — even assisting with some publications. He later traveled abroad to study Physiotherapy at The University of Melbourne in Australia. There, he was involved in various high-performance Sports teams as a student, trainer and physiotherapist. Kevin brings to our team a unique combination and background in sports and neurological Physiotherapy. Kevin has an interest in lower limb sports injuries due to his own experience returning from an ACL rupture and surgical repair. From a neurological standpoint, Kevin has an interest in working with brain injuries and concussions. Although his rugby career has come to an end, Kevin still enjoys playing sports as a weekend warrior, hiking, and is also an avid enjoyer of Dungeons and Dragons and other tabletop games.


Book Kevin

Cheryl Yip



Registered Kinesiologist





Cheryl is a bilingual (English and Cantonese) Registered Kinesiologist who graduated High Honours from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Kinesiology. Cheryl’s first-hand experiences with sport-related injuries and MVAs have reinforced her passion and purpose in helping others achieve optimal function. She has a special interest in active rehabilitation and injury prevention, with experience in both community and clinical settings.


Through individualized exercise prescriptions (relevant to her clients’ goals), Cheryl aims to enhance movement quality and competence through evidence-based interventions. She firmly believes in the importance of working collaboratively with her clients so they feel empowered to take ownership of their health. Her goal is for them to leave each session with new knowledge and a better understanding of themselves, such that they can continually see progress and exceed even their own expectations.


In her spare time, you can find Cheryl exploring different hiking trails with her dog, riding her road bike (or the bike erg 💁🏽‍♀️), playing tennis, or doing burpees at Driftwood.


Book Cheryl

Spencer Lam



REGISTERED KINESIOLOGIST





Spencer is a Registered Kinesiologist who graduated from UBC. He grew up participating in numerous sports, which lead him to pursue high-level ice hockey for many years. His passion for athletics and fitness inspired him to learn more about the human body and how to perform and move optimally. Spencer's objective with all his patients is to help them return to function by promoting, teaching, and empowering them to take an active approach to their rehabilitation. Spencer strives to create and develop individualized programs that address his patient's needs and goals. Spencer has experience working with clients on strength and conditioning, motor vehicle rehabilitation, sport-specific training, and injury prevention. His priority is to create a fun, safe, and motivating environment for everyone. In his spare time, Spencer enjoys walking his dog Kobe or grabbing his favorite meal, sushi.


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Lindsee Montana



Registered Massage Therapist





Lindsee is a Registered Massage Therapist at Driftwood Athletics. Her ultimate goal is to inspire and help her patients to enhance their lifestyle. Lindsee has a special interest in sport-related injuries, rehabilitation, and chronic muscle tension. She incorporates different techniques such as myofascial release, joint mobilizations, trigger point release, the Graston technique, and therapeutic exercise in order to provide an effective treatment. She is motivated to continue to learn and acquire new skills that she can incorporate in her practice. Outside of the clinic, she is also an instructor in the RMT program at VaCC. During her free time, she enjoys swimming, volleyball and Crossfit but her ultimate weakness is dessert and pastries!


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Nichita Kukuskin



REGISTERED KINESIOLOGIST





Since completing his Kinesiology degree at UBC, Nichita has been working in active rehab, dealing with injuries related to motor vehicle accidents, work and sports. His passion lies in fitness and calisthenics, which he has been practicing for over 8 years, as a personal trainer and athlete. Nichita has suffered several injuries in his fitness journey, which has given him a better understanding of the challenges people face when dealing with injury. Nichita is compassionate and loves helping people get back to doing what they love. Meeting new people and hearing their stories is what really keeps him going. Nichita hopes to keep expanding his knowledge of the human body and rehabilitation by pursuing a Masters degree in the future. Aside from fitness, Nichita enjoys spending time outdoor with his friends. He enjoys hiking and camping during the summer, and snowboarding during winter. He is always active and tries to inspire others to do the same. Nichita provides kinesiology treatment in three languages, English, Romanian, and Russian


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Jake Ross



Registered Massage Therapist





Jake, a Vancouver native, is a passionate and experienced professional in exercise and rehabilitation. Throughout his personal athletic journey, he encountered significant injuries, which gave him firsthand appreciation for the challenging rehabilitation process and its impact on both physical and mental well-being. Receiving treatment and collaborating with various health professionals and athletic trainers fueled his curiosity and dedication to a career in exercise and physical therapy. Jake obtained a kinesiology diploma from Langara College complimented by a personal training certificate. More recently he completed the registered massage therapy (RMT) program at the Vancouver College of Massage Therapy. Before attending RMT school, Jake gained four years of valuable experience training individuals in diverse settings. Working with youth athletes, elderly population, and individuals coping with chronic injuries, among others. Jake's diverse experience in exercise, sport, and rehabilitation has influenced his desire to blend his skills in order to enhance healing and recovery. He has a special interest in treating chronic injuries using myofascial techniques to improve tissue health. He also incorporates assisted stretching and muscle energy techniques to restore functionality. His drive to continuously expand his abilities and knowledge empowers clients to improve their movement and accelerate their recovery process. In addition to his professional pursuits, Jake is devoted to maintaining an active lifestyle and minimizing setbacks. He places great emphasis on recovery and maintaining his health. During his free time, he enjoys participating in recreational sports, hiking, embracing cold water therapies, and taking advantage of any opportunity to be outdoors.


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Join Us For A Complimentary Class



Free trial class all fitness levels welcome



Join us for a free trial class and exercise your way to a healthy body and mind. Our classes build a strong body through lifting, gymnastics and metabolic conditioning. Don't worry, every movement/workout can be modified to suit a range of difficulties, from beginner to advanced. Treat yourself today — you deserve it!


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DRIFTWOOD ATHLETICS



3706 Hastings Street, Burnaby, BC V5C 2H5
Gym Email: Driftwoodathleticsgym@gmail.com
Clinic Email: Driftwoodphysio@gmail.com
Contact Number: : (236)-427-1111