Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:00 Good morning, Fort McMurray, wood, Buffalo, and the rest of the world. You've tuned into the Mac city morning show. I am your host Elliot Pierre, and we're going to start the show off the same way we start every show off with a moment of gratitude. I know you could be doing a million other things with your time. So the fact that you're here with us, it means the world to me on that note, Tanner hit him with the intro.
Speaker 1 00:00:24 Oh, she caught me labs near listen to the next <inaudible>.
Speaker 0 00:00:32 Okay. And we're back. I'm excited about this episode because I actually have spent a decent amount of time with this, um, young lady and we always have good conversations. So I don't doubt that it's going to be a great one today, as well as you already know, I do not introduce my guests. I let them do that themselves. So on that note, can you please introduce yourself and tell everybody who you
Speaker 2 00:00:51 Are? Um, my name is Lisa panic and I've lived in Fort Mac for about 10 years. And I've been massaging other, the physical therapy clinics here in town. There
Speaker 0 00:01:02 We go. And so what physical therapy clinic are you massaging out? Currently?
Speaker 2 00:01:05 I am in Excel in the Syncrude sport and wellness center downtown. Okay. So
Speaker 0 00:01:10 The one, um, that's I don't want to say attached, but the one right next to Kiano college then? Yes. Okay. And how long have you been at that location for now?
Speaker 2 00:01:18 I've been there a year. Okay. Yeah. And half now. Yeah, we were closed down for a little bit cause of COVID in the floods. So I think about that.
Speaker 0 00:01:28 So I guess I'm just going to get started off, cause I know we've talked about this, but I totally forget what your response to this is going to be. So what got you in to becoming a massage therapist? How did you find out about this career choice?
Speaker 2 00:01:42 Well, it was a, it's kind of a weird story to basically I want to always work. Hands-on, I'm a hands-on learner. I found the body very interesting and I actually wanted to go into a funeral home and be, um, an embalmer. I went 30 young age to go do like a tour and talk to a guide near my hometown who owned a family funeral home. And he fought, it, looked at me and said, you're too pretty for this job doing in a basement with a body. And I was like, I don't know if I'm offended or what. And, and then, so I was like, you know what? Like, I want to do something where, um, as a young woman, I can succeed, make good money and build the career and just keep going from there because there's so many different opportunities after you become a massage therapist where you can just keep learning and come more educated and transfer field. So it was like, I'm going to do this. Plus you get to meet people and help people, which I really like to do. Cool.
Speaker 0 00:02:32 Okay. So for all those people out there who may be interested in going down the same career path, um, to become a massage therapist, it's not just like, I'm just going to go start rubbing people. There's yeah. There's steps you gotta take. So what are those steps look like
Speaker 2 00:02:46 College program. So after he agreed to all of you apply to wherever you want to go. Um, for myself, I was in Winnipeg and I applied, um, the colleges and you have to have a really high percentage of grades to get in, um, to do well because the passing mark is 80%. Okay. Um, for most exams and everything like that, lady take it very seriously. So it's two years. Uh, and then you do 2200 hours of clinical on top of your two years of schooling. And depending on which province you want to go, do you have to do provincial exam. Okay. Okay. Does Alberta have a provincial exam? I believe not. I just switched over from Manitoba.
Speaker 0 00:03:27 So they'll take your examination from
Speaker 2 00:03:30 Yeah. If I was to go to Ontario, I'm pretty sure I have to do an exam or BC, right? Yeah. I never really looked into it in a long time. There's no Manitoba and maybe sketch on Nova Scotia, Alberta or transferrable.
Speaker 0 00:03:43 So did you do your practical hours in Fort Macquarie or did you do them
Speaker 2 00:03:46 Back home? Oh, I did everything back home and I ran a business back home, like myself, the clinic with a bunch of other women who specialized in body treatments and stuff like that. And then I was like, you know what, like chronic with somewhere I'm gonna make more money. And at that time Fort map was booming. So I was like, I'm going to go up there and give it a try. Is that how you heard of it? Like you just like Fort Mac money, I'm going, that's where I'm going. I had a bunch of friends who were working in oil sands and I'm met them at country Fest and stayed in touch and they were like, why don't you come up? And I came up and I checked it out and I was like, oh, I like the city. Yeah. Not that. And then I realized how much more I was going to make compared to Manitoba, even with overhead. And I was like, let's give this a shot and just, you know, move my stuff home from winter, pay my parents. Like, what are you doing? I'm like, I'm going apart Mac and moved up. And I actually worked pool first just to get on my feet. And then I, um, I got into Clearwater. There
Speaker 0 00:04:41 We go. Now you just said pool. Now I know why you worked at the pool, but they don't know why you worked at, what were you doing?
Speaker 2 00:04:48 I was a team lean to a deck supervisor and the reason why to die, it was because of my hometown. I lived right across the beach. My summer job was always a lifeguard, Oxford instructor. I had all the credentials. So I was like, man, I'm just going to do this to make some money here and there. And then they offered me a full-time job and I didn't realize how good they pay that. And I was like, yeah, sure. I'll take this. And then next thing you know, it was like, I think three or four years I was doing it. And I woke up one day and I was like, I gotta go back to adults. Right. I do my career. Right, right. I transferred out of that back into a clinic.
Speaker 0 00:05:22 That's funny. So it's one of those things where, when you told me like, yeah, I used to be a lifeguard. I'm like really you see lifeguards in the movies and stuff. And like, I never thought it was like a real thing until like I met you and you're like, oh yeah, I used to do that. That's super interesting. So when you're a lifeguard, like you just have to take a bunch of swimming lessons and then do tests and stuff. Right. Do
Speaker 2 00:05:45 A bunch of courses. Um, and then like physical strength tests. Like, can you pull somebody from the bottom? Can you put a 20 pound brick from 25 meters? Right. Without dropping it or struggling. And then you, obviously you have to know all your first aid. So they give you these crazy scenarios. Somebody is in the middle of the pool drowning and they come out and you got to ask them, you know, their full body surveys. Do your ABCs, all that stuff. I mean, if you pass you pass,
Speaker 0 00:06:10 I love swimming. But for the life of me, I, I struggle with opening my eyes and water. Yeah. I just can't do it. I don't like the sensation. I don't like to feeling. I'm just,
Speaker 2 00:06:22 I always do it. And then I forget, I have contacts. Oh,
Speaker 0 00:06:27 That was game over. Oh geez. Okay. So you've been here 10 years now. Right? Long time. 10 years. So talk about what a journey you just came out here one day. Cause you met some friends at a country festival 10 years later. You're still here. So what about Fort McMurry? Do you love so much? Obviously you had options with the career choice you have is very transferrable. You could go anywhere and do it. Um, what's kept you in Fort McMurray.
Speaker 2 00:06:51 I mean, I just I'd love it cause it's the city, but yet you can go down to our road and you can, you're kind of in the Bush. So you mean, um, fair pastime of mine is clotting or I mean, people are gonna Mirabelle. I have to go cut wood. Okay. Then have a fire. So, I mean, it's just a drive down the street, your entire road or you, you can grow with the beach. Although Gregoire is not much, but it's close. And then, uh, the people here are extremely nice. Everybody's always wanting to help out or help you advance somehow. And then the clinic that I worked in are just really, top-notch like, they're really
Speaker 0 00:07:31 Good. There you go. Uh, work environment, mix the, make sure that you makes your life easy. You spend the majority of your time at work. You better like where you're working, who you're working with. Yeah. That's what I mean in town, we get along so well, it doesn't feel like work at all. Work, work, work. I know. That's what I'm saying. So there's something about you, which, uh, I, when we first met, you were doing this like crazy. You were talking about it all the time and now I continue to do it because of you. Yeah. Let's talk about water and why you need to drink it. I crushed so much water because of
Speaker 2 00:08:03 You. So what is always
Speaker 0 00:08:06 Like, I kid you not like I don't have it on set because we use these awesome maxi mugs on set. Um, I literally drink, I easily four liters of water a day easy. Like I know we'll talk about after food because yeah. Anyways, tell everybody at home why they should drink water please.
Speaker 2 00:08:25 Well, my biggest thing is like, when you have a massage is getting all your body systems going. It's ramping them up. So when you go home, you got to drink the water. You got to flush out the toxins. We just got to go in, in your bloodstream. Um, you got to hydrate your muscles. That water is going to bring in fresh oxygen to basically help heal the muscles as well. It's just going to make you feel a thousand times better if you hydrate, if you don't. I always tell my people, you're gonna feel like you got hit by a bus, especially if I just had elbows in you. And like you're near crying on the table. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:08:57 Now you have another saying when it comes to elbows in your back it, but I forget what it is, but it always made me laugh. When you said it, it like hurts so good or something like that. What's your saying, like, people would come into you and you used to beat
Speaker 2 00:09:10 Them up, but they
Speaker 0 00:09:12 Look like some people are like would come in for like just, you know, I just,
Speaker 2 00:09:16 Some people come in for a nice relaxation, but your clients come to get beat up. They do, they come to get fixed. And then a lot of them come. They're just like, basically go to town, tear my muscles. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:09:27 It hurts so good. There's a guy that came out. It hurts so good. And I remember being like what? Yeah. So what is the difference for people? Because I have to be honest with you before working with you at Clearwater physical therapy. Like I had no idea about massage therapy, physical therapy, like I was a novice green to say the least about the whole industry. Um, what are some benefits of massage and why should people be doing it?
Speaker 2 00:09:52 There's so many benefits. I mean, if you want to get on the emotional side first, like during COVID I, if there's nothing wrong with you, you should still go to lift your spirits. It's going to release endorphins. It's going to make you feel better. It's good for mental health as much as physical health. Yeah. Then on the physical aspect, I mean, I, I massage a lot of bodybuilders, strong men, so it keeps them going. It helps them continue on with range of motion. You know, your muscles are getting bigger. The gain tires are shortening. So it's like, basically need that out. Um, and then, I mean, I do a lot of people who have had whiplash or injuries, you know, disc bulging, like anything you got to injury, we come in and we help you out. Yeah. So it hurts. But it's relaxing at the same time I work in pain tolerance. So every says, yeah, that hurts so bad, but it feels so good. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:10:40 Yeah. It's crazy. Once you're out of a massage, once again, prior to working with you guys, I had never done a massage, never done physical therapy. And then all of a sudden it started doing it and yeah. The feeling that you get afterwards, it's it's a good one. That's a good one. Okay, cool. So there's a part of the show called the Mac city minute where Tanner is going to ask you some questions. I have no idea what he's going to ask you. So best of luck to you enter hit with the max CD minute question.
Speaker 3 00:11:06 Number one. What is your favorite part of working with the human body?
Speaker 2 00:11:13 But there's always gonna be something different and every human body is different reactions. Yeah.
Speaker 3 00:11:18 Question number two. What is your favorite part of being in the water?
Speaker 2 00:11:25 I'd have to say the, the sound, the feeling like just all your senses. It's freeing. Yeah.
Speaker 3 00:11:31 Question number three. How is one thing people could be doing to better their body? What do you mean by self-care elaborate on that for
Speaker 2 00:11:41 Me. Go for your massages. Drink your water, do a healthy diet. You don't like to exercise at least get out and go for a walk. Be with nature. Take care of yourself. If that's what you're thinking, your nails done. Get your hair done. Do makes you happy. Take some self care question.
Speaker 3 00:11:56 Number four. How can you work on your health before you prep for a massage come hydrated? And the final question. What is your favorite story from your time as a massage therapist?
Speaker 2 00:12:12 Oh man. My favorite story, you're making me think here. Um, I don't know, like I got a couple of good ones, but I think the ones that stick with me the most are some of my clients who have had skin graphs or amputations and the scars are just so debilitating and they hurt or they have Phantom limb pain. And then, you know, I work with them and the scar start to basically loosen up, fade away, heal. And, and the gratitude that they show you almost brings a tear to your eye because you just you're doing your thing to help them out. Yeah,
Speaker 0 00:12:56 There we go. Sounds pretty good. That was easy. Everybody gets nervous when they, uh, when I talked to them, the first question people ask when they come on shows, like what should I prepare? What should I study for? I'm like, well, there's absolutely nothing to prepare a study for. Cause I don't prepare a study for anything. Yeah. The other component is like, what's Tanner going to ask me? I'm like, I have no idea what Tanner is going to ask you. Like, I'm pretty sure he makes up the questions on the spot when I say I'm pretty sure I know he makes up the questions on the
Speaker 3 00:13:26 Phone. Tanner doesn't know what he's going to ask you either.
Speaker 2 00:13:29 So yeah. Okay, cool. So
Speaker 0 00:13:31 Let's uh, shameless, shout out. Cause I know we're getting closer to the end of, of the show. So where are you right now? How people, how can people find you? How can they support what you're
Speaker 2 00:13:40 Doing? So I'm at a physical or XL physical therapy in the sinker sport wellness. That's the downtown location. Everybody knows about their millennium. So we just want to get a little bit more exposure to the downtown. Okay. Uh, I'm in there, you can go online, you have a Jane app and you can book or you can fill in the clinic if you're old school, whatever. Um, not right now, it's not allowed drop off or drop in because we're COVID friendly and you just go online. It's super simple. It takes like two seconds. Book, your book, your book, your appointment that works for you. And you know, you just do a quick little top of a survey to get a little bit info on you and then you're good to go. You just show up.
Speaker 0 00:14:15 There you go. Now at this clinic, it's not just massage. It's physical therapist as well. How many physios and massage therapists in total do you have working at the downtown location?
Speaker 2 00:14:24 And there's just me and another girl. Okay. And then we have, I believe three physios right now. One just went on that leave. Okay. Yeah. So there's pretty sure there's oh, so there's a decent
Speaker 0 00:14:38 Amount of you guys there at the new location. Yeah. That's awesome. Yeah, we had, uh, we had Justin and Ashley on the show already, so yeah. Justin came on. Ashley came on first. Yeah. With a I'll it just because it blew my mind and Hey, this is live. So why not? When Ashley came on the show, Ashley's like me, he's a loud talker. Yeah. And he came on and he wasn't talking loud or really like, he was still talking loud, but not like the decibels that he used to be at. And I honestly thought he was a little bit mad at me. I was just like, this is kind of weird. Ashley's like off. Then we started filming the show and he mentioned that he had a hearing aid in. Oh yeah, exactly. And boy, has it changed the tone of how he speaks? He's like, yeah. Like when I said I could hear myself, I was like really loud to say,
Speaker 2 00:15:29 Yeah, yeah. You can always hear him in the clinic. It didn't matter where he was. He didn't know where he was. So now you can't
Speaker 0 00:15:35 Hear it as much anymore. So that's what I noticed when he came on the show, I was like, man, your, your level of talking is down. Maybe I should look into in hearing aid. Cause I yell sometimes. So anyways, that's cool. That's you're down at the sports and wellness center though. Cause I know a lot of your clientele that you've seen over the years is more geared towards physical fitness. It seemed so that's just, it makes sense.
Speaker 2 00:15:58 It's part of my life too. Right. So I was always in the gym and COVID slowed me down a bit, but you know, like always in the gym, I have my, um, PT training and actually I got my bodybuilding training and yeah. And a bunch of other ones I didn't over COVID. Yeah. Yeah. But so yeah. And it's, it's perfect. Cause it's right at the stairs for the gym. So you can either just come down and you can massage or you can have your massage and go up. It's totally up to the client. But like I love working right next to a gym. So that location, when they sit here, I was going downtown and I was like right on. Perfect. Yeah. Fell right into your wheelhouse. Okay. Well
Speaker 0 00:16:34 There you go. Well, that's the end of the show done here. Yeah. You're more than welcome. Thanks for coming on. And as many times as you want to come back that seat's always open for you. Thank you. Cool. Okay. Well Fort McMurray, wood, Buffalo, and the rest of the world, that has been another episode of the Mac city morning show. Thank you so much for tuning in really does mean the world to me. Hopefully you're having a great day and we'll see you tomorrow. Peace.
Speaker 4 00:17:15 Talk about quenching your ugly thirst.
