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Jason Weber

Iron man

If you spend any time at the Physical Activity Centre on campus, chances are you have seen Jason Weber.

"My job depends on the day," he said, "but I spend a whole lot of time in the gym."

Weber is the co-ordinator of the Human Performance Centre (HPC) in the College of Kinesiology. His dedication to athletic conditioning and training (which includes post-secondary achievements in physical education and kinesiology, and certification in exercise physiology and strength conditioning) is evident in his impressive client list, ranging from individuals looking to reach their fitness goals to high-achieving Huskie athletes and professional competitors alike. Some big-name athletes he has trained through the years include Linden Vey of the Vancouver Canucks, Brenden Morrow of the Tampa Bay Lightning, and Emily Clark of Canada's national women's hockey team—just to name a few.

The HPC is also a registered testing site for police officer training, something Weber oversees. Municipal police recruits complete the Police Officers' Physical Abilities Test (POPAT), "an obstacle course about the size of a basketball court" complete with running six laps around the gym, jumping and stair-climbing drills, a push-pull apparatus that simulates a fight, and a heavy lifting exercise to mimic carrying someone away from a dangerous situation. Though physically demanding, the test is required for all new recruits. "If you say POPAT to them, they cringe a little bit," he added with a laugh. A similar training test is offered at the HPC for RCMP officers.

If that were not enough to keep him busy, he is also a co-ordinator for the Tumbleweeds children's gymnastics program. His strategy for working with kids is "just to get them moving. They run and they jump and they land and they swing—it's kind of like having a birthday party every week."

He thrives off his diverse, ever-changing client list. "It's literally something different every day," he said. "It's really interesting and you get to meet a lot of great people."

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