Get to know Dez – our Studio Manager of RIDE Ossington who’s passion and love of community and sweat is felt by every Rider, every staff and every Instructor. Since joining RIDE, we’ve had the pleasure of witnessing Dez grow into an incredible Rider, Manager, and friend.
What do you do for your 9-5?
I wouldn’t say I have a 9-5 any more, it’s more of a 24 hour clock job! I am currently the Studio Manager of RIDE CYCLE CLUB Ossington. I wake up every day inspired by every individual around me; it’s actually the best feeling! Our front desk staff, Instructors, and management are all some of the most amazing people I’ve had the pleasure to meet, nevermind work with. Our clients are incomparable to anywhere else in the city. I honestly look forward to seeing their faces everyday, interacting and planning exciting RIDE related things for them!
If your bestie were to describe you in three words, what would they be?
Loyal. Passionate. Charming.
How long has RIDE been a part of your life?
I’ve been a part of the RIDE community since the UNDRGRND on Ossington. I did my first class in the UNDRGRND in February 2017 with Alex Bergquist!
What motivates you to get your ass to class?
Definitely the passion each one of our Instructors and Riders have at the studio. We have such an amazing team and community that they inspire me every day. I wish I could do every class, every day and be apart of that feeling in that beautiful dark room.
How has RIDE impacted your life?
A lot more than most people know. I don’t talk about it to many people but when I started going to RIDE I was in a place of deep sadness and felt very lost. It helped me find myself again, become happier than I’ve ever been, provide me with a foundation of positivity, helped shape me into a better person, gave me with a sense of confidence and most importantly inspired me to believe in myself again. I will be forever grateful for the experience that Ashley Ander has created for everyone that finds a little lost piece of themselves in that room.
Outside of your 9-5 – tell us about all the badass things you’re up to.
I spend a lot of time focussed on building RIDE and our community here in Toronto and I absolutely love every second of it. Outside of being at RIDE, you’ll probably find me playing volleyball (fun fact: I use to play high level competitive volleyball and actually won king & queen [mixed competitive 2’s] of the beach this summer in Toronto), working out at other amazing studios across the city, eating birthday cake cookies from Jimmy’s (shout out to Dani Pagnan for always bringing me one if she knows I’m having a stressful day XO), posing and doing photo shoots around the city with soul sister Alexandra Rabbitte, spending time catching up with friends, being a foodie, and cuddling with my pup, Ellie.
In your opinion, what makes RIDE’s community so unique?
It’s kind of indescribable. One of my favourite things to witness is the relationships I’ve seen build since RIDE’s launch in Toronto, it’s actually incredible. The community is truly a community; it’s welcoming, loving and passionate. Everyone is brought in with open arms and clients have found lifelong best friends by walking through that black door for the first time. It really is something special to witness and I’m so grateful to be a part of it.
Favourite Instructor and why?
LOL – I feel like this is one of the cruelest questions to ask me. I am absolutely in love with every Instructor we have. Everyone here in Toronto is so unique and their own personality, it’s incredible. I love every one of their classes and get tingles from them all. Everyone in Toronto knows that I’m a sap for emotional music so they usually have a feels song (now commonly known in Toronto as “the after-arms song”) in their playlists for me; it’s still a very special moment for me.
Best RIDE memory?
It may seem like a weird one but it’s the first time I cried in class. Ashley Ander played Sober by Kelly Clarkson in pitch black. It was the first time I had heard the song and I was flooded with an emotional release. It reminded me it’s okay to be vulnerable and that something so simple can change your day from a bad one to the best day you’ve ever had. We surround ourselves in a room of darkness for an hour to forget about the outside world and just feel in that moment. It’s such a beautiful, easy, and special concept if you just let it take you over.
What other workouts do you do outside of RIDE?
Anyone that follows me on Instagram knows that outside of RIDE I’m consistently at Barry’s Bootcamp hitting those 12.5mph sprints (and now 14 with the new speed unlock) in my free time. (You’ll often catch me at Chris, Steven, Michelle, Brendan or Hayley’s classes xx!)
Barry’s, RIDE and playing volleyball are typically the three activities that I spend my time doing in regards to fitness. I am looking to take up boxing in the new year though, and I REALLY should start doing yoga weekly haha.
Song you’ve got on repeat?
Probably one that nobody will expect but…Drunk Me by Mitchell Tenpenny!
If you could brunch with any male/lady boss (past or present), who would it be?
I already have the pleasure of regular brunches and dinners with my favourite lady boss, Ashley Ander. Apart from Ms. Ander, I would really love to brunch with Meryl Streep. I find her completely fascinating and inspiring by all things she has accomplished inside and outside of her film career and her fight for equality.
If you were to give a s/o to a local entrepreneur, who would it be?
Well since my biggest love in life in cookies…I’d love to give a shoutout to one of our amazing leads at Ossington, Morgan Lunn, who has started this amazing venture called GIRL GANG GOODIES INC. (@girlganggoodies). Be apart of the GIRL GANG, you won’t regret it.
Describe your ideal Saturday in the city.
My ideal Saturday night would be sitting in the lounge of the Shangri La sipping champagne listening to either acoustic covers or jazz music with good company. Just a simple gal, right Ash? 😉
Who motivates you?
I wouldn’t say that anyone particularly motivates me other than self-motivating myself. I’m a self starter and I’ve always been super critical on myself that I have pushed and learned to motivate myself from a young age. I am inspired by the dedicated and passionate fitness community here in Toronto and at RIDE; they push me to achieve new goals and keep things fresh!
Fave quote or words to live by?
My Dad always told me two things growing up:
1) “Find a job you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life” and I’ve always lived by this (and luckily I’ve been blessed with jobs throughout my time in the music industry and now my current one with RIDE, that I’ve been so passionate about!)
2) “Son, don’t sweat the small stuff” IT’S SO TRUE. Once I finally learned there’s so much more to life than the little trivial things that affect our lives in a negative way for just a moment, it’s been such a breath of fresh air. Life’s too short and beautiful to “sweat the small stuff” 😉
Thanks, Dad <3
Last book you read was….
Extremely boring, but, “Musicians and the Law in Canada 3rd Edition”, I mean interesting if it’s what you’re wanting to learn about it, however, I was looking for something that I couldn’t find the answer to easily and ended up reading the whole 602 page book haha.
What does RIDE mean to you?
If I had to choose one word I would choose, dignity. We all deserve to have pride, self respect and self worth in ourselves. We are all equal, we are all beautiful humans with beautiful qualities, we RIDE as one, equal. Each one of us deserves to find the best in ourselves so we can be the best for everyone else. RIDE helped me along this journey and I positively believe that it can help anyone else out there looking to find that piece of them. xo.
