Briercrest Athletics is proud to announce the hiring of Jennifer Johnson as the inaugural coach of the Briercrest Running Club, which will begin training Fall 2016!

Briercrest Athletic Director Nigel Mullan is excited to have Johnson join the Briercrest coaching staff.

“We are excited for Jen to provide leadership to this new and exciting initiative,” Mullan said. “I think she will bring a great level of excitement and desire to this position and we will see this become an encouraging experience for the athletes.”

Johnson comes with a great resume in fitness and running, both personally, she won third place in a women’s 5km race this past July, and as a coach.

“I have competed in upwards of 25 amateur long distance races and one triathlon, including the Queen City Marathon and the Regina Hypothermic Half Marathon,” Johnson explained. “I have developed and run seven running club groups that had a range of 4- 15 members both in Moose Jaw and Caronport. I have also worked with 10+ individuals to develop their long distance running skills from beginner level runners to more advanced in the amateur running world.”

She also has experience working with other types of athletes.

“I have worked with other types of athletes in a maintenance and conditioning role, assisting their coaches by teaching injury prevention and joint care as well as proper conditioning techniques for figure skating, hockey, fastball, and volleyball.”

Johnson explained a bit of what she hopes for the program this coming year.

“My coaching philosophy is to empower Briercrest running athletes to strive towards athletic goals, while keeping their overall health and wellness at the front of all training pursuits and doing it all in a way that reflects glory to God.”

“We will be working together to build a team of long distance runners who train and compete in the local area,” she continued. “I am looking for students who are interested in running and taking care of their health and fitness as they pursue running goals.”

She explained a bit of what excites her about this opportunity.

“I love to run and I am most excited to work with students to train them to run or to help them pursue their running goals,” Johnson said. “I have enjoyed working with Briercrest students in a few different capacities and consider it a privilege to have yet another opportunity to work with them in a coaching role.”

Johnson is not new to Briercrest as she has had several different connections to the college since arriving in Caronport a little less than a decade ago.

“My husband brought me out to Briercrest in 2007 as he was finishing his last year at the college,” Johnson explained. “I began working for Wes Olmstead where I got my start in the administrative world. I worked in a few different administrative roles throughout my time (at Briercrest) but my most recent role was in the Enrolment and Recruitment department where I enjoyed showcasing all that Briercrest has to offer to potential students and then was able to help welcome new students on campus.”

Originally hailing from Montreal, Quebec, Johnson studied Health Sciences at Champlain College prior to moving to Saskatchewan.

“I studied Kinesiology at the University of Saskatchewan and finished my degree there in 2011,” she explained. “I am certified with the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology. Most recently have been running a small fitness business in Moose Jaw and the surrounding rural area. My business is comprised of personal training, weight loss plans and support, fitness classes, running clubs, health and wellness education sessions, athlete conditioning and maintenance sessions, and much more! While I’ve been running for longer than I can remember I took up a more serious interest in long distance running in 2009. I have participated in many of the local races in SK, but have also attempted a few in other provinces.”

Outside of her business Johnson is quite involved in the Caronport and Moose Jaw community.

“The Johnson family calls Caronport home as we run two small businesses, web development and fitness, and are deeply involved in ministry at our church, St. Aidan Anglican church in Moose Jaw,” she said. “(My husband) Luke is a web developer and youth minister and our little son Rowan is an avid train conductor and regular Caronport Community trail walker. We are looking forward to welcoming a new little one to our family this summer.”

For more information on Briercrest Athletics follow us on Facebook or at gobriercrest.ca. For more information on the Briercrest Running Club contact Jennifer Johnson at jjohnson@briercrest.ca, or fill out the recruitment form here.