Chez Gael Pâtisserie Fine 
​To spoil your sweet half, we offer our marshmallow with orange blossom and our Valentine cookies

• Golf Biomechanics Specialist 😳, how did you decide to do that?

My wife and business partner, Melanie and I went to California back in 1997 (!) to learn more about golf and fitness conditioning for golfers as not too many people were talking about golf fitness or if they were it was basically a rehashing of old bodybuilding principles.  The CHEK Institute in Encinitas California was an invaluable tool to help us work with golfers in need of proper movements to help them not get injured.  Fast forward 19 years, we are lucky enough to have been able to help juniors, pros, seniors and recreational golfers from all over and are considered as the go-to people for golf training and conditioning!

• You work with all sorts of athletes, from Hockey teams to elite swimmers, water-polo players, runners, triathletes, canoers and kayakers.  Is there a common thread that you recognize in high performing athletes?

Their will to succeed is there and that’s what sets them apart from the recreational athletes.  They have skill.  Tons of it.  Sometimes, however, they lack the proper physical preparation for their sport and adequate mechanics.  Their skill allows them to get away with it but we want them to excel further. We don’t teach skill.  That is what their coach teaches. We coach them on attaining their best physical abilities so that they can use the skill they already have!

• 2012 Olympics in London!  Tell us about THAT!

That was nothing but an amazing experience.  I was fortunate enough to be the Athletic Therapist and Strength Coach for the Clarke-Bjorn Sailing Team for the London 2012 Olympics!  Tyler Bjorn, from Dorval (his brother Kai and his father sailed in the Olympics multiple times as well) was introduced to me through B2TEN, an organization which supports Olympic hopefuls.  We hit it off and we began our training and travelled from Corpus Christi, to south of France, to Spain, to Australia and to London multiple times to prepare for the event!  

It is so impressive to see these athletes perform at that high level and how serious most of them take their eating, sleeping and training! We gained a lot of experience working with them.

• They say that real champions are the ones that are able to sustain the trainings, day after day, the dedicated ones.  How do you help keep those athletes motivated to reach their goals?

Accountability is number one!  Being accountable to a coach, a trainer, a therapist will allow that athlete to continue to strive for perfection.  This is akin to going for a run with a friend.  If you knew they were going to ring your doorbell at 5pm to go for a run, you would make it a point to not disappoint them.  This is accountability! Writing their progress and tracking it is motivation as well.  Whatever gets tracked gets managed.

• Stress in a big topic nowadays, how does training or being physically active fit in?

Stress is almost impossible to avoid but totally possible to control.  Mindset and a physically active body allow the body to destress both physically and mentally.  The happy hormones kick in and we feel good about ourselves which then puts us in a frame of mind that we can deal with the daily grind with a clearer head, ad make better decision and more rational ones as well.  Any injury, any argument with a loved one, or finances will create a stress to the body but being in a good place in your body and mind will allow for you to be constructive.  Once this is set in motion, it is easier to keep on going!

• Your list of accomplishments seems endless, tell us about the best seller book you co-authored: Get With The Program: The World’s Leading Fitness Experts Reveal Their Best Workouts to Help You Get Lean, Happy and Healthy in No Time Flat! 

That was in 2013!  A group of colleagues from our fitness business mentorship got together to write chapters in a book and we successfully got Best Sellers List for 4 topics related to health and fitness!  It was such a rush to be acknowledged and to be able to go to Hollywood for a red- carpet affair and be presented with the awards!  Truly an experience and we would love to begin the process on writing another one.

• You also regularly contribute to a magazine?

Yes!  Another fun venture!  It all started with us writing a congratulations letter to Best Health Magazine Canada for an article they produced and they ended up putting on their editorial page.  From there, we asked if they would ever want some informative fitness related articles on their page and we were lucky enough to contribute once every 3-4 issues.  They recently contacted us and asked if we would like to have our own monthly “Ask The Fitness Expert” column and we couldn’t pass up that chance! 

• What’s your personal next challenge?

On a personal front, after having successfully climbed Mt Kilimanjaro in January 2018 for the West Island Community Shares, it would be fun to get out and see the Great Wall of China or perhaps another hike up a challenging mountain.  

On a business front, we would definitely want to be promoting more movement awareness for everyone out there.  Whether it be offering more seminars, workshops, the whole point is that we want to help people move better and build their foundation, which is exactly our hashtags and taglines!

• Are you a goal setter or a ‘see what life throws at me’ kind of guy?

I used to be a happy-go-lucky-fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants person but as I got into the real world, planning and being a bit more organized was definitely a necessity!  With 2 kids, goal setting is a must not only for planning our days and our future but also setting an example for them as well!

• Community seems to be high on your list of priorities, starting with the vibe you’ve created in your gym.  What does community mean to you?

Community = family!  Human beings essentially always are striving to be connected with a purpose and a community.  So whether it’s a sports team, or members getting together to come to one of our many fitness classes, the togetherness creates an amazing bond.  We have had many members become very close friends as a result of them meeting at our studio.  They often go out to breakfast together after a workout!

• ​Finally, what about children?  Do you have any tips on motivating the younger crowd? How to get them moving and staying active, setting them up so they can thrive?

Young kids should be motivated by getting them to PLAY.  In order for them to develop confidence in their movements and in their bodies and improve their abilities to play sports, they should and have fun while getting together as a team will help them motivate them (along the lines of their own community).  They will thrive on their own (with some help on our part) and they will gravitate to the activities that they enjoy.  The more they enjoy it the more they will participate!

• How did you get into tattoos?

I started into tattoos for the money reason, no joke.  I’ve always appreciated the art, and I was in the airbrush industry prior to tattoos, which went down quickly.  The market just kind of died and I needed to make money.  Friends and family both convinced me that it would be a good choice, as I already would design and draw tattoos for so many people, so I tried it, and haven’t looked back since.  It was never a dream of mine as a youth, but has become my dream job.  It’s an adventure every day and the smiles and the happiness that people have when they leave my shop or get out of my chair is priceless.  I wouldn’t trade it at all for any other job now.

• Did you really choose Dorval to make it more convenient for people to fly in for their tattoos?  

Originally I chose Dorval because it was a central location. 20 minutes from Downtown Montreal and 20 minutes from our clients off Island. Lately we have had clients flying in from Saskatchewan and Newfoundland, so that was very convenient for them. It’s humbling to have people not only spend their hard earned money on a piece from me but to spend it on a flight and accommodations. It means a lot to me.

• Who dreamed up this Friday the 13th bash ideas and did you ever think it would be such a HUGE success?

My wife dreamed up this idea a few months after we opened. Hoping it would catch people’s attention. $13 tattoos with a $7 tip…Bring yourself and a $20 bill and you are set! People didn’t know about us so she thought this might get the word out. We had concerns that we would create this event and nobody would show up to our party. That didn’t happen. We had over 400 people show up, they were lined up down the street and around the building. We were in shock. Literally! An event that was set to run from 3pm to 10pm went from 3pm to 5 am the next morning!  This event isn’t a huge money maker…it was created to say “Hey! Here we are! Tell your friends” But in the end the buzz was so big that we decided to do it every Friday the 13th. This year will be our 3rd. The people that showed up to these events are incredible. We have families coming together, Mom’s and Daughters, Fathers and daughters and siblings. We even had a lovely woman who was 72 years old wait almost 12 hours in line. These folks have become friends to us…their support through social media and their support to our artists and apprentice have surpassed anything we could have ever hoped for. When we say that we have the best clients, we mean it.

• Coolest tattoo you ever made?​

There really is no “coolest” tattoo, I think that every tattoo has a “wow” factor involved.  Whether it’s small or large, the client’s happiness is essentially the most important part.  Though I do have preferences in what I do, I still give my 100% for each and every client.  My job is to be the artistic talent behind their ideas and I do my best always to accomplish their visions and lay it on their skin in the most professional way.

• It really feels like a family here, how did you create that?​

I don’t feel like a “family atmosphere” can be created. It just happens. As an artist I want to be in a comfortable space to be able to create well, thus making a space where a client can be comfortable as well. Pictures and decoration just come with that drive.  I think that the way that clients are greeted and interacting with the client in a respectful and polite manner is essential. I myself had a lot to learn in social etiquette, but my wife is a model when it comes to customer service and social behavior, and I’ve learned from her ways to help me interact with others, hence becoming also a model in which others have followed.  So far it works, and I know if changes need to be made in order to better the shop I will make it happen and we will continue to always grow.
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• Favorite joke?

Favorite Joke…So one of our artists, Eric Bovay, is famous for his “bad jokes”. During our first Friday the 13th event, he told each client the same joke. I’m not sure if it was because exhaustion was setting in but every time we would over hear Eric say in a monotone voice “Wanna hear a bad joke”? We would all burst into laughter. So I guess you could say the joke is kinda famous. Here is a video of Eric's famous joke:

• Seems that Friday the 13th is pretty lucky in the end, what the thing that makes you feel the most lucky?

Friday the 13th is definitely not bad luck here at The Psych Ward…What makes us feel lucky is that regardless of the weather our clients are willing to wait 12+ hours to get a tattoo from this shop. That’s pretty cool.

• Tell me about the other artists at the Psych Ward...

Where do I start…We are blessed with some awesome guys here at the shop.

Eric Bovay:  Eric was a client of mine for years. Eric was a farmer and worked driving tractors here and in Alberta. One day he showed me some of his drawings and I was shocked with how much potential he showed with his artistic outlook. We discussed an apprenticeship and started working together. He blows me away daily on how far he has come and how quickly he was creating beautiful pieces of art for our clients. He traded in his tractor for a tattoo machine and the rest is history. Eric was right by my side when we found this location and had a hand in every step of the renovations. The shop would not have opened in time if not for his help.  His energy, friendliness and smile reflects daily on the people at the shop and his clients.  He often says how lucky he is; I think we are the lucky ones.
 Facebook: Eric Bovay Tattoos 
Instagram: @ericbovaytattoos 
​YouTube

Sam Ruest:  Sam was also a client of mine for years. He would come to get a tattoo almost once a week learning visually much in the same fashion as I had when I began. Sam is mostly self-taught. Sam is not only a client; he is a friend. When the shop opened I asked Sam if he wanted to join the team. He has a natural ability to learn quickly.  Sam has confidence and is very relaxed and works well with almost any client. He does Black and grey as do I and his style is similar yet different, and is a great asset to the team. Sam has a huge following and many returning clients!
 Facebook: Sam Ruest Tattoo Bu  
Instagram: @sam_tattoo_bu
Vimeo

Ray Halle: Ray was a pleasant surprise. The music connoisseur. We weren’t in the market for another artist but when we met Ray he fit well. Ray had been tattooing for a few years but didn’t have the exposure he deserved or the training he needed to take his art to the places he wanted to go.  He works very hard and endlessly critiques his work looking for improvement.  He has only been with us for about a month and already he has a following and some returning clientele. He’s a cool dude. I’m not sure he is used to the craziness of the shop just yet… ​
Facebook: Ray Halle Tattoo Artist   
Instagram: @rayhalle.ink

Fonzy: The Psych Ward’s newest apprentice. This guy’s personality and energy is high and addictive. He came in looking for a mentor in me and has become a good friend. His drive and desire to become a tattoo artist is what convinced me to take him on. He never gives up.  Minutes after meeting him, you feel like you have known him your whole life. Fonzy isn’t tattooing yet but he is compiling a ‘waiting list’ for when he is ready to put needle to skin. He will be a force to reckon with once he gets going.
Instagram: fonzybaby_

Kevin Ward
Owner and Tattoo Artist

​​Instagram:  @mrkevinward
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