Katherine
“When I was a competitive figure skater, I always got back up after I fell. Every time I’d perform poorly on an exam, I’d always push harder for the next one. When I converted, I struggled to confidently tell others I was Muslim, because I was bullied when my brother converted. I pushed through every single time and now confidently, and proudly, tell others I’m Muslim. When I moved away from my family for university, I had to learn how to live alone. I have been knocked down more times than once, but I am so proud of myself for pushing through and always staying true to myself.”
Katherine is 24, a registered dietitian, a certified figure skating coach, and she volunteers with the Media Network of Dieticians of Canada as the conference coordinator and webinar coordinator. Her proudest achievement is “becoming a registered dietitian because it has always been my dream career and it took a lot of hard work and patience." She continued to say, "my mom is a retired registered dietitian and the fact that I had the opportunity to follow in her footsteps and share the same passion with her, makes me feel very proud. To become a dietitian in Canada, you need to complete an undergraduate degree, then apply for a one-year unpaid internship, and then write a national exam. With most internships accepting 4-8 candidates, we were only to apply for 3 programs across Canada. Completing against all Canadians for your dream career takes a lot of work.” Outside of work, Katherine loves kickboxing, cooking, running, playing guitar, and told me any day is better if it includes grocery shopping. (Follow @katshappyhealthylife for semi regular grocery haul videos!) When I asked Katherine what’s most important to her she told me, “to stay true to myself. This may sound cliché but it can be hard to do what is best for you sometimes. It’s important for me to do what I believe is best for myself and my own well-being, while still respecting and considering others around me. Why? Because we all know what we believe is best for us and we all have influential people in our lives.”
Q&A Feature:
Where is your favourite place to find yourself?
“The ice rink - It’s cold but always warms my heart. I love coaching the athletes and I love the feel of my blades on the ice.”
What has been the most challenging experience of your life and why?
“When I was 21, I moved to a new province alone to study. During this time, there was a lot of firsts for me – the first time practicing as a Muslim alone in a new city, the first time eating alone, living alone, and cooking alone. I remember crying every single week for the first 4 months – I couldn’t understand why. I lived in a beautiful town, I had incredible friends surrounding me, and I was studying for my dream career – I just missed my routine and my family. Overtime, I started disliking food – this was the most challenging part for me. If you know me, you know I LOVE food. Who doesn’t? Meal times became lonely and food, less enjoyable. I missed having someone to share my food with. I didn’t realize how big of an impact family and food had on my life and studies. It was challenging because I struggled through it. I didn’t give up, but I knew it was so easy to – I could have just dropped everything and gave up on my dream, but I didn’t. I am so glad I went through that experience – I learned so much and became even more resilient. Now, I run my Instagram food photography page and blog, Kat’s Happy, Healthy Life! I’m very content and love cooking and eating food, more than ever! That town is now one of my favorites and holds a special place in my heart. I always believed that everything is a challenge if you push yourself and work hard – if it’s easy, you’re not doing it right.”
