About Us
Who We Are
How We Get There
Why We Do It
After leaving the Prairies, heading out west, getting married and spending a couple of years in Vancouver, we decided to take a leap of faith. We quit our jobs, moved to Vancouver Island and opened a gym.
Functional fitness was already a huge part of our life together: Braiden had been coaching CrossFit for a number of years before movin
After leaving the Prairies, heading out west, getting married and spending a couple of years in Vancouver, we decided to take a leap of faith. We quit our jobs, moved to Vancouver Island and opened a gym.
Functional fitness was already a huge part of our life together: Braiden had been coaching CrossFit for a number of years before moving west and it wasn't long after the move that I started coaching as well. But something was missing; we wanted more. So, we went all-in and decided to make Movement Our Life.
We opened CrossFit Ladysmith in 2017, and in the years since, we have fallen in love with this beautiful island and everything it has to offer, spending as much time as possible hiking and camping in the back-country. But even more important to us is our amazing gym community.
After six years as a CrossFit Affiliate, we made the decision to trust our method, expand our vision for the gym and celebrate the beautiful and amazing community that has embraced us, and took another leap.
And so, in 2024, our gym became Motus, an independent, functional fitness gym.
mōtus (origin: Latin)
( Noun) movement, motion
Why We Do It
How We Get There
Why We Do It
Two different paths, one common obsession: Movement. Although we have very different backgrounds when it comes to movement, both have led us down the same path; teaching others to move better so they can live happier, healthier, and longer lives.
We believe that movement is a fundamental part of our health and wellness. By restoring or im
Two different paths, one common obsession: Movement. Although we have very different backgrounds when it comes to movement, both have led us down the same path; teaching others to move better so they can live happier, healthier, and longer lives.
We believe that movement is a fundamental part of our health and wellness. By restoring or improving functional movement patterns we can make astonishing and meaningful changes in the longevity and quality of our members lives.
Braiden Stevenson (CFL2)
A classically trained dancer, Braiden has always been a student of movement. Starting at a very young age with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Braiden’s career took him around the world. Dancing professionally on cruise ships, for Disney Tokyo, and even the Chemainus Theater! Since then he has shared his passion and talent with hundreds of young dancers as teacher and choreographer. Braiden continues to teach dance on top of being a coach and gym owner.
Tylor Nelson (CFL2, BSc, CSCS)
An athlete since Jr. High School, Tylor has always been a competitive person. Although he played multiple sports, it was wrestling that really started his love for fitness (and burpees). He went on to wrestle for the University of Saskatchewan while earning a degree in Human Physiology. After graduating he began a career as a Behavior Therapist teaching children on the Autism Spectrum. Since transitioning full-time to a coach and gym owner he has earned the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) accreditation.
How We Get There
How We Get There
How We Get There
We understand that adapting new fitness habits is difficult and often fails. Our goal is to change your view on fitness so that it becomes part of who you are and part of your daily life. Rather than being a chore or a punishment for not eating the way we "should" or not looking the way we "should.'' We strongly believe that going to the
We understand that adapting new fitness habits is difficult and often fails. Our goal is to change your view on fitness so that it becomes part of who you are and part of your daily life. Rather than being a chore or a punishment for not eating the way we "should" or not looking the way we "should.'' We strongly believe that going to the gym should be something we want to do because we feel better when we do. It is our mission to help you move more, move better, and have fun doing it.
Okay... there's a bit more to it than just good vibes and high fives but we believe it’s the best place to start. Like most things in life, consistency is key when it comes to fitness. We work hard to create an environment where our members have fun and feel empowered so they leave wanting to come back.
Our method prioritizes safe, efficient movement and focuses on mechanically sound movement patterns before we add intensity or weight. It is our mission to teach our members to move well in the gym and in their everyday life. Trusting our method allows our members to get stronger, faster, and more confident, while also doing things they have never done before or thought they would never do again. We don’t want to brag, but … we are basically building super humans. It's no big deal.