Suppy Spotlight: Featuring Rachel Fackoury
Who is Rachel Fackoury?
Rachel Fackoury is a Toronto-based trainer out to lead women on a path of self-discovery through fitness. With a lifelong love for sport, she’s now got a degree in kinesiology and has been teaching classes in Toronto and Kitchener-Waterloo for over 7 years. Through Discover You, her own fitness and wellness business, she offers personal training, group classes, and seasonal special events to help people connect with their bodies through movement. What makes her approach different is her focus on total wellness and community. She knows that fitness’ health benefits aren’t just physical; a good workout and a like-minded group of people can provide the perfect dose of stress relief and mental clarity. Oh, and she also writes a pretty killer blog.
What does your weekly fitness routine look like?
I have been dealing with an injury to my core/pelvis for 2.5 years, but I am excited now that I can finally commit time to myself again. It's great to be able to train and not be restricted to rehab exercises. I played varsity field hockey at university, so I love to work hard and lift heavy things!
My goal is to get 3-4 workouts in a week. I try to do one Barre or Pilates-style workout (which has been super helpful for injury recovery), one run, and two strength training sessions. Lately, I’ve been hitting Barry’s Bootcamps for their double floor workout... I’ve got no excuse - I live right across the street!
How do you balance your social life with your fitness goals?
LOL. What social life? I would love to say that I’ve got a thriving calendar of social events, but I just don’t right now. I’m an introverted extrovert who lives alone… I socialize all day long and love every minute of it, but as soon as I come home it’s just me, myself, and my pink robe (which I just happen to be in as we speak).
I've set a goal to attend more social events this year, and I’ve still got 9 months to deliver. However, I do find that I get a lot of social time through my work, so it doesn’t feel like something I'm really missing.
Self-care is so popular right now, and rightfully so. What do you do to make it a priority?
Self-care is a huge thing for me! Depending on my week, it can look quite different. Sometimes, it means staying in all day long, indulging in alone-time, without much interaction to rest my body and my mind. On other days, it might be signing up for a class, or just making my own workouts a priority.
Family is everything to me, so I try to call or visit family whenever I feel the need to fill my own cup. As someone who loves to work, I’ve also been taking the time to tend to my own needs more often, so I can share my energy with those around me.
What’s your go-to healthy meal?
In all honesty, I don’t have one go-to meal. I love fresh, whole ingredients and I eat just about anything. I enjoy cooking and baking, but I find it hard being on my own. Though it’s more of a snack (and not so much a meal) I'm LOVING these almond protein bars that I make at home - I struggle to make them last for more than a week! Every once in a while it's nice to go out for a meal, and skip out on all of the prep and clean-up!
Suppy
Toronto, ON
What do you know now that you wish you’d known when you first started out in fitness?
This is a tough one. I feel like there is SO much I wish I’d known earlier! A huge thing for me is continuing education. You can never learn enough. As soon as you think you know something, challenge your comfort level and take a class with someone else to test your views.
Another thing I’ve learned is that you can’t be all things to all people. Be yourself, and those who love you will find you, and keep coming back.
What’s next? What do you have planned for the future?
I want to work for myself full-time. I love the studios I work in, but my dream is to work for me! My dad inspired me, growing up, by running his own successful business. And as cheesy as it sounds, I want to be just like him! I would love to own my own space but recently, I’ve been dreaming about buying a home in Toronto and turning the basement into my own fitness studio! A girl can dream right… And now I’m going to work as hard as I can to turn that dream into a reality!
Lightning Round (Yay or Nay)
"There's no way I'm going to stick to one-word answers."
At-Home Workouts: YES
Counting Calories: NO
Intermittent Fasting: NO, although I joke that I do sometimes accidentally fast, because of my crazy schedule. If it’s been a hectic day, my meals don't always happen as often as I’d like them to.
Foam Rolling: YES, but I'll be the first to admit I need to do more of it!
Avocado Toast: NO, save your money and make it at home or buy something with less hype :P
Get to Know Rachel
If you want to learn more about Rachel and her fitness and wellness practice, follow her on Instagram @RachelFackoury. We'd also suggest you check out one of her classes at Discover You. You won't regret it.
