Laura Ip (she/her)
Founder, President, Head Coach
Laura discovered boxing at the beginning of 2010…on a dare. She walked through the doors of Terence Fowler’s FightFit in St. Catharines and hasn’t looked back. She fell in love with the sport and, at the end of 2013, asked the founder of Pearl Gloves if she could be on the fight card for the annual charity boxing event.
In November 2014, Laura had her first fight and gave her friend and opponent, Brie Maheu, a hard fight. Had a winner been called (it was an exhibition), Laura knows Brie would have been declared the victor. The real victory for Laura was getting into the ring and giving it her all. On October 8, 2016, Laura fought at Irwin’s Boxing Club for her then-coach Billy Irwin. It was, again, an exhibition, and Laura dominated the fight.
Since learning about Shape Your Life from Cathy van Ingen in 2014, Laura has wanted to bring the program to Niagara. Shape Your Life is a social and recreational boxing program for women-identified individuals who are survivors of violence. Laura knows the benefits of boxing for healing from physical and emotional trauma.
Certifications:
Coaching - Level 1 (Boxing Ontario)
Personal Training Specialist - in progress (CanFitPro) — 92% theory; practical on hold due to the pandemic
Certified Women’s Coaching Specialist (Girls Gone Strong Academy, recognized by CanFitPro)
Certified Pre- and Post-Natal Coach - in progress (Girls Gone Strong Academy, recognized by CanFitPro)
Introduction to Competition - Making Ethical Decisions, Planning a Practice, Nutrition (National Coaching Certification Program, NCCP# 6081415)
Making Ethical Decisions - On-line Evaluation (NCCP# 6081415)
Making Head Way in Sport - Concussion Prevention, Recognition, Recovery (NCCP# 6081415)
Developing Athletic Abilities - pre-workshop (NCCP# 6081415)
Standard First Aid CPR/AED Level C (Canadian Red Cross)
Teaching Adults (Niagara College)
Jami Coughler (she/her)
Director, Counsellor for Shape Your Life program
Jami Coughler is a Counsellor at Gillian’s Place, an agency that provides support and safe shelter to women and children who have experienced abuse. Previously, Jami has worked as a Counsellor and as a Program Co-ordinator for other non-profit agencies that support survivors of domestic and sexual violence, and has also worked in the career services field guiding individuals in securing and maintaining meaningful employment. Jami has worked on various special projects throughout her career, including anti-violence workshops, specialized staff training programs, and policy development.
Jami holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology (with a Concentration in Criminology and Minor is Psychology) and an Honours Bachelor of Public Health degree – both from Brock University. Jami also holds various certifications related to her support and counselling work, including as a Certified Trauma Integration Clinician through the Attachment and Trauma Treatment Centre for Healing.
In addition to her counselling and support work with humans, Jami is passionate about advocating for non-human animals as well – she is vegan, she lives with two rescued senior dogs, and she has future aspirations to grow her rural property to be able to rescue farmed animals. Jami volunteers with a local animal rights organization helping out with their animal adoption program.
In her spare time (is that a thing?!) Jami enjoys puttering around her country home with her partner, being outdoors, DIY home décor, and smashing the patriarchy.