Karina Hébert: Back at the Gym at 37
Intensity is the word that best describes Karina Hébert. Behind her role as Sales Director at iA Financial Group lies a woman determined to build strength, power, and endurance. Her athletic journey spans four decades and unfolds in two chapters: dance and fitness. In between? A child, a career, and a couch.
Champion in Social Dance
Karina started dancing at age six, likely inspired by her parents, who spent countless evenings on social dance floors across Quebec. By age 13, she was competing and winning titles in the Pro-Am category under the Marc Labrosse Dance School. Her fitness journey soared, rewarded by effort and recognition. But then came adulthood, pregnancy, and a long break from sports.
"I tried to go back, but I just couldn’t," she recalls. "From age 19 to 37, I didn’t do any sports or training. I tried going to gyms, but I’d stop after two or three weeks."
And Then Came the Gym...
Nearly 20 years passed before something shifted. Encouraged by conversations with her partner and best friend, both gym-goers, her curiosity was piqued:
"My partner worked out and kept talking about it, and my best friend too. It came up at every dinner."
That’s all it took. One Sunday, she walked into a gym—and then into the Centre Multisports. "I’m all in or nothing," she says. She booked an appointment with kinesiologist Vincent Proulx. "I needed a scheduled session to commit," she explains. That was the start of a transformation.
"For a month or so, I was going three times a week. My boyfriend thought I was nuts!"
She trained diligently following Vincent’s program, then gradually started training independently. But eventually, she lost motivation and stopped going.
…And Then Came Gym Perfo
After trying a few other gyms, she found her way back to the Centre Multisports. This time, she discovered a richer variety of group fitness classes and found her rhythm at Gym Perfo. She now attends classes five to six times a week. These workouts combine strength training, cardio, and endurance—Karina’s perfect formula.
A natural motivator, Karina has brought along several friends and family members: "I’m in sales—when I like something, it’s dangerous. I’m completely hooked! I’ve never seen another place like it."
She now follows a structured nutrition plan and tracks her workouts meticulously:
"What I see in the mirror keeps me going, but it’s also the people—I’ve made friends, I talk to everyone. It’s not just about the body image."
Her consistency stems from not wanting to go back to the days when she wasn’t moving or dancing:
"If I could do it again, I’d dance more. I was talented but didn’t see the possibilities back then. Discipline was missing, and money was tight."
Karina Hébert may no longer be dancing, but every day, one rep at a time, she’s committed to staying fit, having fun, and inspiring those around her. Because, as the song goes—when she loves once, she loves forever.