In January 2017, Houston Today wrote about Lorne Osborne, a former Houston resident initiating a Canada wide campaign called Reps4kids, which recognizes and tries to reverse child obesity in Canada.
Osborne, a former part time employee of Canfor in Houston for eight years and a 2003 graduate from Houston Secondary School, attended the University of Lethbridge and graduated with a double degree in a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Kinesiology and Psychology. Osborne worked 12 years in the fitness industry before he started his company, Provision Athletics, which creates customized fitness plans for clients across Canada.
On Nov. 2, 2017 an episode of Osborne pitching to Dragon’s Den Canada where he asks for $50,000 in exchange for 10 per cent of the company.
“I started Provision Athletics four years ago,” said Osborne. “Provision Athletics was created to revolutionize the way personal training was done. I felt that people were looking for direction, support, motivation and accountability and instead were getting nothing of the sorts with conventional personal training.”
Osborne said that he wanted to change the relationship between personal trainer and client to one edifies the client and allows them to access all the support they need.
“Instead of helping people a few hours a week and having them become reliant on paying huge dollars per hour, we wanted to help teach people, and to support people seven days a week when they really needed it,” said Osborne. “We have found a niche that fills voids with busy people, people who need a little more support, want to learn to do it on their own, or who are uncomfortable going to a gym.”
After auditioning for Dragon’s Den, in May of 2017 Osborne and his team for Provision Athletics flew to Toronto, Ontario to film their episode for Dragon’s Den.
“It should be funny to watch,” said Osborne. “I have never been so nervous in my life.”
Provision Athletics offers an app that allows people to have a personal trainer in their pocket through pictures, videos, and descriptions. But Osborne says the best feature about their service is the daily contact clients get from an educated personal trainer asking them how their workouts and nutrition plans are going so they can help get the client meet at their needs in the best way.
“Coming from Houston, there is not a lot of professionals in the health and fitness industry, especially when I was growing up there. Most of our clients come from small towns,” said Osborne. “Now clients can get a professional in their pocket without worrying about having to commute and make arrangements during their busy schedules to keep those appointments.”
Next step for Provision Athletics is building the team.
“We have 10 trainers across Canada and are hoping to build that to 35 at the end of the year,” said Osborne.
Provision Athletics episode will air on Dragon’s Den on Nov. 2, 2017 at 5 p.m. pacific time.