Barrhaven Yoga is evidence of an impossible dream come true. With the power of a fighting spirit, a little luck, and just enough guts to take a risk, anything can happen. Four years ago I carried an armful of yoga mats and a ghetto blaster into church basements with slush-filled floors and musty rooms to teach 2 or 3 students who were inspired enough to stick with me. Today I drive five minutes to an impeccable space that is everything I’ve ever dreamed of-- and so much more.

 

None of it would have been possible had my path not crossed that of a humble woman named Marita Viteznik and her daughter Olga, a charismatic pair who opened Fit Lifestyles in May 2010.

 

Marita Viteznik (Nebesky) was born in Czecholsovakia in 1935. At the age of 3 she was orphaned and separated from her two older brothers before being adopted by a family friend. She was educated at Charles University in Prague and sought refuge in Canada in September 1968 shortly after the Russian invasion. There she received two Master’s Degrees--one from the University of Ottawa in education and another in social work from Carleton.  She founded Fit Lifestyle Consulting 30 years ago and taught thousands of men, women, and children the joys of yoga, aerobic exercise, and gymnastics.

 

Just a few months after the opening of her center, Marita was diagnosed with Parkinson’s (age 76). The quick progression of the degenerative disease made teaching an impossible task. She is currently resting in a nursing home on an island on the Rideau River in Rockliffe.     

 

Were it not for the talent, passion, and lineage of Marita and the drive, vision, and generosity of her daughter Olga, my students and I’d still be dusting the floors of church basements. From the bottom of my heart, Thank You.

 

We’ve established this page in Marita’s honour. All donations will be forwarded directly to the Michael J. Fox Foundation towards finding a cure for Parkinson’s Disease.