Bee Wellness celebrating 10 years

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This article was published 04/05/2022 (1441 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CHARLESWOOD

A Charleswood seniors’ fitness facility is celebrating a decade in business.

Candace Swick, older-adult rehab therapist and owner of Bee Wellness (located at 3680 Roblin Blvd.), said running a wellness facility has been her dream since she was a little girl.

“I grew up with a lot of older people, and when my grandmother got sick, I started realizing where my niche was,” Swick said. “I didn’t connect with people my own age. I loved being with older people because they appreciated things.”

Swick created rehabilitation programs in Alberta and Manitoba before opening her own business. All her time, effort and money has gone into Bee Wellness, she said, and it only took six months of operating before she had paid back the line of credit that she and her husband took to fund the startup.

“I’ve doubled, almost tripled, in size,” Swick added. “I’m over 200 participants that come here between programs and rehab, and I do some community groups, as well. It’s been growing because I’m so specialized and so many people sat at home for two years and now their health conditions have grown.”

Bee Wellness offers one-on-one sessions, group classes and individualized programming for older adults and people with rehabilitation needs, such as stroke survivors or those with multiple sclerosis. She works with everyone from ages 40 to 95; people of all shapes, sizes, genders and abilities.

She has people come in who want to regain balance, are awaiting surgery or have Parkinson’s, among other conditions. The process starts with a free meet-and-greet, and programs are offered in blocks while one-on-ones are on a monthly basis. All equipment is supplied, and everything is offered at three levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. As clients get stronger, programs can be adapted to make it more challenging.

“Watching the changes and watching people come in a certain way and then slowly working with them is what I love,” Swick said. “I’m outside the box. I’m a rule-breaker, but in a good way. That’s where my successes come from. I always put the person first.”

Swick calls her Bee Wellness journey a “neat ride.” Her father, who had a spinal cord injury, was told he would never walk again — but after six months under Swick’s watch, she had him using a walker.

“Everyone knew him here,” Swick said. “(After he passed away), I was allowed to mourn for two days. I had to come back to work because he told me, ‘Your people need you.’ I keep going, educating and striving to be the best I can be because I watched what I could do more my dad and just kept creating it here.

“I never thought I’d get to 10 years, but my dad always reminded me I would get there because I was big-headed and determined.”

For more information, visit www.beewellnessinc.com