HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times Advocate, 2005-09-28, Page 10Crossroads
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Exeter Times -Advocate
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Singing talent on display at South Huron Idol
By Scott Nixon
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
EXETER — Musical tal-
ent was on display
Sunday at the Exeter Fall
Fair as the second South
Huron Idol competition
was held.
It was the teens who
took home the top prizes
— Jessica Woodhouse,
14, of Stratford was
deemed the senior win-
ner, while 13 -year-old
Matt Greer of Holyrood
won the junior title.
Competitors were judged
on Sunday's performance
along with their perfor-
mances during the pre-
liminary competition on
Canada Day. Twenty-five
vocalists in four age cate-
gories competed.
The event was orga-
nized by the South Huron
Chamber of Commerce.
President and MC Kelly
Maidens called South
Huron Idol "a great
event."
Woodhouse and Greer
both say they would like
to pursue careers in
singing.
Both have won previous
singing competitions, with
Greer making it to the top
12 out of 157 competitors
in the Western Fair youth
talent show. Along the
way, he won 18 competi-
tions.
Both Woodhouse and
Greer said they felt great
about taking home top
honours Sunday after-
noon.
Winners were also cho-
sen from each age group
— Courtney McBride won
in the age six to 10 cate-
gory, Greer won in the
11-13 group, while
Woodhouse came out on
top in the 14-21 bracket.
Marcel Gelinas was
deemed the best of the 21
and over group.
The event was judged
by Justin Cole, Tim
DeVries and Marilou
Dixon, who described the
talent in the area as
"amazing."
Twenty-five singers competed Sunday to earn the right to be called South Huron
Idol. Marcel Gelinas, above, won his age category for his rendition of Elton John's
"Tiny Dancer." Bill Osmond, below, recalled the spirit ofThe King, performing "In
the Ghetto." (photo/Scott Nixon)
Taking home the top prizes Sunday afternoon were Matt Greer, left, and Jessica
Woodhouse, who respectively won Junior and Senior Idol honours.Above, they
show off their prizes — CD players and a cheque each for $100.
New location allows for expansion of fitness centre
By Scott Nixon
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
BIDDULPH — Valerie
McLeod is making her
business bigger and
better.
The strength and con-
ditioning trainer
recently moved her
health and fitness cen-
tre from her
McGillivray Drive home
to a new, larger loca-
tion at the corner of
Highway 4 and
McGillivray Drive.
The new building
gives her better visibil-
ity, more space and the
ability to accept more
clients.
"This is great,"
McLeod says of her
new location, adding
she is getting many dri-
veby customers.
The grand opening
for 1-2-1 Health &
Fitness was held last
Saturday.
McLeod's fitness cen-
tre is unique in that it
isn't your typical walk-
in gym — clients make
appointments and
McLeod and personal
trainer Nancy
Chevalier plan each
client's half-hour work-
out based on their abil-
ities.
It allows for a more
personalized workout,
McLeod says.
"We're not going to
let you out of here until
we're done with you,"
she laughs.
Equipment includes
freeweights, body balls,
Bosu balls for balance,
exercise bicycles and
treadmills.
McLeod says she
focuses on "functional
movement."
McLeod also does
sports -specific training
and helps athletes
work on speed, agility
and power.
Some of McLeod's
clients include OHL
hockey players, girls
from the Strathroy
Rockets and also minor
hockey players.
McLeod ran 1-2-1 out
of her home for six
years and says she was
running out of space.
She says she plans to
make her business a
health and wellness
centre, including a chi-
ropractor and a regis-
tered massage thera-
pist. She already has a
hairdresser on hand
and will have an
esthetician and reflex-
ology by the end of the
month.
She also hopes to
have another employee
by Christmas and is
planning an aerobics
room where she will
offer fitness classes.
McLeod plans to rent
out office space for the
parts of the building
she doesn't plan to use.
1-2-1 Health &
Fitness is open Monday
to Friday, from 6 a.m.
to 9 p.m. and Saturday
from 8 a.m. until noon.
Valerie McLeod, seated, recently moved her business, I -2-1 Health & Fitness,
bigger location at the corner of Highway 4 and McGillivray Drive.With her is
sonal trainer Nancy Chevalier. (photo/Scott Nixon)
to a
per-