Samantha Cornett never imagined she’d work in a human service-related industry. But after competing in the Pan-Am Games and winning multiple medals as a squash athlete, Cornett found herself studying recreation management at George Brown College (GBC) while starting her own company to help seniors exercise. Earlier this month, she launched Aging Well, a program that supports seniors find creative ways to stay active and healthy.

When Cornett reflects on her transition from an athlete to a student, she says “It wasn’t easy, but it’s become faster than I thought.” 

With older adults being the most vulnerable to COVID-19 infection, COVID-19 restrictions have limited Canadian seniors’ exercise options. Cornett says that helping older adults stay physically fit is beneficial for improving physical and mental health during challenging times. 

“During the pandemic, a lot of people weren’t exercising as much since it’s so stressful to partake in exercise and go outside,” said Cornett. “But it’s the perfect time for older adults to participate in the program.”

In the Aging Well program, classes on Wednesday focus on movement and cardio, while Friday sessions focus on stretching and relaxation. 

“Wednesdays are more of a movement class. It is quite gentle and includes a range of motion work and gentle cardio work without any equipment. There is a little bit of stretching, but on Fridays, the classes focus more on stretching, including a light warm up and a meditation,” said Cornett. 

Cornett’s interest in gerontology was sparked while she was competing in a squash tournament in Australia. She met them at the Commonwealth Games in 2018, and she talked about her experience losing her dad and grandfather. 

The older adults listened patiently while sharing their stories on coping. Looking back, Cornett realized that their kindness, wisdom, and pace of life affected the way she thinks.

“When I left that tournament, I wasn’t going to see them in a long time and I miss the companionship of older adults, and I just love how much older adults have to offer and how the conversations are so deep and interesting,” she said.  

When Cornett’s father and grandparents passed away between 2015 and 2018, she started questioning her career path and ambitions. 

“It made the whole process a lot more difficult or easier, and it’s hard to say,” Cornett said. “I wanted to be closer to home and I started to become interested in furthering my education. It all kind of happened at the same time.” 

But with the help of a career counsellor in a program designed to help athletes transition out of sport, Cornett discovered her interest in gerontology and enrolled at George Brown. Now she will graduate this Spring and says she has never regretted her decision.

“You have to take a lot of pride in what you do, and get things done,” said Cornett. “The motivation in sports really helped.” 

In terms of moving forward with her business, Cornett sees potential in continuing on with her company while finding a part-time job. The motivation she gained from sports practices helped her to achieve her goals in a short period of time. But she says that there’s more to do to help older adults. 

“It’s a massive dream, but I would like to start a business with workers and continue age at-home programming,” said Cornett. “The more services [older adults] can obtain at home, to make their life at home as excellent as possible, the better.”