Editor’s note: In 2020 it should be no surprise that more and more woman hold positions of power. Whether it’s business, politics, sports or the non-profit sector, woman continue to achieve new milestones. This story is part of a series of stories highlighting 16 women in Kelowna who are leaders in their fields. You can read all of their stories in our annual publication called Women in Business in the Feb. 28 issue of Kelowna Capital News.
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For most 26 year olds figuring out what they want to do in their life can be a daunting task, however for others, like Samantha Venables, opening her own business became a no brainer.
As the owner of PACE Spin, located in the Landmark District, Venables credits a lot of her success to the support system behind her, which includes her staff and her mother.
“She was always the one who told me to just do it and it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks,” said Venables, about her mother. “If it makes you happy and it serves you, do it.”
Born and raised in the Okanagan, Venables said she was influenced by the local community and active culture.
She grew up playing soccer, eventually playing at a university level while finishing her undergraduate studies in marketing.
After graduation, Venables moved to Calgary to work with the MS Society of Canada where she said she gained an interest in supporting charitable causes as well as therapeutic fitness and wellness.
When she decided to step down from her position at the organization, Venables began working at a spin studio and that is where her passion for the popular fitness activity began to flourish.
“I remember it was March 2018, after my 25th birthday and I felt like I was having a quarter-life crisis and I didn’t know what to do,” she said.
It was then she picked up and decided to move back home and open a spin studio in Kelowna.
Venables spent about a year checking out potential spaces and finding a brand that would fit her vision.
She said she would spend time taking different fitness classes to get a feel for what she wanted the work flow and instructors to be like.
With the help of her family, Venables landed on the name PACE Spin for her studio and it was her mother that crafted the mantra, “honour your pace.”
“It’s the perfect name and mantra because in life whether you’re here or there, that’s where you’re meant to be,” she explained. “Fitness has a vulnerability side to it, some people have never worked out and some people have their entire life. We wanted to create a space where no matter who you are, no matter what size you are, what gender, what colour, you feel the same as everyone else does.”
Since the opening of PACE Spin last June, Venables said the popularity and growth of the studio has been overwhelming.
“We get new riders every day and our classes are almost always full.”
Going forward she said her focus will be on building a quality studio.
“I don’t want to have a million locations that are not well thought out and where I don’t have the right people in it with the right intentions,” said Venables. “It’s awesome that fitness spaces are abundant in Kelowna but I want to go beyond that and offer the community more.”