By Yard Athletics – Mar 8th, 2019
We are back with a very special – and very overdue! – edition of the Yard Athletics 20 Questions series. Two of our favorite people, Jeremy and Tara Martin, recently opened their very own bricks and mortar location of Loaded Athletics, so we figured this would be the perfect time to get to know them better, as well as what makes Loaded Athletics so special.
The husband and wife team are a powerhouse duo (watching Jer do heavy snatches is quite the viewing experience…), and are now open for business at 1352 Kingsway in Vancouver. Although olympic weightlifting and powerlifting are particular “strengths” of Loaded Athletics, the ultimate goal for any client of theirs is to just get stronger. Or as their motto goes, “load it. lift it. love it”.
Jeremy has had a huge influence on all members of Yard Athletics, particularly Ilan and Sam, who have been taken under the wing and are now competing for the Loaded Athletics team at olympic lifting events all over BC.
We will always count ourselves lucky to know and work with Jeremy and Tara, and are hugely proud of them both for opening their own gym. But now, it’s time that we went a little deeper… peeled back the layers… see what makes the two of them tick… who’s clean and jerking more, where do they go to unwind after a long day mopping up chalk and sweat, and of course, who gets the aisle seat on the 10 hour flight.
Enjoy!
1. Hometown(s)?
Jeremy: Kelowna, BC
Tara: White Rock, BC
2. Where did you two meet?
Jeremy: In school at Capilano University. It was love at first sight for me. For Tara it was love at 35th sight.
Tara: School (Capilano University)
3. Pound for pound, who is stronger: Jeremy or Tara?
Jeremy: Stronger willed? Tara.
Tara: Jeremy 100%…
4. Favorite restaurant, favorite dish?
Tara:
Don’t really have a fave restaurant dish… favorite cocktail on the other hand.. anything from Odd Society (best cocktails hands down)… although Parlour makes a pretty mean pizza.
5. Ten hour flight; aisle or window?
Jeremy: Aisle. Big man, small bladder.
Tara: Couldn’t pay me to do a 10 hour flight (deathly scared of flying).
6. Someone gives you a $50 BC Liquor Store gift card; what are you buying?
Jeremy: Bourbon.
Tara: Bubbles bubbles bubbles!
7. Tell us something we don’t know about you?
Jeremy: I used to blush so much when I was younger, I gained the nickname Jeremy’s Tomatoes in high school.
Tara: I can hear a cork popping on a bottle of bubbles up to a km away! Hahaha
8. Current book(s) you’re reading?
Jeremy: Slowly working through a translated Chinese Weightlifting text.
9. When did you decide to open Loaded Athletics?
Jeremy: This has been my dream for almost 10 years. Tara and I really committed to opening a gym together a couple of years ago, though.
Tara: Pretty early on in our relationship (5-ish years ago).. It was always Jer’s dream and it didn’t take me long to realize that it was also mine. It has been a work in progress for so many years, and its surreal that it has finally come to be.
10. Most rewarding thing about being in the fitness industry? Most challenging?
Jeremy: It’s extremely rewarding to make a positive change in people’s lives, and to hear about how those changes have affected them outside of the gym. It’s challenging to get some people through the door, only because of the stigma still surrounding strength training. Some of the people that would benefit the most from getting stronger are the ones that think it would be detrimental to their goals.
Tara: Getting people stronger and healthier and seeing how happy this makes our clients Most challenging? Standing apart in an industry where “trainers” and gyms are a dime a dozen.
11. Scale of 1-10 sadness levels when you left Ilan, Sam and Joce at the Yard?
Jeremy: Ilan: 10 Joce: 12 Sam: -2
Tara: 10 for sure… tears were shed 😉
12. Favorite date night spot?
Jeremy: The Greek by Anatoli.
Tara: Anywhere that serves a great cocktail.
13. Who’s the better cook? What are they cooking?
Jeremy: Tara does all of the meal prep for the week. I’d be lost without her cooking.
Tara: Jeremy, however I rarely get to experience it. When he does cook he makes a mean Mexican casserole.
14. Exercise that clients always hate?
Jeremy: Gotta be the air bike.
Tara: Air bike.
15. Top 3 desert island albums?
Jeremy: 1. Bon Iver: For Emma, Forever Ago 2. Clutch: Blast Tyrant 3. Dr. Dre: 2001
Tara: 2Pac All Eyez on me, Justin Timberlake-FutureSex/LoveSounds, Demi Lovato- Tell Me You Love Me
16. Dream vacation?
Jeremy: Anywhere with a beach and a weightlifting gym.
Tara: Probably Greece, however one of those bungalows over the ocean in Turks & Caicos sounds pretty nice.
17. Describe Loaded Athletics to complete stranger.
Jeremy: I’ve started using the term “school of strength” to describe us. We have ways to teach basically any individual how to be stronger and move better. Our goal is to make strength training as enjoyable and accessible as spin, yoga and other fitness styles already are in Vancouver.
Tara: Loaded athletics isn’t just a gym it is a community where everyone is welcome. Our goal is to get people stronger and healthier through a variety of different types of training. We offer team training for those interested in competing in powerlifting and weightlifting (or just mastering the lifts!), personal training and small group classes.
18. Pet peeve in the gym?
Jeremy: People that don’t clean up after themselves. Which is ironic because I’m quite messy everywhere other than the gym. Selective OCD.
Tara: DROPPING DUMBBELLS!!!!!
19. Company you wish would sponsor you?
Jeremy: Lucky’s donuts.
Tara: Lucky’s donuts.
20. Words of wisdom?
Jeremy: My good friend John Cena once said to me; “adapt, then overcome”.
Tara: Hard work and perseverance pays off. There were multiple road blocks in getting this gym open and had Jer and I not stuck with it we would not be here right now living our dream.