Meet Barrie Chapman, the 76-year-old fitness instructor from West Vancouver

When we started writing the project overview for The Fit Generation, Barrie Chapman was one of the first people we wanted to meet.

Barrie worked for Telus for almost four decades, taking leadership in in their marketing and corporate communications departments and helping found their corporate fitness program. After his retirement, he started volunteering at the West Vancouver Community Centre, where he leads the Fit Fellas, a 180-member fitness group for men over 55 years of age.

There’s so much to be told about Barrie and the Fit Fellas that one film exclusively about himself wouldn’t be enough. Where did he grow up? What type of boy was he at school? What kind of mindset does a man have to stay so active at the age of 76? What does he think about the younger generations? What would his life be without the Fit Fellas? He answers that all and more.

You will be touched by his personal story and become a fan of the way he inspires his fellas to push their limits to stay fit at 70, 80 or 91 years of age. And there’s also the fun that comes with the jokes during the classes and the comradery over coffee and delicious cinnamon buns afterwards!

No wonder they were so motivated to finish their workout. After all they do to keep fit, some caffeine and sugar-loaded buns can’t be too bad for these guys, can it?