Kyle Farwell

Background

Kyle never outgrew his childhood fascination with the fire service. He completed the CPAT and applied to various departments before ultimately pursuing professional boxing. Over a seven-year amateur career that led to a pro contract, Kyle also worked in and helped manage personal training services for Canada’s largest commercial gym franchise. After sustaining a series of boxing-related injuries – including ACL reconstruction, broken hands and jaw, a torn shoulder labrum, and spine surgery – he decided to return to school to study exercise physiology and biomechanics full-time. As a graduate student working with Dr. David Frost at the University of Toronto, Kyle focused his research interests on the fire service, and he was hooked!

Today, Kyle is a proud member of the Performance Redefined and Fit to Thrive (F2T) teams. In addition to working with the F2T instructor cadre, Kyle helps create educational and training materials for the F2T community. His current work focuses on preparing fire fighters for the physical demands of work, life, and play, while bridging the gap between theory and practice in exercise-related settings. Through F2T and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF), Kyle has extraordinary opportunities to integrate research into new and existing wellness and fitness initiatives for the fire service. A lifelong learner, he values the team he works with and the chance to learn from fire fighters at every opportunity.

Activity Habits

His family primarily shapes Kyle’s approach to physical activity and exercise. His primary motivation is to keep up with his wife, Sandra -though he can’t; she’s a rockstar athlete – and to always be ready to play with his son, Logan. Whether it’s basketball, badminton, tennis, biking, or swimming, he enjoys whatever eight-year-old Logan is into at the moment. Kyle and his family also enjoy hiking together and swimming in the lake at the cottage.

His past injuries and experiences also influence how he stays active. For over a decade, Kyle has been exploring various sports, exercises, and rehabilitation strategies to find what keeps him moving without aggravating his old injuries. He’s found what’s working for him: starting the day with a walk or run, breaking up long stretches of sitting with short bouts of movement, and commuting by bike whenever possible—rain or shine, summer or winter. Kyle’s ongoing goal is to build his capacity while helping others do the same.

Perspectives on F2T and fire fighter wellness and fitness

In Kyle’s opinion, the F2T program is unique because it delivers the most relevant exercise physiology, biomechanics, implementation strategies, and behavioural science in a way that’s practical and directly applicable to the real-world capabilities, opportunities, and motivations that shape fire fighters’ physical activity habits. While the core mission of F2T is to get more fire fighters more active more often, Kyle is continually impressed by the breadth and depth of exercise knowledge and training that Peer Fitness Trainers (PFTs) receive through F2T 101 and ongoing education.

If Kyle had to choose one word to describe the value of wellness and fitness for fire fighters, it would be impactful. Physical activity and overall wellness have a profound effect on nearly every aspect of a fire fighter’s life. Regular exercise can help prevent and manage some of the most serious health risks fire fighters face—like cancer, heart disease, and mental health challenges. Just as importantly, these benefits ripple outward, strengthening relationships at home, on the job, and within the broader fire service community.