08/06/2026
A Heartfelt Farewell from Ascendo Fitness
After 16 unforgettable years, the time has come for us to say goodbye.
As many of you know, George and I have made the difficult decision to retire. While we are excited for this next chapter in our lives, our hearts are filled with gratitude and a little sadness as we close this one.
When we opened the doors to Ascendo Fitness, we dreamed of creating more than just a gym. We wanted a place where everyone felt welcomed, encouraged, supported, and inspired. Looking back today, we realize that because of all of you, that’s exactly what Ascendo became—not just a fitness centre, but a family.
Over the past 16 years, we have had the privilege of meeting thousands of incredible people. We’ve celebrated victories, watched amazing transformations, shared laughter, offered encouragement during difficult times, and built friendships that will last a lifetime. Those memories will stay with us forever.
To every member who trusted us with your fitness journey—thank you. You weren’t just members. You became our friends and our family. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your lives and for making Ascendo Fitness such a special place.
To our incredible staff, both past and present, there simply aren’t enough words to express our gratitude. You are the reason Ascendo became what it did.
A very special thank you to Laura MacPhail, who was with us from the very beginning before pursuing her successful career in real estate. Laura’s passion for fitness and her genuine care for people helped establish the welcoming culture that became the foundation of Ascendo Fitness.
Thank you to our outstanding trainers—Ashley Petrie, Kaitlynn Green, Stephanie Rice,Jenna Syms, Yuvi Toor, and the many other personal trainers who have been part of our fitness family over the years. Every one of you changed lives, inspired our members, and helped create a community that extended far beyond the gym floor.
To our amazing membership services team—Cynthia Smith, Kaitlynn Green, Jerin Bobby, Ben Gillis, Tavleen, Varun, Ryan Baron, along with every employee who has been part of Ascendo Fitness and Supplement King over the past 16 years—thank you. You welcomed every person with a smile, celebrated their successes, comforted them through their struggles, and made everyone feel like they belonged. You helped shape our business into what it became, and we are forever grateful.
These are the people who helped make Ascendo Fitness and Supplement King the success they became.
A heartfelt thank you to Roger King, owner of Supplement King Canada, for believing in us and partnering with us in 2012 to bring the Supplement King franchise to Sydney. It has been an incredible partnership and one we will always be thankful for.
Although George and I are retiring, we are excited to see the next generation continue that legacy. Carson Sifnakis and Toula Joseph will be carrying on the Supplement King franchise in the Prince Street Plaza with a full-service store. We know they will continue serving our community with the same passion, integrity, and commitment that has always been at the heart of the business. We wish them every success.
A very special thank you also goes to Angus Boudreau, who has been one of our biggest supporters from the very beginning. Whether helping recruit members in those early days or encouraging us throughout the years, your friendship, loyalty, and belief in us have meant more than words can express.
To Parnell and Richard Joseph who literally put the gym together in the beginning and were always available to help in anyway!
George would also like to share a personal message.
To my morning crew—you know exactly who you are.
Although I officially retired a year ago, I still miss those mornings. Many people don’t realize I would often arrive two or three hours before my shift simply to have coffee, chat, laugh, and welcome everyone through the doors. Those mornings became one of the greatest joys of my life. The friendships we built during those early hours are something I will treasure forever. Thank you for making every morning one I looked forward to.
As we close this chapter, we realize that what made Ascendo Fitness so special was never the building, the equipment, or even the business itself.
It was all of you.
To those who joined us on opening day and never left, to those who came for a season, and to everyone who walked through our doors over the past 16 years—you became part of our story.
People have often thanked us for what Ascendo Fitness meant to them, but the truth is, you gave us far more than we could ever have given you. You gave us purpose. You trusted us with your health, your goals, and often some of the most difficult moments in your lives. We celebrated your successes, encouraged you through setbacks, laughed together, cried together, and watched so many incredible transformations—not just physically, but personally.
Many of you watched our family grow, and we watched yours grow too. Together we’ve celebrated weddings, welcomed babies, comforted one another through loss, shared birthdays, anniversaries, retirements, and countless conversations over a cup of coffee. Those moments—not the workouts—are what we will carry with us forever.
There are no words that can truly express what these last 16 years have meant to us.
Although retirement marks the end of this chapter, the friendships we’ve made will never end. We hope that when you think of Ascendo Fitness, you don’t just remember the workouts—you remember the laughter, the encouragement, the friendships, and the feeling that you belonged.
Our wish for each of you is that you continue living healthy, active, and happy lives. Keep encouraging one another. Keep believing in yourselves. Continue building the kind of community that made Ascendo so incredibly special.
Thank you for giving two ordinary people the extraordinary privilege of serving this amazing community for 16 years.
From the bottom of our hearts…
Thank you for believing in us.
Thank you for growing with us.
Thank you for becoming our family.
With all our love, gratitude, and best wishes,
Shauna & George Sifnakis
“Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” ❤️
As we need time to pack up our last day will be Sunday August 9th
We ask everyone to please at your Photos from your time with us so we can look back with pride and remember❤️
