Meet the BUFFnation family!
We're here to educate, motivate and inspire you to become the best version of YOU.
Meet Leslie
Leslie Gordon Christie is the creator of The Buff Mom, BUFFnation and Delish by Design programs, designed to help women unlock their infinite potential and live their best lives possible.
Leslie has more than two decades of experience in the health and wellness industry. She has worked alongside some of the best in the personal development industry, including Bob Proctor from The Secret and motivational speaker Paul Martinelli.
As a Mindset and Weight Release Coach, what sets Leslie apart, is her ability to help her clients create a vision, break through negative beliefs, and replace them with positive thoughts and habits that will lead them to a healthy lifestyle.
Leslie is also a Certified Consultant with the Proctor Gallagher Institute, Culinary Nutrition Specialist, and Personal Trainer and Lifestyle Coach.
Leslie's unique connection to her clients stems from her own experience with body image. As an adolescent, she struggled with weight issues and low self-esteem. It wasn't until she picked up a fitness magazine while standing in line at the grocery store, that her life changed. Leslie started to work out the very next day, and soon discovered the power of exercise, mindset, and healthy eating on both self-confidence and self-esteem.
Prior to building her own business, Leslie was an anchor and reporter for Canada’s largest private network, CTV. Aside from her television work, she was also the associate editor of Oxygen magazine and a freelance health journalist for a variety of Canadian publications.
Originally from Providence, Rhode Island, Leslie grew up in Thunder Bay, Ontario and has her communications degree from Carleton University. Leslie studied journalism and fitness leadership at Humber College in Toronto.
Leslie lives in Cambridge, Ontario, with her husband Kyle and two sons, Carter and Allister, and Labradoodle Ace.
Laura Williams
Laura Williams started BUFFnation in 2011 after having 3 beautiful boys. Since then, she has lost 25 inches and is more fit + smaller than she was prior to having kids!
Growing up on a farm with 6 siblings, sports were not a priority.
"I was never very good at sports. I tried some after meeting my husband when I was 15. Some squash, golf, and a little yoga but it's this program that really let me experience and grow a part of me I was not aware I had."
Laura is now a certified fitness instructor, sharing the BUFFnation program with other women to motivate them to achieve what may seem impossible. She also assists with the healthy lifestyle and cooking program, Delish by Design.
With a family history of diabetes and cancer, Laura feels it's important to live a lifestyle with exercise and a well-balanced diet.
Laura Williams is a dental hygienist and lives in St. George with her husband Matt and their 3 boys: Ryan, Nathan & Morgan.
Courtney Butler
Courtney Butler joined BUFFnation in 2011, where she started as a participant.
She instantly fell in love with training through the program which kick-started her career in 2013 as a Canfitpro Certified Fitness Trainer. By 2014, Courtney started instructing classes at BUFFnation.
BUFFnation has grown into something special for Courtney through the love of how it brings community together.
“I appreciate the strength I have built over the last 10 years. Fitness has become a lifestyle, a stress reliever, and it saved my sanity. I am forever grateful for this program - the women who sweat and work hard right alongside me.”
Courtney is almost 45 years young now and lives in Cambridge, Ont., with her 3 amazing kids. Together with her supportive husband, their family enjoys their two dogs and a crazy cat.
Ocean Samuel
Ocean Samuel lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and brings a wealth of experience to Team BN. She has been teaching since 2004 and has a long list of certifications including Anatomy, Reiki, Yoga, and Pilates.
We asked Ocean a few fun questions, and here are her answers:
How old are you?
40+ …. 😂
Tell us something cool about Halifax, Nova Scotia.
It’s close to several waterfalls, biking trails, and beaches, but be careful we’re also close to some of the highest, most unpredictable tides in the world in the Bay of Fundy, where you can also be found digging up dinosaur bones!
Little known fact or two?
Your ankle bones are actually at the bottom of your shin bones, and we have two shinbones!
Nora Young
Nora is a soul-preneur. 800+ hour Certified Yoga Therapist, Instructor, and Energy Medicine through Reiki. Nora began her yoga journey in 2009 and has trained all over Canada and the United States. Yoga was a form of therapy to manage stress and anxiety. After experiencing the many benefits the practice had to offer, Nora knew it was her calling to teach. Currently, she runs a home-based yoga studio and most recently created offerings in the virtual space. Real, raw, and authentic would best describe Nora and her teaching style. She embodies this work and teaches through experience. Nora is highly intuitive and passionate about sharing the teachings of yoga, meditation, energy, mindset and essential oils. Nora’s purpose is to empower, educate and inspire healing on + off the mat to live a more balance, enriched and joyful life. In her free time, she enjoys the company of her husky in nature. Nora is a personal growth junkie so loves studying, meditating, reading, art, and listening to music.
