By: Isabelle & Lakni, Youth in Motion
Greetings,
As relatively new co-founders to our business, Isabelle and I are taking trial and error to a whole new level. Luckily for us, we have one another’s support, as well as a nurturing community from the MaRS Discovery District. We are grateful for your time and hope you find our documented journey as entrepreneurs to be enlightening and inspiring. Now, on to the introductions!
Hello, my name is Isabelle and I am one of the co-founders of Youth in Motion. I personally wanted to start Youth in Motion as a way of getting kids and teenagers doing more exercise. Earlier this year, I wrote and delivered a speech on Internet Addiction Disorder. In a world full of technology, kids are drawn to screens and monitors and it becomes somewhat of an addiction. I believe that creating a fun environment and a motivation for kids to exercise more often would help combat child obesity, other future health problems and Internet Addiction Disorder.
Hello everyone, I’m Lakni, the other half to this whole. Before becoming an entrepreneur like Isabelle, I experienced many symptoms of the Internet Addiction Disorder: A decreased attention span, neglect of sleep and strained vision. Fortunately, I understand why many adolescents spend so much time on the Internet, and choose to challenge its influence.
Cyberspace is full of opportunities to socialize, to work, and to enjoy. It presents many Saturday night options all from the comfort of your room. In fact, aside from browsing the web, there are limited economical ways for one to spend her afternoon in Toronto.
Our idea is to introduce a motivating recreational sports club for kids ages 7-16 to have fun, meet new people and stay fit. With only $500 spent yearly, you will have access to pools, yoga classes, rock climbing walls, zumba lessons, and many more kid-friendly activities.
Lastly, our next step as a budding business is to reach out to other fitness centres, community centres and governments to see any interests in partnerships and funding for our sports club. We see the effect of lack of exercise, social interaction and IAD in our community, and wish to provide kids with a safe and healthy alternative before 2018.
Cheers!
Isabelle and Lakni
Co-Founders
MaRS Future Leaders 