Shannon is the owner and chief instructor of A Lil’ Pole Fitness and is a master trainer for Pole Fitness and Lap Dance in Canada. Aside from instructing pole, she has also had the pleasure of judging CPFA competitions and has certifications in Pole Fitness (and is a Master Trainer for Pole Fitness and Lap Dance), Aerial Silks, Gymnastics, Zumba, Nutrition, just to name a few.

She is a mommy of 2 boys and although she is small, she is known to be FIERCE! Shannon is completely bilingual and is happy to offer her classes in your preferred language of French or English.

She has been a fitness trainer since 2007 on the side of her full time jobs and has competed across Canada from 1999 to 2009.

Shannon also comes from a law enforcement and social sciences background. Why she does this? Fitness has always been a huge part of her life and because she loves seeing people lifting each other UP!! She loves her kids, she loves happiness, and she loves LIFE! She is quirky, fun, and gives you a safe and encouraging atmosphere to learn Aerial Arts 🥰

Courtney is a professionally trained pole dance, aerial silks, and Pilates instructor. She has a background in gymnastics and figure skating. Courtney began her pole journey 6 years ago and spent all of 2022 teaching, training, and mentoring under a Cirque Du Soleil artist in Winnipeg, MB. Courtney is actively pursuing a career in movement, she loves teaching and sharing her creativity with her students.

Melanie is 40 year old wife, mother to two amazing boys and stepmother to a beautiful stepdaughter. Her journey began with Zumba where she and Shannon shared a lot of laughs and great memories. When Shannon opened the studio Melanie was hooked after her first class. She loves everything about pole fitness I is so grateful to be part of this team with these beautiful women. She loves to laugh and loves life. She always has a smile on her face and is a unique addition to our team ☺

Shannon Martens is one the newest additions to the A Lil’ Pole Fitness team! She’s been a member for 3 years and is excited to start teaching! She loves empowering others and maximizing confidence. Her journey started with pole fitness and she found hoop about a year later and completely fell in love.

She loves the strength and flexibility she has found in herself while here at A Lil’ Pole Fitness and continues to smile big every time she accomplishes something new! She is always up for a challenge, that’s for sure! Shannon currently works in healthcare and most of her time is spent on the hoop! She is passionate about creating a non-judgmental space for her students to come learn and have fun!

Briana has always had a passion for moving her body in bendy ways. This year she decided to pursue a certification in flexibility training to be able to help others find their passion as well!

In her preteens Briana found her love for flexibility and contortion through self-teaching and later on gymnastics. She then took a pole class in 2015 to expand her skills and fell in love with the ways she learned to move her body. Throughout the years flexibility has taught her so much about herself and the capabilities her mind and body has.

Briana currently works in developmental services and spends most of her free time with her partner and 4yo son. She also works part-time as a full spectrum doula and loves meeting families in her community.

I started training at A Lil Pole Fitness and fell in love during my first class! I walked out and was hooked on the atmosphere, movement, and fun that came with the studio. Everyone at A Lil’Pole Fitness is so welcoming and fun! I moved and started training and teaching at a studio in Kingston for the last two years. I am excited to return to A Lil Pole Fitness and share the passion I have for pole fitness with others!!"
Class description:
👉Intro to Pole: This 6-week series will help students develop the strength and confidence to start and continue their pole journey! During this series you will learn basic pole fitness grips, spins, holds and sits needed to thrive in pole fitness all while boosting confidence and self esteem!
👉Teen Self-Esteem: This 6 week series is designed to help build self esteem and confidence!! During this series, they will also learn basic pole fitness grips, spins, holds and sits needed to thrive in pole fitness. Your Teen will also build friendships in a safe, supportive and healthy environment!

Hey! I’m Samantha, a 31-year-old mother of three, passionate pole fitness instructor, and dedicated nursing student. My journey has been anything but ordinary, and it has taught me that strength comes in many forms—whether it’s through nurturing my children, supporting others as a personal support worker, or inspiring women to embrace their bodies through A Lil'Pole Fitness. I’m here to share my experience and invite you on this empowering adventure with me. For a long time, I didn’t feel good about myself. I struggled with self-image and often thought I wasn’t fit enough to start aerial fitness. However, I found the courage to step out of my comfort zone and attend my first class. It was scary, but what I discovered was a community that helped me build strength, confidence, and friendships, while teaching me to love myself for who I am. Throughout my journey, I not only lost weight but also gained significant muscle, all while having fun with aerial fitness. Setting goals for different pole moves made each achievement feel rewarding, especially when I could capture those moments on video or in pictures. I've grown more confident and comfortable in my clothes, and instead of feeling like I’m aging, I feel empowered and stronger. This is the fittest I have ever been, and my only regret is not starting A Lil'Pole Fitness when I first heard about it. As a pole instructor, one of my greatest joys is witnessing my students grow comfortable in their own skin. It’s truly amazing to see someone transform from quiet and shy to confident and outgoing. I’ve watched women go from hiding behind oversized sweaters to proudly wearing T-shirts and shorts. Many women struggle with body image issues and avoid activities like pole fitness, but I've experienced how it can fundamentally change the way we view ourselves. Watching others embrace this journey and find their confidence brings me immense joy. Whether you come with a friend or on your own, I promise you'll make lasting friendships here. As a personal support worker and nursing student, I’ve learned that life is short, and we shouldn’t limit ourselves. Do what makes you happy! It’s essential to love your body for what it can do now and what it will achieve with determination. Remember, with hard work and a positive mindset, you can accomplish anything! As I approach the milestone of graduating from nursing school, I am filled with gratitude for my journey. This path has shown me that transformation is possible at any stage of life. My experiences with A Lil'Pole Fitness have not only reshaped my body but also my outlook on life. I’ve learned that strength and confidence come from within, and I strive to foster that in my students. I invite anyone, regardless of their background or fitness level, to embrace this empowering journey with us. Let’s celebrate our selves, support each other, and discover how amazing we can feel when we take the leap together.

My name is Emma Desnoyers , my friends call me Em. My love for dance has allowed me to cross paths with Shannon, who has giving me the opportunity to share my passion with you all! I have several years of experience in a vast varity of styles but my main focus is acro, hip hop and now pole! I always loved a good challenge and Lil' Pole Fitness is definitely my happy place...
Come break a move and have some fun!

Sabrina is a Registered Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance and is currently a Yoga Therapy student aspiring to become a Trauma-informed Yoga Therapist. She teaches Tantra Yoga. Her classes focus on Masculine and Feminine Energy, Devine feminine healing, Tantric meditation, Kundalini movement and mindfulness teachings. She uses tools that provide gentle recovery to the nervous system.

Sabrina is quirky and funny. DON'T tell her what to do! Ask her boyfriend! She challenges belief systems with humour and compassion and creates a haven for her students to explore their own growth within the context of mind, body and soul.

She also teaches private hula hoop sessions. You can reach her here @intuitionwithsabrina

Krystine Therriault was born and raised in Cornwall Ontario. She studied Communications and Psychology at the University of Ottawa and is currently a full-time reporter at Seaway News. Krystine started her yoga practice from home in 2015 and graduated from a 200-hour vinyasa yoga teacher training at Astanga Yoga Ottawa in 2017. Krystine enjoys introducing the benefits of yoga and mindfulness to beginners as well as offer students opportunities to develop the strength and flexibility to explore arm balances and inversions safely. When she is not writing or teaching yoga, Krystine is probably hanging out with her fiancé, two young boys, and two cats.

Yafa is an artist. With a large theatre background and a Dancer

She is a child at heart, and an artist who aims to raise awareness about social issues while making the world a better and more colourful place.

Yafa’s art is a vision of what she is, an accumulation of tales about Human Rights, Child Rights, and Women Empowerment .

In a Few More Words:
Art practically runs through Yafa Goawily’s veins. Coming from a family of artists, she grew up surrounded with this form of self-expression and thus, getting drawn to its allure became an inevitable fact. For Yafa, art is now an indispensable part of her identity. From performing arts to fine arts, Goawily has experimented with it all.
Goawily operates under the moniker of Yafa Arts & Craft
Yafa graduated with a degree in Fine Arts and a Filmmaking Diploma from Alexandria University in Egypt"

Lindsay has been a pole fitness instructor for over seven years and is a CPFA pole champion medalist and coach. After two pole classes she knew she was hooked...literally!

As an athlete that is empowered by challenging sports, pole fits right in! Her background is in horseback riding, training and instructing. Lindsay lives on a hobby farm where she can feed that passion daily. She also runs competitive obstacle course races and competes at the national and world championships.

Teaching pole has taught her so much about people, relationships and confidence. She loves being a part of an environment where she can be the driving force behind a new student until they realize how truly strong they are! Watching students accomplish their goals, fills hers. As an instructor, Lindsay feels that she is also always a student. She learns from her students and makes time to also learn from other instructors. Each instructor is unique and provides her with a wide range of knowledge, techniques, and creativity. Learning from others around her only makes Lindsay more capable and passionate about this sport.