How to describe Martine Lussier? She’s a petite, highly energetic, determined, dedicated advocate of health and fitness. When she sets her mind to do something – she goes for it in a big way. When we first met her at Living Light nearly 10 years ago, she was a new student, seemingly like any other. We learned right away that she was very strong in mind, body, and spirit. She completed every task with dedication and a thorough command of what she was doing. Before we knew it, she had completed all of our culinary and nutrition classes, and was ready for the year-long apprenticeship that would result in her certification as a Professional Raw Food Chef. What could we do after she completed that certification – we had to invite her to become Culinary Programs Manager at Living Light, and have been very happy with that decision. She’s a wonderful addition to our Living Light family.
Martine runs the kitchen like clockwork, gathering her team around her so that every aspect of life in the kitchen really works. She encourages students to do their best work, and cheers every victory. She loves making up new recipes, and she makes sure that all of the recipes in our curriculum are made to perfection. Nothing slips by her…she’s a bit like a film director, seeing and feeling every aspect of what goes on in the culinary studio, and orchestrating everything in perfect harmony.
Martine hails from Montreal, Canada, and has a frank demeanor that “goes with the territory.” You can be sure that she’ll tell it like it is. She expects the best from both her staff and our students, and helps them achieve their goals in a loving and supportive way.
She’s also got a great sense of humor, and loves to have fun. One of her greatest joys is dancing, but not just any dancing—Zumba®. Once again, she started out as a student and went on to gain certifications in Zumba Fitness, Zumba Toning, Zumba Sentao, Zumba Step, and Strong by Zumba. This firecracker doesn’t do ANYTHING halfway.
You can try some of Martine’s recipes right here.
In her spare time she loves to go sailing, spend time with friends and family, and enjoy life on the coast and in her second home – a sailboat in the Bay Area. She also presents at festivals (see her at the World Veg Festival in San Francisco on October 8 and 9), AND she volunteers for community events, like the recent Winesong! here in Fort Bragg, a grand occasion that benefits our local hospital.
Needless to say, Martine is quite an inspiration to students both here at Living Light and in her Zumba® classes. If you’d like a little of her vibrant energy, enthusiasm, and high spirits to rub off on you, call our office at 707-964-2420 or visit our website to find out more about our classes.
