WHO WE ARE
COACHES
"Behind every successful team is a dedicated Coach who refused to let them be anything
but the best they can be"
- Unknown
Melissa Paauwe
We Run the World Coaching, Founder
UESCA Certified Running Coach
UESCA Certified Ultrarunning Coach
Melissa dabbled in running her whole life but it wasn't until she enlisted the help of a Coach did she really see her potential. With progress came confidence, in all aspects of her life, encouraging to her start her own coaching business to help others find their potential. Melissa's approach to her clients is very individualized - everyone's plans are designed for them and all levels are welcome in the WRTWC community.
Melissa has raced at elite levels in the full and half marathon, with top 10 finishes nationally in both events. She won the Alberta Provincial Time Trial in road cycling in 2017, and has represented Canada at Multisport World Championships (Elite Duathlon, after claiming the national title and Canadian Record in 2017). Her greatest accomplishments to date are running the 2023 Boston Marathon and Chicago Marathon and finishing 2nd and 1st Canadian female, respectively.
Laura Henderson
UESCA Certified Coach
Laura is a CPA who is happily married with 2 young children and a big fur baby. Laura loves to spend time with her family and being outdoors as much as possible. She is also passionate about travel and playing/watching sports of almost all varieties.
Laura's love of running started when she ran her first half marathon in 2011 and it has only grown from there. She has now run 10+ marathons, 40+ half marathons, and 50+ shorter distance races. The highlight of Laura’s running career so far has been fulfilling her long-time dream of qualifying for and running the Boston Marathon, which she accomplished in 2023! She has completed 4 of the World Major Marathons, on her journey to complete all 6.
Laura joined WRTWC as a coach so that she can share her joy of running and help others to see what they’re capable of. She wants people to see that anyone can be a runner, you just need the right plan, motivation, and community to support you!
John Bird
UESCA Certified Coach
McMillan Certified Coach
VDot Certified Coach
John ran track and cross country in high school, but his true love for the sport began in 2014 when he ran his first marathon in Toronto. Since then, he’s proudly completed all six Abbott World Marathon Majors—earning his coveted 6 Star Medal alongside his wife, Claire.
A dad to four energetic kids, John balances running and flying with family adventures in Calgary’s big backyard—skiing, hiking, and backpacking whenever possible.
John is most fulfilled when helping others reach their running goals. Whether it’s pacing at the Calgary Marathon (twice), or cheering on his teammates, John’s energy, encouragement, and commitment to the run community make him a natural coach.
Claire Bird
UESCA Certified Coach
UESCA Certified Endurance Sports Nutrition Coach
Claire is a mom of 4 and married to Coach John Bird. She started running for fitness and mental health when the kids were young. To stay motivated she signed up for the Calgary Marathon and was hooked after that!
Claire loves being in the mountains - whether it’s skiing, hiking, backpacking, or trail running. Having a coach helps Claire balance her running goals and busy life for optimal success and fun. She’s passionate about sharing her running knowledge and has helped many clients achieve their goals, from properly fuelling for race day or long adventures in the mountains to finishing their first marathons, setting personal bests, or even qualifying for the Boston Marathon.
One of Claire's running resume highlights include getting her Abbott 6 Star medal in 2023 in Tokyo. Along the way, she has run over 30+ marathons, completed three 50K races, and tackled a 50K trail race. Her experience as an accomplished runner as well as someone who juggles a busy schedule is invaluable to anyone who has a hard time "fitting it all in" while pursuing some big goals!
Blaine Penny
UESCA Certified Coach
UESCA Certified Sports Psychology Specialization
Starting at a young age, endurance sports have always been a central theme in Blaine's life. From racing at a national level in XC skiing into his early 20s, then transitioning to rock/ice climbing, mountaineering and backcountry skiing, to developing a love for running. Running has become Blaine's go-to activity to not only stay fit, but also find his community and build lifelong friendships. He has completed over 100 marathons and ultra marathons and continues to develop his love for running into his late 40s.
Professionally, Blaine is an Engineer turned digital health leader and is passionate about all things health and fitness. Blaine loves the unique challenge of the marathon distance and is excited to work with athletes who want to reach their full potential as runners.
Running accomplishments include a 2:27 marathon PB (at age 48), 3x World Major AG podiums, 3x Canadian Ultra Marathon Champion, and 5x Guinness World Record Holder.
Bre Gustafson
Canfitpro Certified Personal Trainer
and Running Coach
UESCA Certified Ultrarunning Coach
Bre has been helping athletes build strength, confidence, and resilience for over 10 years.
Bre is a dedicated coach, athlete, and mother who understands the demands of training while balancing life. She has won two 10K stroller races (women’s division) in 2023 and 2024 and has completed countless half marathons, plus a few marathons—including one she trained for while pushing a stroller! This experience taught her the power of adaptability, which she now instills in her athletes.
She has worked with runners of all levels, from beginners learning to run to athletes tackling their first ultramarathon. Her expertise also lies in helping seasoned runners build strength and reduce injury risk.
Bre believes coaching takes the guesswork out of training, allowing athletes to focus on what truly matters—achieving their goals.
Reinier Paauwe
UESCA Certified Ultrarunning Coach
UESCA Certified Sports Psychology Specialization
Reinier is an experienced road runner and ultramarathoner, competing in distances from 5k to 100 miles! One of his biggest passions is spending long days running in the mountains.
Reinier has spent his career in technology, mentoring and coaching, and helping others set and achieve goals in engineering and artificial intelligence.
For the past 15 years, Reinier has competed at the elite level in road cycling, duathlon, road running, and trail & ultrarunning. There he continuously strived to improve his mental game, and is excited to bring this experience and passion towards coaching trail and ultrarunners.
Hayley Mead
UESCA Certified Ultrarunning Coach
Hayley is an avid trail and ultra runner whose passion and commitment to the sport of running started at a very young age. After participating in track for many years, she ran her first half marathon at age 14, where she found her love for longer distances. Many years and a few road races later she found her true calling on the trails. Hayley has been running ultra marathons for a few years en route to tackling the 100 mile distance.
Hayley is very passionate about including strength training and mobility and includes that in all her client's plans. She believes it's the key to unlocking the best athlete, and above all else, the best version of oneself. This strong belief that a balanced health and fitness routine encouraged her to pursue personal training, as well, and will graduate in 2026 as a personal trainer.
Brianne Cooper
UESCA Certified Coach
Brianne grew up participating in many sports including downhill ski racing, swimming, soccer, track, and cross country. She decided to take running more seriously in 2016 when she signed up for her first half marathon, just to see if she could do it.
Running has become a huge part of Brianne’s life. She has raced everything from 5k to 50k, some at the elite level. Notable accomplishments include running a 2:57 marathon at CIM, and finishing 4th female at the Calgary 50k ultra.
Brianne joined WRTWC as a coach so she can share her passion with others, and help people feel strong and accomplished. Brianne can often be found on the road or the trails, training with one of her four legged buddies.
Paula Johnston
UESCA Certified Coach
Paula is an RN, mother to two teenage girls, a certified running coach, and much more! She loves being out in the mountains trail running or hiking and involves her daughters as much as they'll let her.
Paula started running a decade ago with a bucket list item of running a marathon. Since then she has completed numerous marathons, along with every distance up to a 50k ultra. She believes that running can change your life in the best way possible, and has experienced how positively a coach can impact a runner and their success. She is thrilled to be able to help others experience the same thing.
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Leslie Jones
UESCA Certified Coach
Leslie is a busy mom of two who loves to spend her time travelling with her family. She has been running most of her life, growing up playing soccer, and then as a form of fitness in her teens and early twenties.
She ran her first 10km in 2013 but it wasn’t until she found group training and ran her first half-marathon in 2019 that she was truly hooked and needed this as a constant in her life. Flash forward a few years and she has since run over 30 races including 12 half Marathons and 3 Full Marathons (a distance she swore she would never run).
If she isn't busy talking about running and WRTWC, you can most definitely find her talking about Yoga, and the importance of recovery. She completed her 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training in 2021 and currently teaches a variety of yoga classes in Calgary.
Her passion is helping individuals who might feel intimidated in the fitness world to unlock their potential, whether that is signing up for a race or taking a group class. The time to finally “do the thing” is now.
Dr. Rae Laberge
DTCM, RAc, CHN Holistic Nutrition Consultant
With a background in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Holistic Nutrition and a personal perspective as an accomplished ultra runner, Dr. Rae can help you dial in your diet and take your running to the next level. Dr. Rae's holistic approach takes a deeper dive into your overall health and works to support your unique nutritional needs, training goals and health status.
In addition to working with athletes of all levels, Dr. Rae's specialties include working with individuals on fertility/family planning, digestive issues, sleep, and overall health.
Whether you're seeking to shave a few minutes off your PB, looking to support digestive issues, support athlete recovery, correct hormonal imbalances, or tune up your overall nutrition, Dr. Rae is a one-stop-shop for guidance and education.
AMBASSADORS
Michele Sauve
Eddie Chongtham
Stephen Kallir
Amber Vrataric
Nan Ibrahim
Catrinel Popescu
Laura Witczak
