Hear from an incredible roster of industry professionals who are experts in their fields.
Michael Silvestri
President, Canadian Strength and Conditioning Association | LinkedIn
Michael Silvestri is a PhD Candidate at St. Mary's University Twickenham in Strength and Conditioning. He works in the private sector in the realm of sport science and strength and conditioning across a wide range of populations from professional athletes, collegiate and youth athletes, general population, and return to play rehabilitation. Michael is also the Fitness Manager at The Badminton and Racquet Club of Toronto, where he is in charge of the fitness department and high-performance programming. Aside from this, he is a published author in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, as well as a speaker at local, national, and international events within his domain. As of November 2025, Michael has assumed the role as President of The Canadian Strength and Conditioning Association.
Matt Jordan
Associate Professor, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary/Player Health and Performance Consultant | LinkedIn
Dr. Matt Jordan is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology in the fields of exercise physiology, neuromechanics and clinical sports medicine. Matt directs the Muscle Strength & Power Research Program in the Integrative Neuromuscular Sport Performance Lab with a cross-appointment in the Department of Medical Science. Matt collaborates closely with clinician researchers in the Sport Medicine Centre with a focus on return to performance after ACL injury, ACL rehabilitation in a pediatric population and resistance training methodologies to prevent power loss in adults with knee osteoarthritis. Other aspects of Matt’s research program focus on neuromuscular adaptations to strength training, whole body muscle mechanics, and muscle power loss across the adult age span. Working at the interface between practice and science, Matt is a specialist in player health and performance, consulting with elite athletes over six Olympic Winter Games, and teams in the NBA, NFL, NHL, and MLB.
Mariana Gonzalez Moreno
Sport Scientist & Performance Coach for AFC Toronto | LinkedIn
Mariana “Maddie” Gonzalez Moreno serves as AFC Toronto’s Sport Scientist and Performance Coach, leading the club’s performance monitoring, strength and conditioning, and sport science programs.A former athlete with Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Exercise Science, Gonzalez Moreno has worked across several high-performance environments including Toronto FC, Canada Soccer’s Girls’ U-15 National Team, NDC Ontario, and the Canadian Sport Institute Ontario (CSIO). During the club’s inaugural 2025 season, she led the implementation of AFC Toronto’s performance and monitoring systems, supporting player readiness and recovery across a demanding first professional campaign. A Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist & Certified Professional Sport Scientist Mariana applies an evidence-based & interdisciplinary approach to help her athletes perform at their highest level throughout the season.
Katie Mitchell
Research Associate, Centre for Sport-Related Concussion Research, Innovation, & Knowledge; Physiotherapist & Athletic Therapist, Team Canada Women's Para Ice Hockey | LinkedIn
Dr. Katelyn Mitchell, PhD, PT, CAT(C): Katie Mitchell is a clinician-scientist with expertise in motor control, concussion management, brain health, and sport injury risk prevention, specifically with female and para sport athletes. She completed her PhD at Wilfrid Laurier University and a postdoctoral fellowship in the Centre for Sport-Related Concussion Research, Innovation, and Knowledge at the University of Toronto. She is a Certified Athletic Therapist and Registered Physiotherapist, translating her research to practice through clinical care, education, and through national and international collaborations. She is a member of the Concussion in Para Sport (CIPS) group and is currently the dedicated therapist for Team Canada Women’s Para Ice Hockey program.
Marcellus Bowman
Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats | LinkedIn
Marcellus Bowman is a former Division I and professional football player turned high-performance coach and entrepreneur. Originally from Youngstown, Ohio, Marcellus played collegiate football at Boston College before continuing his career professionally with the Denver Broncos (NFL) and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Hamilton Tiger-Cats (CFL). Following his playing career, Marcellus transitioned into coaching, holding strength and performance roles at Auburn University and the University of Central Florida before joining the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. In 2025, his department led the CFL in the fewest man-games lost to injury and was ranked the league’s #1 Strength and Conditioning department by the CFLPA. Marcellus specializes in speed development, plyometrics, and building resilient athletes who can perform at a high level while remaining available throughout the season. His work focuses on developing robust movement capacity, intelligent training progressions, and practical systems that transfer directly to sport performance. He is also the founder of EatSleepPeak, a performance system designed to help athletes maximize performance through training, nutrition, sleep, and recovery, and the author of The 1%, an Amazon Best Seller focused on sustaining elite performance over time.
Gary McGrath
Training and Development Manager - Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services | LinkedIn
Gary McGrath is an experienced strength and conditioning professional with over a decade of work across high-performance sport, education, and military settings. He brings a practical, athlete-centred approach to performance and wellness, with a strong focus on bridging the gap between theory and application. He currently serves as the National Education, Training, and Development Manager with Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services (CFMWS), where he leads the development and delivery of training systems that support fitness professionals working with Canadian Armed Forces members nationwide. His work focuses on developing people, enhancing service quality, and building sustainable, high-impact programs. Previously, Gary was a Strength and Conditioning Coach with Athletics Canada, supporting Olympic and Paralympic athletes, and spent several years at the Canadian Sport Institute Ontario working across multiple sports and levels of competition. He holds a Master of Science degree and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS). Gary also mentors coaches within the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) Advanced Coaching Diploma. Gary is passionate about helping athletes and coaches maximize performance through effective programming, with particular interests in warm-up design, performance monitoring, and long-term development.
Joel Kerr
BPHE, DC, D.Ac, FRA®, FRC®, FR®, CSCS® High Performance Consultant & Lead Educator: BASE (Building an Athletic Structure for Exercise) | LinkedIn
Dr. Joel Kerr is a Manual Medicine Clinician specializing in Chiropractic and Neurofunctional Acupuncture, and a Performance Coach focused on lower-limb injury mitigation and performance enhancement. As Co-founder and Lead Instructor of BASE (Building an Athletic Structure for Exercise), he integrates clinical precision with performance science to elevate movement quality and athletic resilience. He currently serves as Lead Trainer for the Brampton HoneyBadgers (CEBL) and Director of Sport Science for the J. Addison OSBA program, while also training with the Noble Sports Performance Group, supporting NHL, Olympic, and European hockey athletes. A sought-after consultant and educator, Dr. Kerr teaches for Olympic organizations across the Caribbean and leading fitness education platforms in the U.S., sharing his expertise on foot and ankle health, movement optimization, and human performance.
Mary Adarkwa
Personal Trainer | EXOS | YMCA GTA | LinkedIn
Mary is an aspiring strength and conditioning coach, wellness professional, and former varsity athlete dedicated to developing high-performing individuals in both sport and life. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and a diploma in Fitness and Health Promotion, and has completed his MSc in Strength and Conditioning from Middlesex University in the UK. Mary has gained diverse experience across high-performance and community settings, working with organizations such as Canada Basketball, Humber College Athletics, York Lions Athletics, LPS Athletics, EXOS and the YMCA GTA. Her work has included athlete assessment, program design, performance optimization, injury management, and coaching support. As a former varsity wrestler and rugby athlete, Mary brings an athlete-centered perspective to her coaching, grounded in her core values of authenticity, commitment, and continuous education. Mary approaches coaching as more than just physical development—she sees it as an opportunity to build people first. By integrating wellness, mentorship, and lived experience into her work, she strives to create environments rooted in trust, growth, and authenticity. Whether working with athletes or emerging professionals, her goal is to inspire others to embrace their journey, stay grounded in who they are, and pursue excellence with intention.
Carly Fennell
Sr. Director, Data and Analytics, NFL | LinkedIn
Carly Fennell is a Senior Director on the NFL’s Data and Analytics team, where she leads the Health and Safety Data Management and Business Intelligence groups. Her current role reflects the culmination of a dynamic career shaped by continuous learning and a wide range of professional experiences. Her path has included work in academia, biomechanical engineering, product research and development, and as an early employee at a technical start-up. She also founded her own consulting business as a data scientist. Together, these experiences have helped build the perspective and skill set that support her work today. In this seminar, Carly will share insights from her career journey and discuss how a data ecosystem and team were built to support the NFL’s Health and Safety department. Her talk will explore modern data management principles and infrastructure, user-centered application development and maintenance for club medical staff, and the delivery of timely, actionable insights to league and club stakeholders to support better decision-making around player health and safety.
