Born and raised in Ottawa, Ashley’s life has been a truly transformative journey. The daughter of a Canadian Mounted Police Officer father and a Portuguese immigrant mother, she was a shy little girl. This was largely due to abuse she suffered from a family member, which went on for several years. One of the side affects of this abuse was a fear of reading in front of others, which culminated in her failing third grade as her teacher believed she wasn’t able to read.

A tomboy who didn’t care about appearances, Ashley continued to be picked on heavily throughout high school. Her outlet became sports, and she joined every team the school had to offer. Despite this, the bullying continued, with her classmates at the Catholic school labeling her gay, even before she had personally come to terms with her sexuality.

On entering Algonquin College for the Police Foundations program, Ashley found her rhythm, excelling in her classes, meeting her first girlfriend, and being chosen for the starting lineup of the college soccer team. After college, she met her goal of entering the police force. After working with the RCMP for eight years, Ashley did some soul-searching and realized the job was not making her happy. She quit, and found her passion as a personal trainer, forming her own business focused on helping clients with athletic performance. After a year and a half of building her business solo, she and a business partner and mentor, Mike, bought three fitness centre franchises.

Having been through many challenges and hard times, Ashley is an empathetic person who is interested in learning about other people before passing judgment. However she is a direct, outspoken person and believes every Canadian has a right to their own opinion and the right to express it.