Meet the Teal team: Canada's Ultimate Challenge

Coach

Jen Kish is one of the best female sevens players in the world and led Canada's Women's Sevens Team at the Pan Am Games in 2015 winning gold and at Rio 2016 where the team took home bronze. She spent over 13 years representing Canada becoming a household name for the sport of rugby. 

Jen is married to two-spirit Mohawk musician Shawnee and shared her diagnosis of bipolar disorder on World Suicide Prevention Day in 2020. 

"Canada's Ultimate Challenge has Kish written all over it," says Jen, "I didn't come here to lose, so I'm going to win it all."

Players

Dustin Seidler, 33
Toronto, Ont.

Dustin Seidler grew up in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and is now a realtor living in Toronto. He likes new challenges — he once climbed Mount Kilimanjaro — and he's always dreamed of being on reality TV. 

"I think I have always been competitive. I like to win," says Dustin. "In the gay dodgeball league, I was asked not to come back because I was too competitive."

Kimber Bernhard, 35
Saskatoon, Sask.

Kimber Bernhard is a tattoo artist who also races mini motorcycles and competes as a roller derby skater. She signed up for Canada's Ultimate Challenge because "I have been convinced to do some crazy things before and this seems crazy, so I am in."

Kimber brings teamwork to the competition, "I am great at encouraging my other people. I also don't let a loss get to me, as long as we all tried 100% then I'm happy and we all should be happy."

Rachael Spurling, 31
Victoria, B.C.

Rachael Spurling is a single mom, hairstylist and competitive boxer from Sooke, BC. As a survivor of domestic abuse, she brings grit to Canada's Ultimate Challenge, "I give my all in everything I do and I mentally never give up."

Stephen (Stiva) Sinanan, 47
Toronto, Ont.

Stephen (Stiva) Sinanan is a fitness instructor who once rode his bicycle from Toronto to Montreal over six days to raise funds for a charity. His nickname is a combination of Steve and Diva. 

Fiercely competitive, Queer and brown, Stiva "wants to represent my folx and show Canada we are here. And inspire Canadians of all backgrounds to step outside their comfort zones and try challenging things in their own lives."

Mina Abd-Al-Ahhad, 33
Hamilton, Ont.

Mina was born and raised in the Middle East and immigrating to Canada gave her peace, security and also the chance to pursue her love of sports. "In the Middle East, I was not able to play sports freely as females were discouraged from playing sport. Migrating to Canada changed this for me as it gave me the freedom to be able to play in sports, strength train and compete in races." 

Chris Lewarne, 37
Toronto, Ont.

Chris "The Cuddly Canadian" Lewarne was a lawyer in New York City when he learned that his childhood friend had been diagnosed with cancer. He started boxing to raise money for cancer research and found himself spending more time at the gym than at the office. To pursue his passion for fitness, and to live his truth in a way that better honoured the memory of his friend, he left his cushy job and is now a partner and Chief Instructor of Barry's Bootcamp Canada, a leading international fitness brand.

"That little moment you feel in your stomach, in your muscles, in your heart (heck, even in your bones) when you are competing, when nothing else matters than what you are doing and nothing else exists then the field or the ring and the guy or the team in front of you" says Chris, "there's a beautiful peace and serenity in that moment. I'm striving to live in that peace as much as I can. We get one life to live and if we don't work as hard as we can for what we believe in and serve those around us as best as we can, if we don't give all of ourselves to something that leaves the world a little better than we found it, then what are we here for?"