OSHAWA, Ont. – Durham College and Ontario Tech athletics opened their new varsity strength and conditioning space headed by Emmanuel DeJesus this month, signalling their commitment to raising the bar for what training can mean at the collegiate level.

When student-athletes walk into the brand-new strength and conditioning space, they are stepping into a facility that allows us to give each athlete the environment they deserve to grow and compete at their best.

The new facility has been in the works for a little over a year. DeJesus credits the department's staff and athletic directors for helping to guide the vision and empowering his team to make certain decisions in a supportive atmosphere.

This new space looks to enhance the training experience for athletes with newer equipment and an opportunity to incorporate new aspects into their training programs.

"Having a new environment to train in makes the athletes really feel like we're investing in them," said DeJesus. "Those who have come through so far have really shown an appreciation for the new space."

As a result, Emmanuel's team can accommodate a larger intake overall, meaning more athletes per session throughout the year.

DeJesus leads a couple dozen strength and conditioning coaches, many of which are varsity athletes themselves and/or are studying in relevant programs.

This allows coaches to have a unique perspective of exactly what it feels to be a varsity athlete and a greater understanding of how to be prepared for their sport, and in turn can teach their peers. Something that has been praised as a huge asset.

As the head strength and conditioning coach for the varsity teams on the shared campus, DeJesus has spent years developing athletes behind the scenes.

Originally a Kinesiology student at Ontario Tech, Emmanuel became a part-time staff member in 2020 and eventually made the transition to full-time work on campus. His career has been built on fundamentals, personal growth, and performance.

"Over the past four years, we've probably tripled or quadrupled our attendance numbers," said DeJesus.

Emmanuel praises the varsity teams for their buy-in to what they are trying to achieve. Thanks to that, the strength and conditioning program has continued to grow, leading them to build a bigger team and draw from programs such as Fitness & Health Promotion at DC or Kinesiology at OT.

The Strength and Conditioning group work cohesively with the athletic therapy teams to individualize programs to suit the needs of individuals who may have injuries or are navigating other nagging issues.

When asked about how he tailors programs for different sports or athletes, Emmanuel talks about their goal to understand what each sport demands, understand what the athletes go through and tailor their programs to meet those demands.

"New facility, new environment, new opportunities," said DeJesus. "Now is a new time to keep building."