THE TEAM
MIZAR FUENTES-ORTEGA
FOUNDER & CO-OWNER
Mizar is the founder and co-owner of OPEX Montréal, and a professional coach with a deep passion for helping individuals thrive and become the best versions of themselves. His coaching philosophy blends scientific understanding, personalized guidance, and a commitment to sustainable progress, empowering clients to build confidence, strength, and autonomy—not just for today, but for a lifetime.
His journey with movement began as a gymnast and gymnastics coach, where he learned the value of discipline, body awareness, and the pursuit of new challenges. Always striving to grow, he explored multiple disciplines—including martial arts (Jeet Kune Do and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, purple belt), CrossFit, weightlifting, and rock climbing—each shaping his understanding of the body and his approach as a coach.
Mizar holds a degree in mechanical engineering with a specialization in biomedical engineering and is certified through the OPEX Fitness Coaching Certificate Program (CCP). He has been guided by world-class mentors, including Pierre Roy, Canadian Olympic weightlifting coach; James Fitzgerald, founder of OPEX Fitness; Dr. Mat Lalonde, internationally recognized scientist in metabolism, nutrition, and human performance; and Patrick Chan, senior Jeet Kune Do instructor in Canada. These mentors shaped Mizar’s holistic approach to coaching, combining science, movement, and human performance.
His CrossFit journey, which began in 2009, led him to qualify for the CrossFit Regionals multiple years in a row, reinforcing his belief in consistent, long-term progress over quick fixes. Joining the OPEX CCP program further strengthened his understanding of human performance and solidified his commitment to coaching individuals at all levels—beginners, intermediate, or advanced—whether their goal is performance, health, or simply becoming an asset to themselves and society.
As a coach, Mizar emphasizes the fundamentals. He helps clients clarify their goals and understand their “why”—why they train, why it matters, and how it connects to their life and purpose. Training is about more than fitness; it’s about aligning body, mind, spirit, and intention, building resilient, capable, and autonomous humans who can show up fully for themselves and those around them.
Whether your goal is to lose fat, tone your body, improve health, enhance performance, return to movement after injury, gain strength, build longevity, or simply have energy for life, Mizar creates programs that are purposeful, sustainable, and transformative—helping clients thrive and achieve meaningful, lasting change.
At OPEX Montréal, Mizar’s mission is to help clients become confident, strong, and autonomous, ready to live fully, perform at their best, and contribute positively to their world.
Who are you today—and who do you choose to become?
At OPEX Montréal, Mizar invites you to build that future together.
ISABELLE GALARNEAU
CO-OWNER & HEAD OF COACHING
Isabelle is the co-owner of OPEX Montréal and a professional coach with over 15 years of experience helping individuals build strength, resilience, and long-term health through personalized training, nutrition, and lifestyle coaching. Her approach is rooted in conscious movement, sustainable habits, and a deep respect for the human experience, supporting clients in building a body and lifestyle that last.
Her relationship with movement began at the age of 7 through a sport-study program in competitive diving. This early immersion shaped her childhood and adolescence and instilled values that continue to guide her work today: discipline, precision, body awareness, and respect for the process. These foundations laid the groundwork for a lifelong commitment to understanding movement as both a tool for performance and a pathway to long-term health.
Over the years, Isabelle’s path led her into fitness and competitive sport, including weightlifting and CrossFit. These experiences shaped her identity as an athlete and deepened her understanding of movement—not as a short-term solution, but as a language of the body and a cornerstone of sustainable performance and vitality. This evolution allows her to coach individuals at all levels, from those new to training to experienced athletes seeking longevity and balance.
Today, as the mother of two daughters, Isabelle approaches movement with renewed intention. Training remains a central pillar of her life, now guided by longevity, well-being, and the desire to remain strong, grounded, and autonomous in her body. She trains to age well, preserve independence, and maintain the freedom to practice the sports and activities that inspire her—today and in the years to come. For her, movement is not about extremes, but about supporting real life with strength, resilience, and confidence.
At OPEX Montréal, Isabelle brings this vision to life through an individualized and holistic coaching model. She is CanFitPro certified and a graduate of the OPEX Fitness Coaching Certificate Program (CCP). Each client arrives with their own history, goals, challenges, and lifestyle realities. Isabelle’s role is to design personalized training, nutrition, and lifestyle programs that integrate seamlessly into daily life, emphasizing consistency, sustainability, and long-term progress rather than quick fixes.
Beyond physical training, Isabelle is deeply interested in the human being as a whole. She considers the relationship between movement, energy management, stress, recovery, nutrition, and mindset, with the intention of helping clients build a solid foundation for lasting health. Her goal is to empower individuals to feel strong, confident, and autonomous in their bodies—now and for the future.
At its core, Isabelle’s work is about partnership. Every person carries a unique story, and meaningful change begins when that story is respected and supported.
Who are you today—and who do you choose to become?
At OPEX Montréal, Isabelle invites you to build that future together.
Fabiola Avalos
OPEX Montréal Coach
YMCA Fitness Instructor
Years of playing team sports in her formative years instilled in Fabiola not only a passion for physical activity but also a profound appreciation for discipline, leadership, and perseverance. Her interest for collaborating with individuals pushed her to obtain her certificate from the YMCA Fitness Instructor Training Program in 2013. This transformative experience deepened her understanding of exercise physiology and training techniques while igniting a sense of purpose within her.
Fabiola joined Opex Montréal in October 2023 as a Coach. She provides guidance and instructions on proper exercise techniques, as well as providing valuable feedback and coaching.
Fabiola is goal-oriented, skilled in training and mentoring, and proficient in injury prevention and exercise modification. She is fluent in English, French, and Spanish.
Fabiola seeks to empower individuals to reach their full potential through the transformative power of fitness. She believes in a holistic approach, focusing on long-term progress rather than quick fixes. Her commitment is to help clients become stronger, healthier versions of themselves, setting goals and understanding their “why” to make fitness a priority in their lives.
SÉBASTIEN ZAPPA
PhD Microbiologist
Wim Hof Method instructor level 2
Oxygen Advantage Advanced instructor
ELDOA level 2
Born and raised in France, near Paris, I moved to the United States in 2005 and to Canada in 2019 in order to pursue my career as a scientist. I am a microbiologist and a biochemist with a PhD related to those disciplines. As such, I prioritize facts- or evidence-based knowledge and rigorous methodology.
My personal interest in the Wim Hof Method arose when I was in the process of treating a 10 years long chronic fatigue syndrome, that was associated with Lyme disease, depression, and fibromyalgia. After spending thousands of dollars in both medical and alternative therapeutic approaches, I found out that I had good results by breathing air and soaking in icy water.
This practice, in association with functional breathing and postural awareness, has been gradually putting me back on the right track, brought my happiness back and is slowly but surely bringing me back to the active lifestyle I enjoy by rock climbing, running, mountaineering, hiking, yogiing, lifting…
This search for happiness and vitality is what I want to share with you.
PERSONAL TRAINING
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