From Medical Studies to Kinesiology: Gary has a Passion for Prevention

Nassim Drissi Smaili October 26, 2025 Our Team

At SOSCuisine, we like to highlight our team members, all of whom share a passion for health and well-being. Today, we introduce you to Gary Geoffroy: a kinesiologist trained in university research, passionate about prevention as well as promoting an active lifestyle.

What is your career path like?

So, I first started my journey by studying medicine, because I have always been attracted to the human body and health sciences in general. After starting my medical studies; first, second, third, then fourth year, I gradually realized that there was a gap between what I wanted to do at the beginning and what I was actually doing.

When I started my hospital internships in my fourth year, I realized that I wanted to be more focused on prevention, and that what really interested me was helping people be more physically active, rather than intervening after the fact with a drug-based approach. I wanted to act before the disease begins.

So I decided to stop my medical studies in my fourth year. I spent the first three years in Guadeloupe, and the fourth in Bordeaux, before moving to Quebec to study kinesiology. I completed a three-year bachelor’s degree, then followed that with a two-year master’s degree in research, during which I focused on the link between physical activity and mental health.

Today, I have two main activities: I have my private practice, Kinobi Conseil, and I am also teaching at the Kinesiology Clinic of the University of Montreal.

How did you end up on the SOSCuisine team?

In fact, I first met Pierre Lamontagne (one of the two co-founders of SOSCuisine) through clinical teaching activities. We immediately hit it off and talked a lot. Later, I had the chance to meet Cinzia (the other co-founder), and while talking with them, we realized that we shared the same interest in health and prevention. One thing led to another, and the idea of ​​collaborating came naturally!

What is your role at SOSCuisine?

My main role is to write articles to debunk certain beliefs about physical activity and make it more accessible to everyone. I’d like people to understand that getting active doesn’t have to be complicated. I want to help popularize simple concepts and show how physical activity can easily be integrated into daily life, while maintaining a connection with nutrition and healthy lifestyle habits.

What are the challenges you face in your field?

That’s a very good question… It made me think a little (laughs)

I would say one of the main challenges is helping people become more active, while making them understand that it’s not a process based solely on motivation.

Many people feel guilty because they can’t be as active as they’d like. However, we must understand that motivation alone isn’t enough. Everyone is more or less motivated to move (we all know it’s good for our health), but what makes the difference is, among other things, planning.

You need to know when, where, with whom, under what conditions, and with what equipment you’re going to do the physical activity. This is where the kinesiologist comes in, to guide behavior change and help move from intention to action. This is truly what I’m passionate about: helping people adopt and maintain regular physical activity.

Gary in the kitchen

If I were a food, I would be… the plantain! It represents my Caribbean origins, and I would also say that I like its versatility: you can cook it sweet, savory, and at different stages of ripeness.

My culinary specialty is… stews, in general! But if I had to choose, I would say Caribbean Chicken Colombo.

In my kitchen, I avoid … lactose (laughs), since I’m intolerant! And more generally, I try to avoid processed foods, but I am not overly obsessed about it.

My preferred SOSCuisine recipe …  Quick Shrimp “Paella”. This is definitely my kind of recipe.

Quick Shrimp “Paella”

Author

Nassim Drissi Smaili

Passionate and creative, Nassim is a graduate of the ENCG (National School of Commerce and Management) of Kenitra in Morocco, option Marketing and Commercial Action. She is responsible for the management of SOSCuisine's Social Networks. Her field of action ranges from the implementation of digital communication strategies to the creation of content and, of course, to the management of communities.