Justin Donaldson from British Columbia grew up as a dedicated athlete, playing football and competing at the national level in powerlifting. His early interest in sports nutrition was sparked by a book that contrasted bare-minimum RDAs with the higher nutrient needs of athletes, a lesson reinforced in his later work in animal nutrition. His passion for fitness and performance collided with tragedy when old sports injuries left him disabled—crippled with back pain, leg atrophy, and doctors predicting a lifetime of decline. Told to expect incontinence, loss of mobility, and permanent disability, Justin faced despair in his early 30s.

In this interview, Justin recounts how natural health products, mushrooms like lion’s mane, recovery supplements, acupuncture, and persistent holistic approaches gradually restored his mobility and vitality. He describes the turning point where he went from taking 10 minutes to get out of bed to standing up normally again, eventually returning to training, hiking, and running. Along the way, Justin also shares “divine appointment” stories that confirmed his career change into the natural health industry. His message to Ottawa is that access to supplements and natural therapies is not a luxury but the difference between disability and health. Restrictive regulations threaten lives like his, and he calls for policies that prioritize optimal health, not just survival.