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About Fortitude First

Fortitude First is the creation of Jen Klein as a result of the gratitude mission she set upon after a near death experience in a car accident on Highway 17 on July 26, 2019. Jen was met with compassion by the Central Saanich First Responders and made a commitment to dedicate the rest of her life to giving back to the First Responder world. 

 

Jen’s grandmother, Elizabeth McRae, was born and raised in Edinburgh before moving to Saskatchewan as a war bride to a Canadian soldier after WWII. 

 

The McRae clan motto is FORTITUDE. 

 

Jen threw herself into the First Responder world by completing her NFPA 1001 fire academy bootcamp, passing the POPAT and becoming an emergency police call taker. 

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She learned that First Responders must have…

 

𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐓𝐔𝐃𝐄 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 ⁣

𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺

 

The name FORTITUDE FIRST honours Jen’s ancestral McRae clan and an incredible heroine named Elizabeth who exemplified FORTITUDE in all areas of her life. 

 

Fortitude First offers physical skills and fitness training for aspiring First Responders and those already in service.

 

Our motto is: "I can. I will" 

TESTIMONIALS

If any women in Victoria are looking to pass the POPAT, I can confidently say Jen Klein who runs Fortitude First will get you there. Jen not only trains you physically and gets your form and technique on point, she encourages and supports you mentally. She empowers women and I wouldn’t have been able to do it without her. She is a powerhouse and she is one of a kind. “I can. I will.” 

Gillian

“I was unsuccessful in my first attempt at the POPAT and committed to training with Jen twice a week. Preparing for the POPAT became the most rewarding experiences I've had in my life. Jen taught me discipline and how to shift my mindset to "I can, I will." I passed the POPAT with an extremely competitive score of 3:53.

 

I am grateful for Jen's knowledge and experience in preparing for the POPAT. Thank you, Jen, for helping my dream of becoming a municipal recruit constable come true! 

Emma

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