Episode 21 with Kayla Musselman (Firefighter out of Ottawa Fire)

1. Tell me a little about yourself and how long have you or served
behind the front line for? In What capacity?   I first fell in
love with firefighting in 2006 after I enrolled in the Pre-Service
Fire Program at the college in my hometown. From there I took the
Paramedic Program, then became a volunteer firefighter. I was a
volunteer for over four years and worked as a 911 Dispatcher in
Timmins, Ontario, dispatching police, fire, and ambulance. I
followed this up with a few years working as a personal trainer and
dispatching for other services (namely police and fire in Ottawa).
I'm now a career firefighter in Ottawa, Ontario and have been for
three years.   2. What was the hardest time of your life? What
tools did you use to get through it?   I went through a period
in my life where I felt lost. I was unhappy with my job, divorced,
and had no solid direction (which is frustrating for a
goal-oriented person). I had to look internally and refocus myself.
I spent time changing my mindset, worked hard physically, mentally
and spiritually, and came out on top and happier than ever.  
3. What are your greatest successes?   My greatest success
would be my life as a whole. I have an amazing daughter, a great
partner, a career that I have a passion for, I'm surrounded by
incredible people that I love, and I truly enjoy my life.   4.
Now that you have experienced life a little, what would you tell
your 20-year- old self?   I would tell myself not to worry
because everything is going to workout exactly the way it’s
supposed to. I’m happy with the way I’ve lived my life so far and
wouldn’t change anything as it would mean changing who I am now.
  5. Who is your greatest role model and why?   I would
say that I am my own greatest role model. I am the one person that
I can control and be exactly who I want in a person. I am always
evolving and striving to be better but staying true to myself and
trying to be someone that I can be proud of.   6. Any
particular stories that stand out from your days serving behind the
front line? How has fitness played a role in it?   I feel like
fitness has played a role in every single experience I have serving
behind the front line. Whether it's in full gear at a working fire,
hauling hose, climbing stairs, assisting people, climbing ladders,
being a reliant crew member, having enough stamina for a busy
24-hour shift, my fitness is absolutely paramount. I am always
striving to make myself better for my crew, the public we're
serving and myself by working out hard in a functional way. I need
to continue to work on being strong, having cardiovascular
endurance, being explosive, etc. I wouldn't be able to effectively
do my job without constantly working on my fitness.   7. What
is your favourite failure that has led to success?   My
favourite failures would be the firefighting jobs I applied for out
of college and didn't get. It taught me to work my ass off to get
what I want. In the time between my first applications and getting
hired, I ended up having amazing experiences, met fantastic people
and built up my resume. I'm so thankful for that, and it's made me
a better person.   8. What do you feel most proud of?  
I'm most proud of my daughter. I'm working hard every day to ensure
that I'm the best mom, a good role model and give her the best life
I can possibly give her.   10. What do you want your tombstone
to say? "She lived a full life full of love and passion" It should
also say "Kayla MusselWOMAN" haha.   11. How do you spend your
free time?   Mostly with my daughter, husband, and dog
enjoying family time. I also love to workout, be outdoors, read and
watch The Bachelor.   12. Who do you admire the most in life
and why? I have a lot of people that I admire. My grandparents have
always been people I look up to. But, someone I feel I can relate
to and parallel much of my life on is my aunt. She decided to
completely change careers and become a police officer. She worked
so incredibly hard to get hired;