Fitness with Purpose -Not Pressure
Nat’s story
Natalie Lehto is the founder of Within You and a trusted leader in the Thunder Bay fitness community. An experienced marathon runner, adventure racer, and lifelong athlete, Natalie thrives on challenge and believes movement is a powerful way to build confidence, resilience, and connection — both inside and outside the studio.
While she loves to travel and explore new parts of the world, Thunder Bay is home. It’s where Natalie has created a welcoming, supportive space for people to move, grow stronger, and feel good in their bodies.
Natalie holds an Honours Bachelor of Kinesiology and is a STOTT-certified Pilates instructor. Her approach blends thoughtful programming, functional strength, and mindful movement to create Thunder Bay fitness classes that are effective, approachable, and never boring.
At Within You, Natalie is known for her encouraging coaching style and her ability to meet people where they’re at. Classes are designed to support real life — helping members build strength, mobility, and confidence in a way that’s sustainable and enjoyable.
Based in Thunder Bay, Natalie works with clients from across the city and surrounding region, including people who ski, hike, run, paddle, and live active Northern Ontario lifestyles.
Like the Glide of a Dragonfly
Healing and Finishing Strong After Surviving the Boston Marathon Bombing
“How do you breathe when the waves are so rough and the water crashes in your face?”
In Like the Glide of a Dragonfly, Natalie Lehto shares a powerful and deeply human story of resilience, healing, and choosing to move forward when life feels overwhelming.
Moments after crossing the finish line, that dream is shattered by the Boston Marathon bombing.
In the years that follow, Natalie navigates PTSD, health challenges, family loss, and profound grief. Through it all, she develops a philosophy rooted in resilience, self-awareness, and the determination to keep going — to finish strong, even when the path forward feels impossible.
Written in an honest, relatable, and often unexpectedly humorous voice, Like the Glide of a Dragonfly invites readers into both the depths of trauma and the slow, courageous work of healing. It’s a story about endurance — not just in sport, but in life — and a reminder that strength doesn’t always roar. Sometimes, it glides.
