A boon to Cranbrook’s health service

Cassandra Boon, doctor of chiropractic, is practicing full-time in Cranbrook, at least for now

Cassandra Boon, doctor of chiropractic, owns and operates Fine & Well Health and Chiropractic in Cranbrook, B.C. — Marie Milner photo

Since the August 26 fire that destroyed her clinic in Kimberley, B.C., Dr. Cassandra Boon of Fine & Well Health & Chiropractic has been seeing patients at her Cranbrook office in the Colonel Baker clinic at 1601 First Street South.

Boon is an East Kootenay native. She grew up in Wasa and spent time in Kimberley, where she fell in love with the challenge of riding her mountain bike on the mountain trails. At 19 she moved to Whistler, and downhill mountain biking became a big part of her life. It was second nature for her, as a naturally competitive person, to take her downhill biking to a competitive level.

During her racing career Boon was on the Canadian National Cycling Team, competing as an individual. She was the Canadian national champion in 2001 and 2002 and also had a corporate sponsor, Giant Bicycles, which had a North American race team.

Focus is key

“So much of competition is about mental focus,” said Boon. “You can learn a lot about yourself from competition, and I think that striving to have that intense focus is a big part of being a successful athlete, and maybe of success in anything that’s important to you. Achieving a personal best is always a good feeling; sometimes it’s a better feeling than winning against someone else.”

There came a point where Boon turned her mental focus to the issue of choosing a long-term career. She has been interested in physiology and fitness since she was in high school, and she chose a career in chiropractic.

Boon attended Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in Toronto, graduated in 2009 and then went back to Vancouver. After practicing at a well-established Vancouver clinic, she chose to return to the East Kootenay and start her own clinic. About that time, she got an exciting job with the Canadian Freestyle Ski Team, almost exclusively with the half-pipe skiers.

“Keeping those athletes going 100 per cent of the time was interesting and challenging, and we were on all the time,” Boon said. “I travelled with them extensively while beginning my practice in Kimberley and Cranbrook. I enjoyed the teamwork and travel, but I really love working with the people in my own community.”

Evolving priorities

Boon noted that she went into chiropractic to stay involved with athletes and with sports and then found that what she values most is something else entirely.

“After my biking career, I thought I wanted something that would keep me involved in sport if I chose,” she said. “As my practice has evolved and my life has evolved, it’s opened up the door for me to work with all kinds of people, and I really like that.”