Manitobans share positive life changes since COVID pandemic

Libby MacTavish was used to working seven-days a week and had over two-dozen clients who relied on her as a special education teacher, but when the pandemic hit, her client list was reduced drastically; down to only one.

The gravity of the situation hit when she came home from a trip to Mexico in March of 2020 on a rescue plane. She was rushed through customs as people tried to get home in the early days of COVID-19 and Manitoba declared a state of emergency on March 20, 2020 almost five years ago to the date.

Love of Yoga and teaching combined

“Then at the end of the month, everything went crazy,” she recalls.

The special educator had seen her schedule cleared due to the pandemic and it didn’t take long for the novelty of free time to wear off. So when an opportunity came up to teach Yoga professionally at 22 Wellness in Winnipeg, she took it.

“I never thought of teaching it, but I have the training,” she said, Yoga a part of her life for 25 years.

She says if it wasn’t for the pandemic, the change in her career path never would have occurred, and she’s been able to reflect on the positives it brought to her life, with her practice focused on Yin Yoga.

“It’s all about going in and really shutting out what’s going on around you and really tuning in to your body and learning to really connect,” she said.

“So for me, I’m pretty wired for sound and I’m used to working a lot, so in teaching that, you can’t give away what you don’t have. So I really needed to practice, and really connect with myself, and connect with how I was feeling.”

Five years later, she says there are still people she teaches via Zoom who she met during the pandemic as she continues to teach yoga today, but she’s also been able to return to her special education roots,  providing clients both Yoga and literacy classes.

“Now I’ve incorporated both of my loves,” she said. 

Student happy pandemic put her in province

Millions of peoples’ lives were affected and changed forever as a result of COVID-19 and for some like Dhruvi Shah, while the pandemic derailed her class’ prom, if it wasn’t for the global crisis, she would have never ended up in Manitoba. 

“I feel like whatever happens, happens for a reason,” she said, saying the fact she regularly gets to see the Northern Lights is a perk.

Originally from Mobasa in Kenya, Shah says she was originally destined for Brazil in South America when COVID-19 hit, and it was only after a student exchange was postponed indefinitely she decided on the University of Manitoba.

Five years after her cancelled trip to Brazil, she says she’s happy she ended up in Winnipeg.

“Just being here in the U of M, I’ve met so many people that I’m glad. They’re also from Kenya – so many people from back home, that I am so glad that I met, because they are so inspiring,” she said. “I’m really happy that I ended up here, because of the people I’m around.” 

Actor made permanent adjustment

The pandemic also changed the way people worked, as for many professionals, like actor Adam Orbanski COVID-19 brought with it challenges around things like required masks, social distancing practices and rules around contact. 

At the time, Orbanski required glasses to see and he felt like constantly, they were fogging up, getting lost and in ways, putting him in danger. 

“I was always scared when I was on set without my glasses, that I was going to trip on the cords. I never did, but I’d always have to be extra careful,” he said, saying at times it was frustrating.

“One day I was like: ‘Oh, how can I deal with this if we have to wear masks for a long time?”

It was this realization that resulted in him getting Laser surgery for his eyes and says in a big way, it was COVID-19 that caused him to seek out the surgery. 

“It really pushed me to get it done, because I wanted it for a long time, but I was like: ‘ah, whatever. I didn’t think I could afford it.’ And then, I just sort of prayed for a sign … if I’m meant to get it done, then it will happen, sort of trusting the universe.” 

And once he was actually approved for the procedure, he says it changed his outlook, both literally and figuratively, saying even with the pandemic, there was a silver lining. 

“At first, I cried because it was exciting to be able to see,” he said.  “It changed my life a lot.”