A member of the Canadian Forces for nine years, Shawn was born and raised in a small town in Ontario called Brockville. He left for the Forces in 2003 and was stationed in Alberta, Canada. From there he was posted to a number of places throughout Canada, as well as being deployed to Afghanistan.

Shawn started fitness training at a young age. At the age of he began martial arts, and his passion for martial arts made him thirsty to learn more and achieve greater feats. By the time he was 25, Shawn achieved two black belts from two various styles of martial arts, studied muay Thai and jiu jitsu, and competed in a number of kick boxing and full contact competitions. From there he never let his drive for health and fitness decline. Shawn was running clubs, coaching fighters and other athletes.

After originally wanting to be a police officer, Shawn decided to join the Canadian Forces. It was also at this point in his life when he changed his outlook on how he trained. He focused on a path that would develop him as an athlete and a soldier. CrossFit was that path.

Now, Shawn is not only a member of the Canadian Forces, but also co-owner of a CrossFit gym in his hometown, as well as an athlete involved in various CrossFit competitions. He enjoys the pleasure and feedback from the programming, the camaraderie of the gym members, and the community he has helped build.