Charbar<\/a>, and had welcomed his second child. Because of the stressful, often-unhealthy lifestyle that can come with working in restaurants, Jackson was 100 lbs overweight, working too much, sleeping poorly and worried about how much longer he would be around.<\/p>\nBrowsing online one evening, he saw an ad for a marathon on the Great Wall of China and was inspired to make a change.<\/p>\n
\u201cI planned everything out that night,\u201d recalls Jackson. \u201cI planned out what my training would be, the things I needed and how I was going to build it into my work schedule. The next day, I talked to Connie.\u201d<\/p>\n
That would be his co-chef and business partner, Connie DeSousa. DeSousa, a fitness aficionado, immediately hopped on board. That same day, the pair set out for a run between the lunch and dinner rushes.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy run was pathetic,\u201d admits Jackson. \u201cI was running 10 steps and then I\u2019d have to walk, then run a bit more and then walk again.\u201d He kept at it, but a bit too aggressively, and became waylaid by an injury. \u201cI had it in my mind that I was going to get healthy, and then I ended up injuring my knee.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tripped up by doing too much too soon, Jackson\u2019s running plans were put on hold. Changing tack, he decided to bike his way to fitness instead. He set a goal of cycling to work once a week, then twice, then three times. Today, Jackson cycles at an elite level, riding to work every day, rain or shine, summer or winter. He rode more than 15,000 total kilometres in 2025, including a 50th birthday ride to Regina and back to visit his mom, and a ride to Oregon for a Chefs Cycle for No Kid Hungry charity event.<\/p>\n
\u201cI found a way to incorporate fitness not only into my life, but also into our business culture,\u201d says Jackson. \u201cWe go on adventures between work. Connie and I or other staff will go out for a morning hike, or we\u2019ll go to various classes. I lost over 100 lbs and feel great every day \u2014 physically, mentally. Finding fitness was the game changer for everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jackson\u2019s also a believer in hot\/cold or contrast therapy, embracing daily morning cold plunges and evening sauna sessions. In winter, his Lake Bonavista neighbours can spot him cutting a hole in the frozen lake, doffing his parka and lowering himself into the freezing waters. His home sauna, meanwhile, reaches sweltering temperatures between 75 and 85 degrees Celsius.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe dopamine release from cold plunging in the morning before I work out is amazing. It just keeps you buzzing all day,\u201d says Jackson. \u201cThe sauna is amazing for recovery from cycling and running. It\u2019s the best feeling ever, and I sleep way better, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Although he didn\u2019t come to fitness until he was 40, Jackson\u2019s hard work and wellness regimens have made him much healthier \u2014 something he\u2019s doing not just for himself, but for his wife and two daughters. \u201cIt\u2019s important for me to stay healthy and fit to keep up with them,\u201d he says. \u201cI want to be the dad that brings adventures to their life. Didn\u2019t want to be an old, grumpy dad.\u201d<\/p>\n
But what of the long-awaited marathon? Though recovering from another knee injury slowed him down, Jackson successfully ran the New York City race in November 2025 \u2014 10 years after he first decided he would run a marathon.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/JohnJackson.jpg\")
Jackson in his at-home sauna celebrating the completion of his marathon goal. Photo by Jared Sych.<\/p>\n