Sarah Montalba, IBAO Administration Coordinator
After graduating from York University, Sarah followed a few different paths. She was an Account Manager at a medical record company, dabbled with Olympic dreams and had a brief stint as a fashion buyer. She took the lessons learned in these gigs to make her mark at IBAO where she started as Administrative Coordinator in April 2022.
She describes her position as multifaceted. “I get my feet wet everywhere. I’m a jack of all trades.”
Before joining the IBAO Team, Sarah describes her work-life balance as non-existent.
“I didn’t have a lot of support in that role. Things always needed urgent attention. I was so focused on work and wasn’t able to be as present as I wanted to with my son.”
Her four-year-old, Syrus, keeps Sarah on her toes—he motivates her to keep active in the Muay Thai gym across from her condo where she takes classes five times a week.
“I’ve always loved sports and dance. I wanted to try out for Canada’s Olympic Track Team after high school. Then I became an avid cyclist when biking became my main transportation around the city.
“And then I had my son. He keeps me running.”
Muay Thai wasn’t something Sarah had ever thought she’d do, but when her brother encouraged her, she jumped right in.
“He’d gotten really into it and was enthusiastic about me checking it out. What ultimately convinced me was his suggestion I do a few workouts to prepare before my first class. He thought I was going to tap out… I couldn’t feel my legs for three days, but I didn’t tap out.”
Now a year into it, Sarah brings her son to the gym hoping he’ll be inspired to try it someday.
Sarah describes a dichotomy she experiences in her life—creative versus academic—always figuring she’d have to do one or the other.
“I never really knew how to mesh the two. But the way I dress has become my creativity. What I do for work reflects my more academic self.”
A consistency in Sarah’s life has been the connections she makes and the importance she places in her interactions with the people in her personal and professional life.
“I’ve been successful in my work life because I care about people and interactions. I make those interactions count in whatever capacity I can.”
That includes Sarah’s charismatic and diligent work ethic and her important contributions to the IBAO Team.
“You might not know the impact you can have on people. Like at IBAO… I’ve been working since I was 16, and they were the first employer who said, you can take a sick day. You have no idea what an impact that had on me.”