We’ve Got This!
Imagine having your own personal cheerleader, not the kind who stands on the sidelines waving pom-poms and chanting rehearsed slogans, but someone who sees the greatness in you before you see it in yourself. Someone who believes in you so completely that her confidence becomes contagious. The kind of cheerleader who listens closely, senses your doubt, and delivers exactly the right words at the right moment, words that steady your nerves, quiet your fear, and push you gently but firmly forward.
That is Angela Knott.
She doesn’t just say, “You’ve got this.” She makes you believe it.
I have been fortunate to have Angela as my own champion, and so were the eleven students enrolled in Bobby Bessey’s Shakti Yoga Teacher Training Program of 2025. At just 24 years old, Angela graduated in November 2025 as a 200-hour certified yoga instructor alongside her mother, Robyn. But long before receiving that certification, she had already mastered the art of lifting others higher than they thought they could rise.

Angela was born at the Ottawa General Hospital on November 18, 2001, to Robyn and Tom Knott. She arrived two months early, but within a month she was healthy enough to go home. Robyn, a pediatric nurse, immediately recognized that Angela had Down syndrome (Trisomy 21). Yet from the first moment, she and Tom saw only their beautiful daughter.
Robyn explains that their family never defined Angela by disability. From an early age, she was energetic, passionate, creative, and endlessly curious. She attended an inclusive school setting in Ottawa from kindergarten through Grade 8 and immersed herself in activities voice lessons, choir, dance, competitive skating, hockey, basketball, and swimming. She was also an enthusiastic member of the Special Olympics team.
Angela’s two older brothers, James and Jacob, have always been protective and supportive. At age ten, Jacob chose Angela as the subject of a school speech. In describing her remarkable talents, he reflected that no one identifies him as “Jacob with glasses. Why should anyone identify Angela with a label?” He concluded, “I don’t understand why we must identify people as this or that. Everyone has something.” There was not a dry eye in the room.
I first met Angela and the Knott family during the summer of 2022 at Thorburn Lake. Tom and Robyn, originally from St. John’s, had moved to Ottawa in 2000 for work but frequently returned home to Newfoundland. My husband Bob and I quickly became friends with the warm and lively Knott family.
Angela’s joie de vivre was unmistakable.
Around the lake she is affectionately known as the “Fish Whisperer,” catching 88 trout in 2025 and more than 100 the year before. Her father attributes her success to patience, remarkable stillness, and the ability to wait; qualities many of us struggle to cultivate.
Music is another of Angela’s gifts. James taught her to play the drums at a young age. Each year at school, their family band, “Knott So Bad“ , closed the variety show to enthusiastic applause. Angela on drums, Jacob on guitar, and James on keyboard created a finale few could forget.
Angela is no stranger to the stage. At 13, she performed Katy Perry’s “Roar” at a telethon for the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO). Around that time, she became an avid fan of Alan Doyle and Great Big Sea, attending numerous concerts. During one unforgettable evening, Alan Doyle invited Angela on stage, and the band sang “Happy Birthday” to her; a moment she treasures.
She has also shared the spotlight with renowned Newfoundland artist Kellie Loder. During a 2022 concert in Clarenville, Angela was invited on stage to sing “Fearless” with Kelly. She sang with confidence and joy. Thunderous applause, a standing ovation, and tears of joy followed. Two years later, in Trinity, I was thrilled to see Angela and Kellie perform again, totally captivating the audience.
As I came to know Angela better, I often thought that in her case, “Down syndrome” might more accurately be called “Up syndrome.” Once she sets her heart on something, nothing stands in her way.

As a yoga instructor since 2018, I was delighted to learn that Angela and Robyn had developed a passion for yoga in 2022 after being introduced to it by Kayla, Jacob’s partner. They began practicing daily and, with the help of their resourceful friend Linda, created a serene space at home to practice filled with silk scarves, candles, and statues of Buddha.
In 2023, I began teaching yoga at Thorburn Lake and invited Angela to co-teach with me. She was skillful, enthusiastic, and unfailingly encouraging. It soon became clear that both she and Robyn possessed the patience, warmth, and dedication that define exceptional teachers.
In the fall of 2024, I suggested they consider formal training. I assured them that Bobby Bessey, owner and lead instructor of Shakti Yoga whom I deeply respect would welcome them. Alongside co-instructors Linda Ivany and Carolyn Hapgood, this team had the experience and skill to guide them on this journey.
They accepted the challenge.

In January 2025, Angela and Robyn began the 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training Program in St. John’s with ten other students. Each month they traveled nearly 200 kilometres from Thorburn Lake for intensive weekend sessions.
Having completed the program myself, I knew its demands. Bobby’s standards are high. Full participation is expected.
Angela, not typically a morning person, embraced the rigor without complaint.
Early in the course, Bobby introduced the history and philosophy of yoga. After a lecture on universal energy and the elements, she asked Angela for her thoughts. Angela responded that the concepts reminded her of the themes in Frozen 2. Intrigued, Bobby went home and watched the film. To her astonishment, Angela’s analogy revealed a deep and original understanding of the material.
It was the first of many “wow” moments.
When it came time for students to teach, anxiety filled the room. Angela, the youngest in the class, was the first to volunteer. She rose from her mat with only brief notes and simply did her best.
As she began, a ripple of relief spread through the room. Her courage reminded everyone that perfection was not required, only willingness. Angela understood that growth is a process, not a destination. You begin where you are.

One classmate, Rhonda Chaytor, who lives with complex PTSD, admits she might not have completed the course without Angela’s encouragement. During a particularly anxious moment, Angela leaned over and said, “Stop thinking about it, Rhonda. Just do it. You’ve got this.”
For Rhonda, Angela is one of the greatest gifts she has ever received.
“She’s full of light, honesty, and love,” Rhonda reflects. “She doesn’t seem to have that voice in her head that looks for problems. She’s light years ahead of most of us.”
Bobby, too, was deeply moved by Angela’s commitment. She mastered Sanskrit pose names and mantras with determination. She embodied the presence of a true yogi, fully attentive and grounded in the moment.
By graduation, the class unanimously chose Angela’s motto, “We’ve Got This”, for their commemorative T-shirts. Her steady encouragement and smiles had carried them all forward.
Bobby later reflected that Angela’s contribution to the class was immense. She modeled hard work, positivity, courage, and action. Most of all, she brought out the best in everyone.

Today, Angela continues to inspire. She remains an active member of the Clarenville Special Olympics All Stars team, participating in bocce, track and field, bowling, and snowshoeing. She has begun teaching yoga at Ability Employment in Clarenville and is already receiving additional requests.
This summer, she and Robyn hope to offer yoga in Belleoram, a small community on Newfoundland’s south coast and home to Shannon, James’ partner. Shannon lamented that access to yoga was limited in Belleoram. Angela and Robyn intend to change that.
Angela also has big dreams: to see the Toronto Blue Jays win the World Series, to cheer as the Toronto Maple Leafs lift the Stanley Cup, and perhaps one day to sing with Alan Doyle.
With Angela, none of it feels impossible.
She challenges us to move toward our dreams, to stay focused, to live passionately and to lift others as we rise.
Angela is that rare kind of cheerleader who doesn’t stand on the sidelines but stands beside you. And because of her, we believe it when she says:
We’ve got this.
Thank you, Angela! Namaste!