Born and raised in Saskatchewan, Roy attended the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon receiving an undergraduate degree in Physical Education in 1967. He continued to study at the U of S obtaining an MSc degree in 1969. Following six years of teaching at StFX, Roy returned to the West and through a Western Universities exchange program attended both Simon Fraser University and the University of Saskatchewan completing his PhD in 1978. Roy was an avid runner for most of his life, however, more recently has become an avid cyclist competing on the Bicycle Nova Scotia Mountain Bike circuit since 1998. Current research involves collaborative work with a cardiologist from the QE2 Health Sciences Centre in Halifax to investigate the development of a step test as an alternative method for assessing exercise tolerance in adults with risk factors for cardiovascular disease.