CONVENTIONS - NYC '10 - presenter bios Abbie Appel is ACE, AFAA, NASM certified, a PIA Pilates Master Trainer, and a Reebok University Master Trainer. Trained in dance and vocal performance, she has worked for various television programs, including Kiana's Flex Appeal on ESPN. Nicki Anderson is a 25-year industry veteran. She owns an award winning personal training studio and lectures all over the country. Nicki is the author of numerous books, articles and is a columnist for newspapers and magazines. Geoff Bagshaw is one of Canada's most energetic and inspirational fitness leaders. He has been featured in many fitness workout and training DVD's, magazines and television programs and was named Can-Fit-Pro's "Canadian Fitness Presenter of the Year" in 2004. The Toronto Star newspaper also heralded Geoff to be one of Toronto's top instructors. Geoff is Can-Fit-Pro certified and a BCRPA Supervisor of Fitness Leaders. Gail Bannister-Munn has her finger on the pulse of fitness enthusiasts and the club industry because of her widely varied fitness background. She is the regional area group fitness manager with XSport Fitness. She presents both workshops and lectures at internationally attended conferences and teaches aerobic choreography as an instructor with East Coast Instructor Training. Melissa Baumgartner is owner of Midwest Fitness Consulting, LLC; a company that specializes in work-site wellness and creator of LWC; a Lifestyle Wellness Coaching program. She is a certified personal trainer, group fitness instructor and wellness coach. Tanya Beardsley is an international education specialist and presenter for Zumba® Fitness as well as the co-host of the Zumba Fitness DVD series and choreographer for the Zumba Instructor Network. Tanya has trained thousands of Zumba instructors and has presented Zumba in the US, Europe, and Asia. Zumba Fitness is in 40,000 locations, in 75 countries, and reaches 5 million people every week. Ilene Bergelson, ACSM-HFI, ACE-CPT, CHEK Level 2, HLC 1, a veteran performer-turned fitness professional, Ilene has danced on Broadway and worked with rehabilitation specialists throughout the U.S.. She has been published by PT on the Net and lectured nationally. As founder of Lifemoves, Ilene offers CEC workshops including her popular EmpowerSpeak™ and Training for the Sport of Motherhood™ series. Toni Bergins, MEd, has been called "a one woman force of mother earth fire." She is creator and founder of JourneyDance™, a movement for spiritual practice, embodiment, energy and flow. Toni has a light sense of humor, a wild deep passion and authenticity that makes JourneyDance accessible to all. Lawrence Biscontini, M.A, is a Mindful Movement Specialist with numerous fitness accolades: ECA Presenter's Choice Premier Debut Award (2009), BestMind-Body Presenter (ECA, 2005), Specialty Presenter of the Year Award (CanFit Pro, 2004), Instructor of the Year Awards from IDEA (2004) and ACE (2002). He also works for Beamfit, Bender Ball, Gliding, and Power Systems. His latest books are Running the Show: Excellence in Service and Morning Cardio Workouts by Human Kinetics. Benjamin Black has lived on four continents working in strategy consulting, professional sports and music, working with clients like Jerry Bruckheimer, Tyra Banks, Warner Brothers, Nike, Sony, Booz Allen, and Cirque du Soleil. Benjamin presents self-discovery, branding and yoga workshops around the world. Jay Blahnik is recognized as one of the world's leading fitness educators. He is a past recipient of the Can Fit Pro Fitness Instructor of the Year award, and was named one of the Top 5 Instructors in the World by Shape Magazine. He has starred in over 30 award-winning exercise videos and is the author of the critically acclaimed book, Full-Body Flexibility. He is a lead consultant for BOSU, the Program Director for Indo-Row and a consultant for Nike and Nautilus. Elena Brower, Certified Anusara® Yoga Teacher, is the founder and co-owner of Virayoga, in New York City. Teaching 12+ years, she's been featured in the New York Times, Yoga Journal, and FitYoga, as well as the ELEMENT YOGA series of DVDs for Anchor Bay Entertainment. In 2010, Elena will be working with adidas to teach the methodology of Anusara yoga to their instructors globally. Currently she supports YogaGivesBack.org, offering financial assistance in the form of microcredit to women householders in India. Jason C. Brown, BS CSCS is an internationally recognized expert in Kettlebell Training for fitness & sport. He is the author and co-author of numerous DVDs and books including; ”Kettlebell Training for Fitness & Sport Series, Kettlebell Training for Baseball and Kettlebell Training for Combat Sports.” He is Co-owner of Urban Athlete, Philadelphia’s premier athletic development academy and the creator of Kettlebell Athletics Certification for Fitness Professionals. Angie Bunch is a professional dancer and Nike Inc. sponsored dance athlete from San Diego. She has been recently honored with the Channel 10 News "Leadership Award". Angie is Founder and Executive Director of Culture Shock Dance Troupes Inc. Sherry Catlin has presented in 25 countries and 23 states. She's a Continuing Education Specialist for ACE, the Director of Program Development for Body Bar Systems and a member of the Elite National Training Team for Systematic Touch Training. Paul Chek, internationally acclaimed speaker, consultant and Holistic Health Practitioner draws upon over twenty-five years of experience in corrective exercise, high performance conditioning and integrative lifestyle management. Author of six books, over 60 DVDs and numerous correspondence courses and seminars, he has also developed four certification programs for advanced professional development in the health and fitness industry. Paul is the founder of the C.H.E.K Institute, based in San Diego, CA, which specializes in Corrective Holistic Exercise Kinesiology. He is also the creator of the P~P~S Success Mastery Program. Kathryn Coyle is a Peak PilateSystem Level I trainer and an MVe Teacher Trainer. She is certified as a Pilates Mat Instructor through the UK MindBody Institute and holds two classical comprehensive Pilates certifications with PilateSystems and Peak Pilates. She also holds a group fitness certification with Global Wellness and Spinning certifications with Keiser and Life Fitness RevMaster. Josh Crosby is the creator of Indo-Row®, a growing international group fitness program created for an intense, full-body, team-oriented workout using custom-designed rowing machines. Indo-Row has been featured in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Men’s Journal, Shape, on CNN and on Extra! Josh is a multi-sponsored Ironman triathlete and world champion rower. Lashaun Dale, MA, MPH, HLC 2, NSCA-CPT teaches and is Creative Manager of Group Fitness at Equinox Fitness Clubs. Lashaun is certified and by NSCA, CHEK and other organizations specializing in yoga, core strength, flexibility training and youth fitness. Caroline Dawson, a Master Instructor for the Spinning program and certified fitness professional for over 12 years, has worked with some of the top fitness professionals in creating new programs and services. She currently holds NASM, ACE and AFAA certifications and Bachelor and Masters degrees in Business Administration. Stefania Della Pia, Program Director of Education and Instructor Trainer for STOTT PILATES®, oversees the growth of the Instructor Trainer program and global implementation of training and certification programs. In addition to teaching Pilates for the past decade, she has represented the company internationally in more than 14 countries as a presenter, trainer and examiner. Stefania is certified as an ACE Personal Trainer and a Can-Fit Pro Personal Trainer Specialist. Michelle Demus, Program Director for Pure Yoga in NYC, has more than 15 years of experience teaching in the yoga, fitness and dance industries. She holds a M.A. in Movement Therapy from UCLA and a B.F.A. in Dance from The Juilliard School. A Senior Master Trainer for Yogafit, Michelle teaches an inspiring blend of Vinyasa Yoga, designed to challenge experienced yogis, while remaining accessible to those who are new to the practice. Shannon Fable, 2006 ACE Instructor of the Year, is the founder of SFR, a consulting firm for aspiring educators, manufacturers and managers. She owns Balletone and presents for Nautilus and BOSU. Marvin Foster Jr is an International Fitness Presenter, Choreographer and Dancer. Based in both New York City and Istanbul, Marvin travels the globe with some of the most elite companies and organizations in the world. He is a featured Choreographer on Istanbul’s “SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE”, as well as an original cast member in the Off-Broadway production of Miss Saigon. Marvin was also featured in Men’s Health Magazine 2008/09, ARENA Magazine 2007 Turkiye and Rolling Stone 2007. Kimberly Fowler, the Founder of YAS, developed YOGA for ATHLETES® to demonstrate how yoga improves balance, flexibility, power and stamina which can result in improved performance, injury reduction and faster recovery for athletes of all levels. Michael Fritzke is a certified Pilates teacher trainer, personal trainer and certified Reiki Practitioner. He is a former performer; with Broadway national and international credits as a performer, dance-captain, stage manager and resident director. Jennifer Galardi has been teaching dance and fitness classes for over ten years in both Los Angeles and New York. She has several best selling dance fitness DVD titles, and recently graduated from nutrition school in NYC with a certificate in holistic health counseling. Through an understanding of food and fitness, she helps women everywhere get in shape, feel fit and happy . . . all while having FUN! John Garey has studied Pilates for more than 15 years and owns Los Angeles-based John Garey Pilates, a STOTT PILATES® Licensed Training CenterJohn, who holds a Masters degree in Adult fitness from NYU, is a regular contributor of Pilates and fitness articles for many national publications. John is a STOTT PILATES Master Instructor trainer and was named one of the top six most notable instructors in the United States by American Fitness Magazine. Lisa Gaylord works as an instructor at Crunch in Miami Beach, is AFAA certified and a fifth degree black belt in karate. She is a weapons expert, a Women's National Kickboxing Champion, and a spokesperson for Hitman. She has appeared in and choreographed numerous videos and movies as a featured performer and stunt fighter. Rob Glick was named the 2006 International Presenter of the Year by CanFit Pro and the 2005 Best Male Presenter by ECA. He holds a B.S. in exercise and is a member of the creative team for EFI Sports Medicine's GRAVITYSystem and continuing education provider for both ACE and AFAA. He is a master trainer on the Schwinn Cycling, BOSU and Body Bar teams as well as co-creator of the 5 Star Instructor Development program. Patrick Goudeau is a former U.S. National Aerobic Champion and the recipient of four ECA OBOW Awards. He has recently released 7 highly acclaimed workout videos through the Patrick Video Series, and has been in numerous publications including "Fitness", "Health" and "Real Simple" and is one of the featured instructors on "All-Star Workouts" on The Discovery Channel/FitTV. Clay Grant has been successfully competing, performing, coaching and teaching in the aerobics and fitness industry for almost 20 years. Clay is a Silver and Bronze Medalist in the US National Aerobic Championship. Certifications include: AFAA, ACE, Step Reebok and Pilates Allegro. Jess Gronholm, the National Yoga Director for Crunch, has created and launched more that 30 yoga-based programs as well as conducted trainings across the U.S. helping Instructors reach their true potential. Jennifer Hall presents fitness formats worldwide and choreographs for T.V. including Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance". After retiring from dancing with popular artists like Beyonce Knowles, Jenn found fitness and fell in love! Erika Halweil tries to challenge her self and others through a unique vinyasa practice (inspired by the many traditions to which she has been exposed). Her heart, mind, body and breath have been captivated by the extraordinarily cleansing and clarifying practice of Ashtanga Yoga. Through this system, she hopes to encourage everyone to commit to making their yoga practice an integral and lasting part of their daily life. She has furthered her knowledge of the human body through the study of nutrition (with a degree from NYU), anatomy, physiology and reflexology. Sue Hitzmann, MS, CST, NMT, creator of The M.E.L.T. Method™, is an educator and practitioner of Hands-off Bodywork™ and a leading authority on neurofascial science and treatment techniques. Scott Josephson, M.S., R.D. is the Director of Operations at Hippocrates Health Institute in West Palm Beach, Florida. Scott is a recipient of numerous awards and is frequently published. In addition to several certifications, he holds a degree from the University of Miami. His work portfolio includes Geraldo Rivera, Wimbledon Champion Chris Evert and athletes from the New York Giants and New York Mets. June Kahn is the founder of June Kahn’s Bodyworks, LLC, & Educational Director for Beamfit, LLC. June is best known for bridging the gap between traditional Pilates and the fitness industry. Alanna Kaivalya's lifelong fascination with sound led her to Jivamukti Yoga, where she has immersed herself in the power of yoga, chanting, and music. Also known as the JivaDiva, Alanna teaches workshops worldwide and produces the Yoga Jam podcast, which garners over a million listeners. She lives in New York City, where she leads regular kirtans and teaches classes. Barbara Klein is a well-known physical therapist and presenter in Europe for 25 years. She is an author of many health books and expert in her own " loose weight show" on German TV. Petra Kolber is a Reebok University Master Trainer and ACSM, NASM (CGT), ACE, AFAA certified. She's winner of 2004 and 2003 ECA Best Female Presenter of the Year, the 2000 Canadian Fitness Professionals International Instructor Of The Year and awarded 1999 Fitness Crusader of the Year by Health magazine. Lesly Levy, ACE certified since 1992, is Pilates' certified with the Physical Mind Institute (April 2000), Power Pilates (2003) and the PMA (Gold Certified in 2005). She opened Mindful Moves Pilates Center in Westchester, NY and is now a Sr. Level Teacher Trainer for Power Pilates in New York. Lesly’s other certifications/specialties include Mad Dog and Reebock Spinning, Yogafit and specialties in peri-natal fitness, youth fitness, mind/body integration and flexibility training. David Mesirow is the creator of Beamfit™, the logical outcome of his 29 years as a leader in the fitness industry. David is a former Reebok Master Trainer and Avia Athlete. Jill Miller instructs Yoga Tune Up® worldwide and has produced over 55 critically acclaimed videos and therapeutic fitness products. Her innovative format is taught nationwide at Equinox and featured in SELF, Yoga Journal, Fit Yoga, Marie Claire, Gaiam.com and more. She is an ERYT based in Los Angeles, CA. Carol Murphy is the National Programming Director for Resist-A-Ball® and a Master Trainer for Reebok, Body Bar, Drums Alive and Gliding. Her certifications include ACSM, NASM, ACE, AFAA and CanFitPro. Carol's innovative and fitness-training programs have been featured in numerous DVDs, magazines and at conventions world-wide. Mindy Mylrea is the 2008 ECA Best Female Presenter, 2004 CanFit PRO International Presenter of the Year, and the 1999 International IDEA Fitness Instructor of the Year. She's a National and World Aerobic Champion and is the creator and lead talent behind Gliding. Mindy is also a master trainer for Schwinn Cycling and is on the pro development team for Bosu, CorePole and Body Bar. Pamela M. Nisevich, MS, RD, CSSD, LD is a nutrition consultant passionate about sports nutrition and nutrition communications. As co-founder of Swim, Bike, Run, Eat! , Pamela enjoys working towards improving the nutrition and performance of athletes of all ages and abilities. Beto Perez forgot his aerobics music. He decided to improvise. He picked out some random salsa and merengue tapes he had in his backpack and popped them into the sound system. This would either be a great success or a horrible failure…Fifteen years later this bit of courage ensued by a small mistake, has become Zumba Fitness, the largest dance-based fitness program in the world. With over 40,000 instructors and 5 million people taking Zumba classes on a weakly basis, Beto and the Zumba organization have created nothing short of a revolution. Fraser Quelch is the Head Coach and Director of Training and Development for Fitness Anywhere and its revolutionary TRX Suspension Training Program. An internationally renowned expert in the fields of functional training and human movement, Fraser has lectured at conferences and events in Europe, Australia, Asia and North America and is a featured fitness author. Keli Roberts won the 2003 OBOW/ECA award for Best Use of Equipment, the 2005 OBOW award for Best Female Presenter and the 2008 OBOW award for Lifetime Achievement. In 2007 she was inducted in the Fitness Hall of Fame. Keli, an ACE Continuing Education Provider, specializes in group strength and stability training, indoor cycling, personal training and motivation. Keli is ACSM HFS certified, and is also certified through AFAA, ACE Group Fitness and ACE Gold Personal Trainer and is also a member of the Fitness Magazine Advisory Board, a BOSU Developmental Team Member and a Nautilus and Schwinn Master Presenter. Christine Romani-Ruby is a licensed Physical Therapist and a PMA gold certified Pilates instructor. She is an associate professor in the Exercise Science program at California University of PA and practices clinically at Phi Pilates Studio in Pittsburgh, PA. She is the founder of PHI Pilates and has trained Pilates instructors and rehabilitation professionals internationally for over 10 years. Juan Carlos Santana, M.Ed., C.S.C.S. serves as NSCA Florida State Director and is a member of the NSCA Conference Committee. He is ACSM certified and a Senior Coach and Club Coach Course Instructor with USA Weightlifting, and a Level I coach with the USA Track and Field Association. Carlos is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Miami's Department of Exercise and Sport Sciences. Scott Schlesinger is a Master Instructor for the Spinning program, and an ACE, ISSA and AFAA certified Personal Trainer. He is the co-creator of Synergy Circuit, which integrates several modalities of fitness into a high-powered, time-efficient workout. Scott has coordinated numerous charity rides for such causes as HIV, Leukemia, United Way, Hurricane Katrina Relief and the Lance Armstrong Foundation and is currently the Director of Spinning at Pinecrest Health & Fitness in Miami, FL. Beth Shaw is the founder and president of YogaFit Training Systems Worldwide, the leader in mind/body education since 1994. YogaFit has trained over 100,000 fitness instructor in the United States and thousands more in Europe, Turkey, Australia, China and South America. Beth is the author of YogaFit (Human Kinetics 2001) and YogaFit (Human Kinetics 2009). James Sherman has more than 500 hours of direct instruction from IKMA Chairman and Grandmaster Haim Gidon, including four intensive instructor courses in Netayna, Israel. He has trained with Israel's most senior instructors, including the latest evolution of the system in December 2008. Sherman was introduced to Israeli Krav Maga by David Kahn, author of the most current book on Israeli Krav Maga, and studies frequently under the tutelage of America's most senior chief Instructor. Sherman's IKMA Institute is located in Manhattan. Robert Sherman is president and owner of F.I.T., Inc. Robert is recently published in Self Magazine an appeared in exercise videos and television appearances. Robert was named as one of the top 100 fitness trainers in America by Men’s Journal and Allure Magazines and was selected by the Washington Post newspaper as one of the best fitness instructors in the Washington D.C. area. Capital File Magazine recognizes Robert as the “Power Trainer” in Washington, D.C. He is a Gold Certified by ACE, AFAA and ACSM. Kimberly Spreen is the National Director of Group Fitness for Life Time Fitness. She is one of Exercise TV’s Star Trainers as well as star of several exercise videos and a professional fitness consultant with Global Fitness Solutions Kimberly travels the world as a Presenter, Motivational Speaker and Continuing Education Provider for ACE. Robert Steinbacher is a former gymnast who started his career as a dancer and choreographer. Since then he has gained over 15 years of experience internationally as an educator, presenter and choreographer. As a movement therapist, he created the BodyART training system and is the owner of one of Europe's biggest movement and mind-center schools which educates over 3000 instructors and body-workers worldwide. Mark Stone is a member of the teaching faculty for the C.H.E.K institute and a C.H.E.K practitioner – Level 4. He is co-owner of North Shore Smart Bodies, a corrective exercise and personal training facility located in Northbrook, IL. Mark served as a Nike Training Athlete and instructor for 7 years. He has co-produced two series of educational programs on functional strength training, and the biomechanics of weight training. In addition, he has co-authored several personal training manuals on strength training, program design, and rehabilitative fitness. Tony Stone has worked with Salt N' Peppa, Falco, LL Cool J, Lutricia McNeal, Kelis, MTV World Tour, Daniel Hall, Beyonce, Juliette as well as a Michael Jackson Tribute. Tony was a featured dancer in Fashion Rocks for the Prince's Trust in London, and a featured choreographer of the 2006 Danish Music Awards. He is a two-time nominee for "Best Choreographer" and winner of ECA OBOW Award for "Best International Presenter/Instructor". Joshua Taylor is a Master Instructor for the Spinning program and a professional cyclist. A seasoned athlete who has been competing at the highest levels of bike racing for over 17 years, Joshua is a two-time PA state road race champion and has raced against some of the top international cyclists in the world in events such as the San Francisco Grand Prix. Josh is currently the team manager/rider for Rite Aid Pro Cycling Team. Zoey Trap is a Peak Pilates® master trainer and the co-owner of the InnerSpace in Connecticut. Her work has been published in seven languages, featured in four DVDs and was recently featured in Pilates Style magazine. She holds certifications in and is an education provider for ACE and AFAA. Misty Tripoli, creator of Tribal Fitness, is a Nike Elite Instructor and one of the worlds most innovative and engaging fitness instructors, dance choreographers and personal trainers. Misty is well-known for her many revolutionary fitness classes that explode with her passion for dance, yoga, martial arts, Pilates, self expression and meditation. Helen Vanderburg, Bkin, ACE, CFP, Pilate, Yoga certified is the owner of Heavens Fitness Club, Fusion Fitness Training™, an international health and fitness consultant and is a respected motivational speaker and 2006/1996 CanFitPro Presenter of the Year. Master trainer and education development team for BOSU, Schwinn and Gravity. Manuel Velazquez, mind & body personal trainer, is a Hydro Fit Team Leader and a master trainer for BOSU and Gliding. Manuel serves on the faculty for ACE, AFAA and AEA, and is also an AFAA Examiner. His specialties include; bilateral Latin dance and mind & body fusion mat work classes. Ton Voogt has a BS in physical education and is a certified Pilates teacher trainer, personal trainer and ACE certified group fitness instructor. He is a former member of the Dutch National Gymnastics team and former performer with international stage, film and television credits. Lisa Wheeler, international presenter and dancer, National Creative Project Manager for Equinox, Global Master Trainer for Body Bar, Assistant Director/Choreographer for Fit Vid Productions, Contributing Fitness Editor for Shape Magazine, Associate Artistic Director of Ben Munisteri Dance Projects, featured in over 20 fitness dvds and proud recipient of two OBOW awards for Best Female Presenter and Best Original Class. |
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