Conference 2010 Speaker Biographies
Allan Oolo Austin, DO, DC, NMD, CCSP, CCRD, PhD
Austin is an Osteopathic Physician and Doctor of Chiropractic with specialty designations in Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine. He received an honourary PhD for his work in creating Trigenics Functional Neurology and has written 5 academic books and manuals on the assessment and treatment system. Allan currently teaches doctors and therapists around the world and is a visiting continuing education professor at Estonia’s Tallinn University, department of Health and Sports Sciences. In 2009, Allan made available much of his information to athletic and personal trainers with the creation of the Certified Trigenics Trainer program (CTT). Along with another Olympic Sports Doctor, he co-authored a book on Trigenics myoneural exercises for the lower back, with 2 videos available on spinal myoneural exercises based on the latest scientific research. He is also the creator of TRIKWANICS, an aerobics exercise class which emphasizes unique spinal strengthening exercises and which integrates Trigenics myoneural exercises with core strength and mover-muscle aerobic training.
Janet Baccarani, BSc, MBA, CA, FMA, CSA, CFP
Janet is a Senior Financial Advisor, Certified Financial Planner and Partner in Dedicated Financial Solutions, representing Manulife Securities Incorporated and Manulife Securities Insurance Inc., an independent investment dealer and insurance agency. As a Chartered Accountant, she is able to offer her expertise in tax-related matters, and is always looking for ways to minimize the amount of tax people have to pay. For more information, please visit www.dfsprivatewealth.com.
Jennifer Black, BSEd, FMA, CSA, CFP, FCSI
Jennifer is a Financial Advisor, Certified Financial Planner, and Partner in Dedicated Financial Solutions, representing Manulife Securities Incorporated and Manulife Securities Insurance Inc., an independent investment dealer and insurance agency. She has worked in the financial industry for over 6 years and is committed to improving the financial literacy of the people she meets. For more information, please visit www.dfsprivatewealth.com.
Steve Bodanis, BA, CPTN-CPT
Steve is the owner and operator of the Sports Specific Training – Hamilton Franchise. Having worked with SST for almost 10 years, he has served in many roles as a trainer, manager and owner. Currently he is in charge of teaching all the SST’s assessments for franchise trainers, program design, speed, agility, flexibility and more. He has lectured on Sports Performance Training to coaches, trainers and athletes.
Jeff Boris, BPHE, CPTN-CPT.M
A two-time award-winning trainer, Jeff draws on 20 years of experience in pioneering the concept of a Holistic Fitness Trainer. As an author and international presenter, Jeff delivers up to 200 presentations annually and teaches a course he created for the Health Sciences department at the University of Western Ontario.
Brendan Brazier, Professional Ironman Triathlete
Brendan is one of only a few professional athletes in the world whose diet is 100 percent plant-based. He’s a professional Ironman triathlete, bestselling author of The Thrive Diet, and the creator of an award-winning line of whole food nutritional products called Vega. He is also a two-time Canadian 50km Ultra Marathon Champion and recognized as one of the world’s foremost authorities on plant-based nutrition.
Evelyn and Paul Charters, BPE, BEd
Evelyn and Paul have been working together in the field of fitness and movement education for over 35 years. They own a thriving Pilates and Fitness Studio in Maple Ontario and are directors of Body Control Pilates Canada, training and certifying instructors across the country.
Judy Chu, BPE, CK, CPTN-CPT
Judy is a senior staff member at the Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care, where she has worked for the past 23 years. She also conducts exercise classes to individuals 55+ years old with chronic conditions (arthritis, stroke survivors, osteoporosis, diabetes, auditory/visually impaired, joint replacement).
Maureen Connolly, PhD, CSCS, CPTN-CPT
Maureen is a Professor in Physical Education at Brock University. She is a CPTN Certified Personal Trainer, CPTN Practical Assessor, CPTN Course Conductor, and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. Her research and teaching interests include disability and chronic conditions, NIA, conditioning training, body building, and body core training.
Steve Cotter, BSc, IKFF, CSCS
Steve is President and Founder of the International Kettlebell & Fitness Federation (IKFF). He draws from an extensive and diverse background as a champion athlete and cutting-edge trainer to develop some of the most complete and exciting programs in strength and conditioning today. Throughout his lifelong study, Steve continues to research and implement the most effective training methods in kettlebells, martial arts, qigong, strength and conditioning, athletics and human performance fields. He is a consultant to several professional sport teams, including NFL’s San Francisco 49ers and San Diego Chargers, is a Subject Matter Expert to US Navy SEALs at Virginia Beach, VA, and provides Strength & Conditioning training for US Marines at Quantico Marine Corps Base. For more information, please visit www.ikff.net.
Trevor Cottrell, PhD
Trevor is the Program Coordinator for Sheridan College’s degree program in Exercise Science and Health Promotion. His education includes a BSc in Kinesiology, an MA in Exercise Science and PhD in Physiology. Trevor’s current research is in human performance. He has coached and competed in Olympic weightlifting, powerlifting, highland games, strongman, and tug-of-war for over 20 years. For more information, please visit www.sheridancollege.ca.
Dixie Douville, RN, BSN
For the past 23 years, Dixie Douville has been a nurse specializing in cardiovascular medicine and a certified fitness professional recognized for her knowledge in heart rate training, special populations, and weight loss. She is the owner of Pursuit of Wellness, LLC, a health and wellness consulting company and is the founder of Girlfriends in Training, a women’s athletic group.
Ann Green, MS
Ann is a 2-Time Olympian, a Master Yoga Instructor and holds a Masters in Exercise Science. She is a small business entrepreneur, currently nominated for Woman of the Year, an active marathon mom and a Physical & Health Education Teacher. Ann is an Advisory Board Affiliate for Fit Spirit Canada, the Press Chair for Kids Help Phone Committee, and the Olympic Representative for Strength Within.
Karsten Jensen, MSc, CHEK Practitioner Level 2, CHEK HLC L3, CPTN-CPT
Strength and Conditioning Expert, Karsten Jensen has assisted World Class and Olympic athletes and coaches from 13 different sports for over 16 years. He believes in the unlimited potential of the human being and shares his viewpoints in his roles as an international speaker, author of several books, and educator with CPTN. For more information, please visit www.yestostrength.com.
Larry Jusdanis, BPHE, CPTN-CPT
As the owner of Sports Specific Training Inc., Larry is dedicated to the development of young athletes. As a Strength and conditioning coach Larry has worked with thousands of athletes who excel in a wide range of sports, including: baseball, basketball, figure skating, football, golf, hockey, skiing, soccer and track and field. For more information, please visit www.sportspecifictraining.com.
Marc Lebert, BA, CPT
Marc Lebert is a Certified Personal Trainer, both (In-Home and Corporate), Club Owner (Fuel Fitness in Mississauga, Canada), Black Belt (competing on a National Level), published writer, international presenter and developer of the Lebert EQUALIZER, BUDDY SYSTEM and STRETCH STRAP. For more information, please visit www.lebertfitness.com.
Stuart McGill, PhD
Stuart McGill is Director of the Spine Biomechanics Laboratory at the University of Waterloo, and a well-known international lecturer and author, with over 200 scientific publications addressing the issues of lumbar function, low back injury mechanisms, patient assessment, performance training of the back and more. He has won numerous awards, including the prestigious Volvo Bioengineering Award for Low Back Pain Research from Sweden. He is one of the few scientists who regularly get consultation referrals for challenging patients from around the world. For more information, please visit www.backfitpro.com.
Cheryl Millett, BSc
Cheryl has a BSc in Holistic Nutrition and a diploma in Iridology. Cheryl believes in raw foods, omega 3s, enzymes and minerals for optimum health. She also believes in giving her clients the education and tools to create a better quality of life. She is a Contributing Editor for VividLife.me and Sports Nutritionist at Advantage for Athletes.
Ross O’Donnell, BA, PTS
Ross is president of Fitness Kickboxing Canada Inc. He is a fitness and martial arts presenter, a fitness columnist/writer of more than 250 published articles and 15 instructor-training manuals, and author of The Ultimate Fitness Boxing & Kickboxing Workout. Ross is also a certified Boxing Coach through CABA-Ontario and a certified coach and competitive kickboxing club owner through CASK. For more information, please visit www.fitnesskickboxingcanada.ca.
Caron Shepley, BPE
Caron is currently Corporate Director of the Toronto-based corporate health company, Personal Best. She has been practising Yoga for 15 years, is a renowned yoga instructor for high-performance athletes, and the founder of Blue Dog Yoga. Caron is also a five-time Ironman finisher and silver medalist for Canada at the World Triathlon Championships. For more information please vist www.bluedogyoga.com.
Natasha Turner, ND
Natasha is author of the #1 national bestselling book, The Hormone Diet, and founder of Clear Medicine, a wellness boutique in Toronto that specializes in a lifestyle program that involves integrated care from an MD, ND and fitness expert. For more information, please visit www.drnatashaturner.com.