David is the director of physical therapy and the head of operations of PACE. He graduated with his bachelors of science in Kinesiology from Penn State University in 1999 where he was also a quarterback for the perennial powerhouse football team, the Nittany Lions. He then received his doctorate degree in physical therapy from Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania and subsequently moved to Portland to start his career as a sports therapist. Over the past 6 years David has had the opportunity to work with hundreds of athletes from recreational to Olympic levels and currently acts as the physical therapist and strength and conditioning consultant for many athletes, athletic teams and programs throughout the Northwest. Contact David at davidm@taiweb.com

Prior to becoming a physical therapist, Kester had a remarkable career as a classical ballet dancer. Kester was contracted with the prestigious San Francisco Ballet from 1993-2003 and with Portland’s Oregon Ballet Theatre (OBT) from 2003-2006. Kester graduated from St. Mary’s Collge of Moraga in 2008, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Performing Arts (Dance emphasis). He earned his Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Pacific University of Oregon in 2011. In the clinic, Kester enjoys his work specializing in sports/dance, general orthopedics, strength and conditioning instruction, and ballet coaching. Outside the clinic, Kester enjoys spending time with his wife Kathi Martuza, (who is also a dancer–a principal ballerina with OBT). Kester and Kathi are expecting their first child in October, 2011. Kester also enjoys social dancing, hiking, camping, bicycling, boating, and listening to vinyl records. Contact Kester at kestercotton@taiweb.comto learn more about the Dance Medicine Program.

Anna’s extensive athletic background and active lifestyle have created an excellent platform for working at PACE. While rowing for the varsity crew team at the University of Wisconsin-Madison she pursued her interest in athletic training and exercise science, receiving a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and a Master’s degree in Physical Therapy in 2002. Anna served as the Medical Officer on world tour with the prestigious dance company Riverdance for 2+ years. Since 2007, Anna has been working in outpatient physical therapy and with the Oregon Ballet Theatre. She has continued her own athletic prowess by picking up cyclocross and road racing, leading her to become a member of Portland’s Hammer Velo cycling team. Anna specializes in working with athletes of all ages and abilities, with an emphasis on injury prevention and long-term performance gains.Contact Anna at avaughn@taiweb.com

After practicing physical therapy for nearly a decade in Boston, MA, Chris Ramsey relocated to Portland in 2009. Across that decade and now here in Portland, he has provided instrumental rehabilitation to Olympic, professional, elite, high school, and amateur athletes across a range of sports including triathlon, rowing, swimming, volleyball, track and field, and Nordic skiing. Chris earned his bachelor’s in Kinesiology from the Univ. of Colorado, and his Master’s and Doctoral degrees in PT from the MGH Institute of Health Professions in Boston, MA, and is a certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist (OCS) in Physical Therapy. He began coaching novice through world-champion triathletes 15+ years ago, his sport of choice for 20 years. He has raced 13 Ironman triathlons (PR of 9:10), has qualified for the Hawaii Ironman World Championships 6 times, and has multiple world and national championship qualifications in other distances. Additionally, he extends his combined expertise in PT and cycling performance to bike fitting and technique assessment (multisport, time trial, and/or road racing) to enable optimization of power output, comfort, and aerodynamics, and muscular recruitment. Contact Chris at dr.chrisramsey@gmail.com

Shirley is the Office Manager, aka Queen of Everything, of PACE. Joining David when his Physical Therapy practice started in 2003, Shirley, formally a stay-at-home Mother of 3, took charge of the daily office operations of David’s practice. A serious motorcycle accident in 2006 gave Shirley a more personal insight into the patient side of physical therapy, spending months under David, Shawn and Kurt’s care, being massaged, manipulated, scraped, worked-out and worked-over, eventually learning to walk again – without even a limp. Shirley is currently working on her BA in Business Administration. Contact Shirley at sdixon@taiweb.com

Kurt got his BS in Sociology in 1995, then turned his attention to becoming a professional cyclist. Never getting further than the USA Cycling talent pool, he quit racing in 1999 and decided to pursue a career as a Massage Therapist at his wife’s urging. Immediately upon completion of that degree he went on the raod for the next 3 years, travelling both domestically and internationally with professionally cycling teams. With he and his wife’s pregnancy in 2003, Kurt came off the road to establish his Massage practice in Portland. He has currently works with athletes from the recreational to Olympic levels and serves as a cycling consultant for PACE. Contact Kurt at kurtmarionlmt@gmail.com

Darren’s service to the athletic community has been preceded by a well developed set of life experiences. After studying Kinesiology at the University of Victoria he was employed as a medic in the Canadian Coast Guard from 1990-1993. In 1997, he graduated from Western States Chiropractic College, and he soon after obtained diplomate status from the American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians. He has worked with various pro cycling teams such as the Navigators and Team Rubicon-Orbea, spent 8 years as the team chiropractor for the Portland Winter Hawks Hockey Club, and has worked with Oregon Youth Soccer for the past 7 years. Perhaps most paramount to Darren’s understanding of sports injury and rehabilitation is that he is a recovered stroke victim. During a surgical procedure intended to remove a benign mass from his back, Darren suffered a spinal cord stroke which left much of his lower body paralyzed. Although still very much affected by his spinal cord injury, Darren’s recovery has led him to staggering accomplishments as a physically challenged athlete; he was the Canadian National Triathlon TRI3 Champion both in 2008 and 2009, an Xterra Northwest Regional Triathlon Champion in 2009, and he continues to race with the Ironheads Multisport Team and Rubicon-Orbea Cycling Team. Contact Darren at drdsmith@hotmail.com

Dr. Seth Watterson is a Board certified Chiropractor with a background in health and fitness training, practicing at Bloom Natural Healthcare in NE–where he works with a host of practitioners in a multidisciplinary clinic. Seth takes his patients through all stages of healing – starting with chiropractic care progressing towards functional movements all the way through active rehabilitation. Fracturing his Lumbar spine as a student athlete at the age of 16 sparked an interest to study the spine. Through rehabilitative therapies Seth was able to continue playing baseball while also following a passion for board sports: traveling across Oregon and Washington on a semi-professional competitive Wakeboarding circuit by the age of 18. Seth’s Current certifications are from the American College of Sports Medicine as well as the National Academy of Sports Medicine, as a certified personal trainer and health and fitness instructor. He received his Bachelors of Science in Exercise Science with an emphasis in muscle physiology from Pacific University in Forest Grove, OR in 2004. He then went on to pursue his Doctorate of Chiropractic from Western States Chiropractic College. Seth also has practical experience in biomechanics, biochemistry, and working at various athletic events, from triathlons to gymnastics meets, to add to the team of professionals already found at P.A.C.E. Contact Seth at drwatterson@gmail.com

Brandon came to know Chinese Medicine as an integral part of his own healing journey. After multiple concussions from playing competitive ice hockey, he left a lucrative career in engineering as well as the western model of care to seek out help for his own state of dis-ease by traveling the countries of Asia. It is there that he discovered the efficacy of Thai massage and witnessed firsthand the massive power and simplicity of the acupuncture needle that almost instantly cured him of an ailment that western medicine had been unable to remedy in over a year of treatment. In addition to obtaining the Masters of Science in Oriental Medicine, he completed a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Classical Chinese Medicine where his continued study of the classical texts and cultural arts informs and deepens his practice of this ancient art form. His story and that of his clients has consistently been one of transformation. In addition to easing the aches and pains of injury, he looks to give each patient what their whole self needs to truly heal. He enjoys cycling and qi gong, an ancient Chinese movement therapy. Contact Brandon at Brandon@watershedcommunitywellness.com

Sean Coster is a running coach and exercise physiologist in Portland, OR. Sean coaches recreational runners aiming for personal bests and elite competitors working toward national class performances. Research interests are in the functional strength training for distance runners and evaluation of lactate threshold by field testing. Sean is the director of Run Portland (www.runportland.org) and a member of the coaching staff of the Nike sports center in Beaverton, OR. Sean’s coaching advice has been seen in Runners World, Competitor Magazine and Race Center Northwest. In addition to graduate studies in exercise physiology he has achieved level I coaching certification from USATF and accreditation with the Road Runners Club of America. Contact Sean at sean@runportland.org

Robin is a charter member of the Gait and Clinical Movement Analysis Society (GCMAS) and is a member of the American Society of Biomechanics. She has served on both the GCMAS Communications and GCMAS Awards Committees. Currently, she is a member of the GCMAS Education Committee. While she was with Shriners, she served on the Shriners Motion Laboratory Network (SMALNet) six-person steering committee for six years. SMALNet is a collective of 13 Shriners motions analysis labs that are working toward standardization. She also was the Chair of the SMALNet Protocols Committee and Co-Chair of the Communication Committee. •Over 21 years of experience in computerized 3D motion analysis •1990 to 2008 – engineer in the Motion Analysis Laboratory at Shriners Hospitals for Children Portland •Specializes in research and development projects related to: motion analysis hardware and software, biomechanical models, and gait analysis. In addition, she has been a co-author on several publications and is a regular presenter at national biomechanics and gait conferences. Contact Robin at rdorociak@nwbiomechanics.com

John Forbes brings his 20 years; bike fitting experience and Wobblenaught Bike fitting Systems to P.A.C.E. WN is the one system he has found that truly treats each rider as an individual. There are no assumptions about how you sit on a bike. Instead, he takes 20 measurements of each person’s body and true measurements of that rider’s bike. Most specifications listed for bikes by the manufacturer are approximations. The end result is a truly accurate bike fit which will enhance your power, comfort and endurance. John Forbes is a long time coach, bike fitter and racer. In 2010 he won an age group national championship on the track. He combines his practical knowledge with extensive study as he seeks the most complete understanding of bike fitting possible. For more information please visit www.wobblenaught.com or contact John at johnfforbes@comcast.net

Jeff is the owner of Solid Core Training. Cycling, Strength and Conditioning Coach. Jeff has a wide range of athletic background in several competitive sports; Cross Country, Track, Baseball, Softball and currently cycling. He is committed now to primarily cycling and has been competing for the last 10 years in the Northwest doing Road Racing, Time Trials, Criteriums and Cyclecross. His dedication to his athletes is something he is very serious about and he takes pride in being a very motivating coach, both in class and working individually with athletes. He coaches several Sports Conditioning classes and Cycling Interval classes at Portland PACE. Jeff is also a Hammer Nutrition Product Specialist. He stocks and sells Hammer’s complete line of products and educates athletes with Endurance Fueling programs for training and racing. Contact Jeff at sharkattack97219@peoplepc.com or visit his website at www.solidcoretraining.com

Brian is a former National cycling champion with 25 years of racing experience. The hard-fought knowledge that he gained as a top-level racer, as well as the continuing application to the latest training information, make for a very effective coaching program. In the 4 years as a USA certified cycling coach, Brian has developed a World Champion, multiple Worlds medalists, 11 US National Champions, 24 Nationals medalists and multiple State Champions and race winners. His program is all about focus, hard work and mental toughness, and enjoying it all in the process. Contact Brian at thekilomonster@verizon.net

Lara is native Oregonian and has been a professional triathlon coach since 2006. She has a running background as a four year Division I cross country and track athlete at the Air Force Academy and raced at the national and world championship level in both running and triathlon. At the conclusion of her military service Lara pursued a career as a professional triathlete. She began her triathlon coaching in 2006 under the guidance of world class coaches out of Endurance PTC in San Francisco, CA. Lara is currently a triathlon coach in Portland coaching all levels and distances of athletes towards local events as well as national and world championships. She is associated with P.A.C.E. as a strength, recovery and triathlon coach working to transition athletes from Physical Therapy rehab to performance. She is the head triathlon coach at Nike HQ, a cycling instructor at the Athletes Lounge Training facility and a swimming consultant for athletes and triathlon clubs in Oregon. Lara also consults with high school and college running programs on how to encourage recovery and prepare athletes for movement in order to improve performance. Contact Lara at lara@larastonecoaching.com

William is a corrective exercise specialist and trains all kinds of moderately, somewhat infamous, normal people. William’s resume consists of the following educational experience and certifications:
B.S. Kinesiology (Emphasis Fitness, Nutrition, and Health) San Diego State University
Professional Fitness Instructor Certificate San Diego City College
ACE Certified Clinical Exercise Specialist
ACE Certified Lifestyle & Weight Management Consultant
ACE Certified Personal Trainer
NASM Certified Personal Trainer
NASM Corrective Exercise Specialist
NASM Performance Enhancement Specialist.
More importantly – William is an aspiring pinball wizard. You can find William at PACE Tues-Sat. Contact William at Willbalogh@gmail.com

DeShawn received his Bachelor of Arts degree in communications from Western Oregon University. He played college football at Portland State University. DeShawn went on to play arena football with the Portland Prowlers and Billings Thunderbolts. He is a strength and conditioning coach with personal trainer certifications with ACSM and NESTA, a certified sports nutritionist, and a USA Boxing Level 1 coach. His training is characterized by stern discipline and simple rigorous exercises. It is a calculated mix of traditional and innovative strength and conditioning workouts. The methods that he implements are old ideas, new research, creativity, and his own experimentation. DeShawn trains to improve relative strength, power, speed, endurance, flexibility and grace. He prepares football, baseball, and basketball players; not to mention MMA, boxers, train soldiers, cyclists, runners, sprinters, golfers, climbers, military personnel and firefighters among others. DeShawn is a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Contact DeShawn at deshawn@proforceathletics.net and visit his website at http://proforceathletics.net

Chris received his Bachelor of Science degree from Oregon State University and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). Chris played collegiate baseball and currently plays semi-pro baseball here in the Portland area. In addition to baseball, Chris also runs a golf league here in the Portland area. He focuses on safely and effectively helping his clients reach their health and fitness goals. Whether you are new to the fitness world, training for a triathlon, getting ready for your upcoming sport season or just looking to improve your overall personal wellness, Chris is going to see to it that you reach your goals. Chris’ training philosophy is based on functional movement and core strength; whereby optimizing range of motion and creating muscular balance, along with core strength, we can reach our body’s full potential while reducing the risk of injury. Balance in your life, not only with health and wellness, but with work and play is Chris’ true mantra. To learn more about Chris visit his webiste: www.evolvefitnessandathletics.com . You can e-mail him at chris@evolvefitnessandathletics.com

Becca graduated from the University of Portland with a Bachelor of Science in Life Science. She played on the Women’s Division I soccer team at the University of Portland where the team clinched the Division I National Championship in 2005. Becca was awarded Most Inspirational player during the championship season. Her continuing education includes a diploma from the National Personal Training Institute where she not only gained a well rounded knowledge of personal training but she continued to develop her passion for helping people become stronger and happier. Through her background of competitive sports and her active lifestyle today, Becca has always had a love for activity and sport. She believes that everyone is an athlete in their own way and that anyone can feel the power of movement and of fitness. She wants her clients to be happy with not only their body, but with their mind and their soul. Becca is now ACPT certified and can be reached at b.meierbachtol@gmail.com

Travis, a Port Orchard Washington native and 2002 graduate of South Kitsap High School, played right field and 3rd base for the University of Portland Pilots from 2002-2006. Travis was named to the All-West Coast Conference team in 2003, 2004, and 2005, highlighting a collegiate career in which he anchored the middle of the Pilot lineup and posted on overall .307 batting average. His lifelong dream of playing professionally began when he was acquired by the LA Dodgers as a free agent on June 28th of 2006. Travis has spent four years as an outfielder in the Dodgers farm system. In 2007 he hit .315 with 14 home runs and 41 RBI, and his offensive prowess continued in 2008 as he posted a .404 batting average with 9 home runs and 23 doubles. His professional career was accented when he was named Pioneer League Player of the Week twice – once in 2007 and again in 2008. He was also touted as being among the top 50 minor league prospects for the Dodger organization going into the 2009 season. Among Travis’ many abilities are his strong outfield throwing arm and his keen knowledge of swing mechanics. He is no stranger to injury, and the facility at PACE has provided him with the opportunity to rehabilitate and condition his body to be competition ready each year. Travis currently gives back to the baseball community by passing on his passions which encompass hitting expertise, his awareness of the mental aspects of the game, and his knowledge of baseball specific strength and conditioning to up-and-coming players.

Ari is a left-handed pitcher from Boulder, Colorado who graduated from the University of Portland in 2008. During his college career, Ari was a four time letterman, ranking 2nd all time for the Pilots in games started by a pitcher. Ari was also twice named to the West Coast Conference All-Academic Team. In 2007, Ari led the pilots in earned run average(3.05) and opposing batting average(.225). Following the season, Ari was drafted in the 38th round by the Cincinnati Reds but elected to return for his senior year instead. In 2008, Ari was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the 12th round. In 2009 Ari emerged as a top ten pitching prospect for the Giants after posting a South Atlantic league 2nd best 2.76 ERA. Ari attributes much of his progression to his physical and mental preparation. He believes that attention to detail breeds confidence; pre-game visualization and goal-setting are central to his routine. As a pitcher, it is important for Ari to maintain strength without losing range of motion, and the personnel at PACE have implemented a conditioning program that focuses on coordinated movement patterns which use the body’s core as its power source. PACE has furnished Ari with a top tier training facility with professional instruction for his off-season conditioning. Ari shares his knowledge and passion for baseball by teaching pitching lessons and baseball specific personal training for aspiring players.

Kory, after being named the “3A” State Player of the Year in 2000, graduated from North Marion High School in small town Aurora, Oregon. He went on to play for the University of Portland namely as a right fielder from 2001-2003. During his time with the Pilots, Kory was named to the Freshman All-American Team and placed on the All-West Coast Conference Team the following two seasons. After his junior season of 2003, he decided to take his talent to the pros when he was drafted in the 3rd round by the Montreal Expos (now the Washington Nationals). In both 2005 and in 2006 he was prestigiously named the Nationals Minor League Player of the Year. He was also dubbed the TOPPS Minor League Player of the Month in 2005. Two of Kory’s seven seasons as a professional have been spent in the Major Leagues with the Nationals. His off-season training philosophy is to prepare physically and mentally to compete at the highest level for an 162 game season, and to find confidence in the knowledge that no one has readied themselves as thoroughly as he has. Kory has found that PACE allows him to participate in the most cutting edge sport specific training, and takes him through some of the most difficult physical workouts which increases mental toughness and self-confidence. He wishes to pass along the same “training awareness” to younger players. In terms of hitting, he subscribes to the believe that every hitter is an individual and thus deserves personalized instruction and that it is most effective to take the natural hitting position that each player is blessed with and to build upon that platform. One’s ability to create “torque” is derived from the hips and core, and combining this with smooth level swings and powerful legs produces more contact and “pop”. A recent article in the Washington Post noted that Kory arrived at spring training of 2008 with 15 pounds of new lean muscle and some extra power at the plate. Kory cited Dave McHenry and the PACE staff as the source of the fresh “thump”.

Josh, a 6′5″ right handed pitcher and 2002 high school graduate of Snohomish High School in Washington, was given All-League recognition in both the 2001 and 2002 seasons. He went on to play collegiately with the Division-1 University of Portland from 2002-2007. Josh was a workhorse as he set the all time Pilot appearance record by doing so 90 times. In 2005, he led the team in ERA and garnered WCC Pitcher of the week honors, all in a year in which he struck out 36 hitters in 74 innings. Upon graduating from the U of P, Josh was drafted in the 35th Round of the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft by the Florida Marlins. After a stellar first professional season, his career was derailed by elbow problems as he underwent UCL replacement, also known as “Tommy John Surgery”. Injured for the whole 2008 campaign, he spent his time with the PACE personnel rehabilitating and honing his skills for the seasons to come. Josh considers himself a student of the game, and through the years he has come to know that a simple pitching philosophy works best for him – he believes in keeping fast-balls in and breaking balls away – a philosophy he holds in common with many other large framed, hard throwing right-handers. As a power pitcher, he knows that proper pitching mechanics are crucial to his health and that to be effective as a power pitcher he must keep his legs and core as finely tuned as possible. Circuit training and kettle ball workouts implemented by the PACE staff have concentrated his training sessions on the key components of his “kinetic chain” and have taken pressure off of his surgically repaired elbow and gotten him back on the mound. In addition to his already proven pitching philosophy, Josh feels that he can pass on his newly found competitive advantages to younger ballplayers.

Danny, raised in Maple Valley Washington, was named to the 4A All-State Team in 2004 and signed a National Letter of Intent to play for the University of Portland the following season. He split time as a pitcher, a third-baseman, and as a right-fielder for the Pilots, which represents the many tools Danny possesses. He was honored with the U of P Most Valuable Player Award in 2008, a year in which he led the league with 15 home runs and was named to the All-West Coast Conference Team. During the remainder of the same season, Danny was taken by the Houston Astros in the 24th round of the MLB draft. Danny firmly believes in and takes pride in the time he spends in the weight room, and the metamorphosis he underwent speaks volumes about what training can do for ballplayer. Between his freshman and sophomore years collegiately, he turned an average 84mph fast-ball into a 92mph heater. At the same time he began hitting the baseball with significantly more power. He attributes this to a hard nose attitude within the weight room walls. For Danny, it is crucial to add to his raw abilities and each off-season is a platform upon which he can do that; he has developed a Major League competent throwing arm due to work ethic, and at this point it is more about putting together a “complete package” than it is about developing new skills. Previously to working out at PACE Danny mainly performed what he calls “football style workouts.” It was through PACE that he became an extreme advocate of “functional” lifting, which is drectly correlated to movements performed in baseball. Currently, he expects nothing less than workouts that increase mental endurance and that constantly shock the system of the body. Danny believes that in addition to passing on his aggressive and passionate training perspectives, he can teach baseball’s youth how to utilize proper arm action, to gain balance and rhythm while throwing strikes consistently, and to maximize throwing velocity while preventing injuries.

Chris, a McMinnville, Oregon native and 2004 graduate of Jesuit High School, was a left handed pitcher for the University of Portland from 2004-2007. In 2007, Chris was faced with the decision to either enter the Amateur Major League Baseball draft or to continue his education and college baseball career with the Pilots. Being a childhood dream, he chose the former and was subsequently drafted in the 11th round by the Chicago Cubs. His professional career has given him the opportunity to start, relieve and close ball games. Known for his sinking fastball and above average slider, weapons that he continues to improve upon, Chris has experienced much success thus far in the Cubs organization, with teams such as the Boise Hawks(short season-A Cubs affiliate), the Midwest League Peoria Chiefs(long-A Cubs affiliate), and the Florida State League Daytona Cubs (high-A Cubs affiliate). During the 2009 season, Chris posted a 3.38 ERA in roughly 70 innings as a relief pitcher, and has been a part of two no hit games within the last two seasons. As a sinker ball pitcher, he takes pride in a high ground out to fly out ratio, a stat that is placed in high regard as he climbs through the minor leagues. The ability to keep the ball on the ground and involve the infield while avoiding long counts is key to his success and increases his durability and utility throughout a long season. Chris first came into contact with PACE during the fall of 2008, and he gravitated to the personnel’s knowledge – learning new training strategies which honed in on his specific needs and completing workouts which tailored to his movement patterns are part of his recent success. As a pitcher, he feels he has a keen sense of how to get the ball to move, something he feels he can pass along to younger players.