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Meet Our Talented Team!

REHABILITATION & FITNESS INNOVATORS

Since 1996

Craig Sully

BScPT, FCAMPT, CGIMS, CHT

Craig graduated from the University of Alberta with a BSc in Physical Therapy in 1996. For the next five years he mentored under Erl Pettman in Mission, BC and became a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Manipulative Physiotherapists (FCAMPT) in 2000, shortly after moving to Nelson. Craig also completed post graduate training in Intra-muscular Stimulation (CGIMS) with Dr. Chan Gunn (2010) and a Certification in Hand Therapy (2013). He has completed continuing education in Vestibular Rehabilitation/Dizziness and Concussion management, corrective exercise prescription (FMS/SFMA), the Progresive Goal Attainment Program (PGAP) and in breath retraining/capnography.

Craig has mentored Physical Therapists and students; and, has volunteered with the Orthopaedic Division of the CPA (2000-04) and was on the Board of Directors of the Physiotherapy Association of BC, where he also Chaired a Rural and Remote Committee (2012-16).

Craig competed at a Provincial level in multiple sports and Nationally in track and field. He was an All-Canadian in Track in Field (1993) in University. Craig continues to run for recreation; and, more commonly will be found mountain biking and ski touring (or trying to keep up to his four kids on the hill).

Robyn Clark

BKin, MEd, RRP, MCVP

Robyn is passionate about helping others take positive action every day toward physical and mental health. Co-owner of the clinic, Robyn has worked as a kinesiologist, vocational professional, instructor, and workshop presenter in the field of health, fitness and rehabilitation since 1995. In that time, she has played a part in hundreds of individual stories of rehabilitation and recovery across the Kootenays and Canada.

From a young age, Robyn competed in high-level sports including track and field, cross-country running, and cross-country skiing. Robyn has extensive experience working with a variety of athletes as well as with occupational performance training and testing. Robyn’s assessment, programming, and rehabilitation intervention offers individuals the opportunity to gain, maintain, and improve upon their athletic and functional abilities.

While at work, she can often be found turning the music dial in the gym to some good 80’s Rock. At home and in the community she can be found skiing, hiking, running, and biking with her kids, her husband and the family Russian Spaniel, Ash, in tow!

Robyn holds the following designations: Registered Kinesiologist, Master’s Certificate, Vocational Professional, PGAP Clinician, PGAP-Tel Clinician, Medical Exercise Specialist, Crossfit Level 1 Trainer, Crossfit Kids Trainer, and Crossfit Movement and Mobility Trainer, FMS certified exercise professional Level 2, Fundamental Capacity Screen Certified, MovNat Level 2 instructor, Olympic Weightlifting NCCP Level 1, Y-Balance Test Evaluator, Certified EPIC lift capacity evaluator, Strongfirst Level 1 Kettlebell Instructor.

Robyn Perchie

Administrative Staff

Robyn was born and raised in Nelson BC. She joined the KHS team in 2015 when she returned to Nelson after living away to pursue University and travel.

She likes being a part of a group whose goal is to help people achieve better health and wellness.

Robyn passion for exercise has taken a side seat to raising her young daughter. She loves exploring the outdoors with her family and taking in all the many things the Kootenays has to offer.

Rita Bowes

Office Manager

Rita joined the Kootenay Health Services team in 2007 after moving back to Nelson from Vancouver Island. She enjoys being a part of this great group of practitioners and feels they provide an important service to the city of Nelson and surrounding communities. Rita helps to keep the office running smoothly and efficiently, and is also responsible for doing the bookkeeping. In her spare time she likes to hang out with her family, and ride her mountain bike on the great trails in the mountains around Nelson.

Sally Hardy

Administrative Staff

Sally first joined the Kootenay Health Services team in 2003 and after taking a few years off, she found she couldn’t stay away from the fun and returned in 2011. Come into the office and you’ll find Sal’s smiling face behind the front desk, where she makes sure that clients get connected to the right services from KHS’ professional practitioners when they need them most.

When she’s not at the office she can be found on the slopes with her family, or discussing the qualities of a good bottle of wine, or, a great book, with her book club.

Shannon Christmas

BScPT, FCAMPT, CGIMS

Shannon incorporates her skills and experience in manual therapy and IMS, together with patient education and exercise prescription to provide a one-on-one, client-centered approach in her treatment sessions. Shannon completed her physiotherapy degree from the University of British Columbia in 1999. She completed her Diploma in Advanced Manual and Manipulative Therapy (‘Part ‘B’) in 2005. Shannon also completed her training to practice the Chan Gunn method of Intramuscular needling (CGIMS, 2004). Shannon worked in orthopaedic and sports clinics in Victoria until she could not be away from the great skiing and mountain biking of Nelson any longer. Shannon is happy to be part of the Kootenay Health Services team.

Shannon loves to stay active outside with mountain biking, running, hiking and skiing, when she isn't chasing her three kids or teaching them activities to enjoy outside.

Jane Byers

BKin

Jane Byers has been an ergonomist since the mid-1990’s. She is a full member of the Association of Canadian Ergonomists as well as the Vocational Rehabilitation Association. She competed her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology (Hon) in 1990. She has prevented injuries and facilitated return to work with firefighters and construction labourers, truck drivers and office clerks. She is focused on injury prevention through ergonomic design and fostering resilience in workers with disabilities. Jane is passionate about her family and writing poetry. She loves hiking, road cycling and Nordic skiing.

Emma Haley

BHKin, MOT, CWCE

Emma Haley was born and raised in Nelson, B.C. After graduating from L.V. Rogers’s high school, she attended Selkirk College for two years before moving to Vancouver to finish her undergraduate degree in Human Kinetics at the University of British Columbia. She then went on to achieve a graduate degree in Occupational Therapy from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. Since graduating with her MSc. OT, Emma has been working in private practice since 2015. Emma is committed to providing client-centred care and believes that education and building self-management strategies are key components to a client’s recovery from illness or injury. Emma was drawn to Occupational Therapy largely in part because of the holistic approach taken to restoring client’s function and increasing independence in daily activities through evidence-based practice.

Emma’s practice interests include cognitive assessment and intervention, musculoskeletal rehabilitation, mental health, return to work, functional and cognitive capacity evaluations, cost of future care, medical-legal and concussion management. Emma is committed to professional growth and continuing education in order to provide the most relevant treatments to her clients and feels fornature to be a part of an innovative and forward thinking team of clinicians at KHS.

Emma is passionate about skiing, paddle boarding, travelling, hiking, running and gardening. She loves laughing with her fiance and spending time with her two cats.

Justin Pickerell

MPT, BASc, FDN

Justin grew up in Nelson. Here he gained an interest in sports including skiing, hiking and especially hockey. His interest in the body and mind lead him to an undergraduate degree in Kinesiology & Psychology. Justin furthered his education by attending UBC in Vancouver where he completed a Masters degree in Physiotherapy.

He has a passion to work with athletes, to be in the mountains, and to travel the world. These interests lead to him to a position with Alpine Canada as the head physiotherapist for the technical team where he worked for two years. The job involved travelling the Alpine World Cup circuit and working with Olympic athletes around the globe. He also worked with Hockey Canada in such tournaments as the Deutschland Cup, with trackside treatment for the Olympic bobsled team as well as, with professional and national level athletes including national wrestlers, luge athletes and sledge hockey players to help them to return to full function post injury. Prior to moving back to Nelson, Justin worked in the private sector assisting all demographics with acute as, well as, chronic ailments.

Over the last 8 years Justin has taken numerous postgraduate courses in acupuncture, intramuscular stimulation (IMS) and manual therapy and utilizes these techniques on a daily basis. His rehabilitation plans have a strong base in exercise science and client education, with all client populations. Justin has also taken an interest in working with people affected by concussions with related injuries and with vestibular dysfunction. Recently he has taken numerous courses in both areas of practice.

He is very excited to be back in Nelson with his wife, Natalie, and two beautiful sons. It took leaving Nelson to realize that it can’t be beat!

Hannah Gray

BScHK, MScOT

Hannah grew up in Summerland and Victoria, BC, where she developed a passion for being outdoors through backpacking and rowing. In 2014 she graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Human Kinetics from the University of Guelph, then took a year off to travel and hike in New Zealand. She completed her Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy at the University of Alberta in 2017.
After graduation, Hannah moved to Kamloops where she worked in community mental health and substance use services, as well as in tertiary psychiatric care. She has completed additional training in motivational interviewing, concussion management, suicide intervention skills, and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. She is passionate about the integration of mental and physical health practices to enable clients to engage in meaningful daily occupations. Hannah is delighted to be working with the team at Kootenay Health Services to assist in providing quality and holistic health care services to individuals on their recovery journey.

In her spare time, Hannah spends her time rock climbing, mountain biking, skiing, knitting, and trying to pet as many dogs as possible!

Sophie Durfeld

CAT(C), RKin, BAET

Sophie was inspired to pursue a career in Athletic and Exercise Therapy through her personal connection to injury and her love for fitness and extreme sports. Before embarking on her education, Sophie spent many years enjoying the Kootenay’s and all of its outdoor accessibility. Mountain biking, snowboarding, trail running, strength training and yoga occupied her time beyond work in the service industry.

She graduated in 2021 from Camosun College with her Bachelor’s Degree in Athletic and Exercise Therapy. She is now a Certified Athletic Therapist through CATA, a registered Kinesieolgist with BCAK and a Certified First Responder. Sophie has completed Functional Movement Screening (FMS) training and continues to seek new knowledge to further assist her assessments and rehabilitation prescription. She’s passionate about helping others reach their
goals, just as she has been helped so many times.

Sophie has worked with Vancouver Island’s premier soccer league, the University of Victoria men’s Rugby team, and the Vikes Varsity Athlete Clinic at the University of Victoria. Here she treated varsity and Olympic level athletes both on-field and in the clinic. The high-volume settings and case load at each location allowed Sophie to encounter a variety of injuries and challenged her to use the skills learned in school. Working alongside Chiropractors, Physiotherapists, Sports medicine doctors and Athletic Therapists allowed her to gain knowledge from many different professions.

Her approach to Athletic Therapy encompasses the whole body and encourages the client to be an active participant in their rehabilitation. Through diligent assessment of orthopaedic injuries her treatment plans will assist you in returning to the activities you love.

Michael Gofrey

Spin Class Instructor

Michael has been teaching indoor cycling since 2010. Along with a passion for riding he has CCA Certification in Triathlon, Trampoline, Basketball, and Freestyle Skiing (when you meet him ask about the Basketball!) His sporting background is in winter sports where he competed at the World Cup level in Freestyle skiing. Yes he was actually part of the early “hotdog days”. Michael has also raced in the Amateur Canadian National also Championships, and the World Masters Games in cycling. In triathlon, he represented Canada at multiple distances in the International Triathlon Union World Championships.

“One of the things I really enjoy is working with participants of all ages and ability levels, just come with an open mind and try your best.” Michael aims to provide a fun, open atmosphere in class while ensuring that everyone “gets their sweat on!” Themed playlists are the order of the day on significant holidays and you may even get a bit of music trivia as well. Michael retired from a career in the radio business 3 years ago. He and his wife, who is originally from the Kootenays, moved here from Calgary in 2019. They are loving the amazing lifestyle that Nelson provides.

Travis Hauck

Spin Class Instructor

Travis Hauck is a dedicated cyclist whose passion for the sport and multiple achievements have given him international recognition. When he’s not participating in events, Travis trains hard and likes hanging out in the “pain cave”. Don’t be intimidated by his personal pleasures. He’s a friendly guy who is excited to motivate and inspire people during spin class.

Adding to Travis’s credibility he instructs mountain biking in the summer, cross country skiing in the winter and is a RAD Dad all year round!

“The reward for hard work is…more hard work”
~ Grandfather Dickson.

Jaime Frederick

Spin Class Instructor

Jaime Frederick is an avid road cyclist and amateur endurance athlete with a lifetime of cycling experience. Over the last several years, he has completed numerous one-day rides of more than 200km, many century rides (162km), and even an “Everest” (8,848 m of elevation gain in one ride). He has also completed long-distance bike tours in Canada, the U.S. and Italy. On the spin bike, he likes big beats, tough climbs and all-out sprints. Jaime enjoys motivating riders to be their best and helping them achieve their health and fitness goals. He lives in Nelson, where he loves to be outdoors with his family, exploring all the splendour the Kootenays offer.
David Little

David Little

Sports Medicine Physician

Dave is a sports medicine physician newly moved to the area from the UK where he had been working in elite and international level rugby in the Pro 14 as team physician for Cardiff Blues and the Wales Rugby Union (WRU) for the Wales U18 squad. In addition, Dave spent his time working in sports medicine clinics for the Military of Defence. He has a background as a trained physiotherapist (University of Southampton) prior to attending medical school (Cardiff University). He has since completed postgraduate studies in Sport and Exercise Medicine obtaining his DipSEM (UK). Dave has a keen interest in overuse injuries. He provides assessment, diagnosis and intervention (including corticosteroid and viscosupplementation where appropriate) as well as utilising ultrasound for musculoskeletal problems.

Outside of work he is a keen footballer (soccer), skier and enjoys spending time with his young family!

Raphael Leblanc-Cyr

MPT

Raphael moved to BC from Quebec in 2020 to spend more time pursuing outdoors sports and activities. His passion for snowboarding and mountain biking as well as the community vibe made him choose the Kootenays as a place to call home.

He completed his master’s degree in the entrepreneurial profile from University Laval in 2019 and worked in private practice before moving to BC. During his studies, Raphael worked with many sports teams including football, hockey, and rugby. He spent 2 years working with a college football team and did his final internship with the University Laval football team, “Le Rouge et Or”. He developed a big interest in sports physiotherapy and gained a lot of field experience and knowledge during this period.

Raphael was an outdoor guide for 8 years, mostly guiding canoe expeditions on the beautiful rivers of Gaspésie. He understands the importance of sport in your life and he is committed to guiding you in your rehabilitation with a personalised approach. He loves to work in an active community such as Nelson.

Raphael can easily be found in the mountains splitboarding, snowboarding, mountain biking or hiking. He also loves brewing beer, scuba diving, canoe-camping and backcountry adventures.

Tanya Gupta

Tanya Gupta

MScOT, BSc

Born and raised in Ottawa, Tanya completed her undergraduate degree in neuroscience at McGill University in Montreal, and her master's degree in occupational therapy at Dalhousie University in Halifax. She eventually made her way west, drawn to British Columbia by the stunning scenery and ample opportunities for outdoor recreation. She now resides in Nelson, BC and is grateful to live, work, and play on the unceded territory of the Sinixt, Syilx, and Ktunaxa peoples.

In her professional career, Tanya has worked in a variety of settings, both in private practice and in the public sector. She has developed skills and expertise in the areas of chronic pain, post-concussive syndrome, mental health, return-to-work, and more. She has completed the Shift Concussion Management Training Level 2 and especially enjoys helping clients with post-concussive syndrome learn to manage their symptoms and get back to their meaningful activities. She believes in empowering clients with knowledge to increase their self-awareness and to build the skills they need to cope with whatever difficulties they face.

In her spare time, Tanya enjoys backpacking, skiing, going to concerts, playing board games, walking along the lake, and cuddling with her cat.

Annie Hardy

Annie Hardy

Administrative Assistant

Born and raised in Nelson BC. Annie returned home after travelling for a few years and joined the team in 2021.

She is passionate about making sure all clients feel welcome and taken care of.

When she is not greeting you from behind the desk here, you can find Annie on the ski slopes or running the trails round town and beyond!

Sydney Evans

Sydney Evans

R.Ac.

Since a young age Sydney has always been a sports enthusiast. Her passion for an active lifestyle has led her down a path of learning and discovering how the human body works physically and mentally, especially when related to injury or pain. Sydney grew up playing competitive soccer, travelling around the lower mainland with her team. Alongside soccer, she has participated in a variety of other sports from snowboarding, hiking, swimming, baseball, and cross country running.

In more recent years, Sydney has developed a strong love for strength training and performance. Through her own development she has gained a lot of practical experience and knowledge pertaining to physical fitness and performance. Sydney is also an auxiliary firefighter with the Nelson Fire Rescue where she has been learning an abundance of new skills relating to health, safety, and the importance of proper training.

With all sports and physical activity comes the importance of health. The roots of Chinese Medicine involves uncovering underlying imbalances and the signs and symptoms that are expressed by each individual. Pain is a symptom of an underlying problem. It’s the body’s way of communicating when there is something wrong. This may be obvious such as an injury, but it may also seem to have no clear cause. Using the diagnostic principles of Chinese Medicine Sydney will work with you to uncover and correct underlying imbalances that are contributing or causing stresses on the body.

Sydney’s love for sports and health led her to pursue a career in acupuncture. Before enrolling in the registered acupuncturist program in Nelson, she studied Five Element Acupressure at the Canadian Acupressure College in Haida Gwaii. Shortly after completing her diploma there, she enrolled in the Kootenay College of Integrative Health Sciences where she graduated in December 2019. As an acupuncturist Sydney loves that she gets to work one on one with each individual to develop a treatment plan designed specifically for them. She is continually learning and finding ways to expand her training to further assist people on their health journeys. Sydney is excited to be working alongside the Kootenay Health Services team focusing on providing the best possible care for each individual.

Ash

KHS-Russian Spaniel

Ash is a spunky member of the KHS team! She is full of energy and always ready for a good time! Her favorite activity is running through the forest trails with her family! She can also be found curled up by a roaring fire after a full day of romping in the snow!

What People Are Saying

I love Kootenay Health Services workout classes! The classes are small so I get a lot of attention and care. The instructors are knowledgable and fun. I always feel appreciated and welcome- never intimidated or taken for granted.

Jody Deverney

We are so fortunate to have Kootenay Health Services in Nelson. Whether I'm going for physiotherapy, massage therapy, spin or kettlebell classes, I'm always treated with respect and appreciation. This is a multi-service clinic like none other.

Robyn and Craig's vision of their clinic is a reflection of the passion they have for healing their clients in a welcoming and unintimidating space.

Cheryl Côté

KHS!
Thank you for the support leading up to and during the biggest cycling season of my life.
Your work out programs along with the physiotherapy taught me so much more about myself and my fitness. Between strengthening and recovering you guys rocked it. I have never felt so balanced and strong in the 10 years of my competitive racing. The KHS team kicks ass and the facility is top of the line, it is an honour to be a part of the team!

Travis Hauck

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