Meet Team PhysioFit
Each member of Team PhysioFit plays an integral role in who we are and what we do. From Physical Therapists to Pilates Instructors, our team is comprised of highly educated and skilled professionals offering comprehensive specialty physical therapy and wellness programs. If you are facing mobility challenges or simply want to stay fit, active and healthy, we have the right solutions. Get to know Team PhysioFit.
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Kim Gladfelter, MPT, OCS, FAAOMPT
Executive Director, Physical Therapist and Pilates Instructor
"He who has health, has hope; and he who has hope, has everything."
Every week, for more than a decade, hundreds of people have consulted Kim Gladfelter looking for answers to their debilitating back pain and stiffness. Kim is now a trusted health advisor to doctors and other healthcare providers in the area educating them about how to reduce their back pain in their line of work as needed. Kim decided she wanted to be a physical therapist as a teen when one of her classmates was severely injured and recovered through the use of physical therapy. Nothing is more satisfying to her than knowing she is helping her patients keep doing the meaningful activities they love to do.
Credentials & Teaching Experience:
- Graduated from UCLA in 1991 with a degree in Kinesiology.
- Received her Master of Physical Therapy degree in 1994 from Mount Saint Mary’s College.
- Completed a 1-1/2 year long residency program in Advanced Orthopedic Manual Therapy in 1998.
- Certified in 2001 as an Orthopedic Clinical Specialist (OCS).
- Obtained Fellowship status in the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists (FAAOMPT). Both certifications (OCS and FAAOMPT) represent recognition of advanced clinical proficiency in Orthopedic Physical Therapy practice.
- Teaching assistant for a highly regarded year-long course for manual physical therapists from 1999-2001, in addition to taking numerous long and short-term courses on various topics in Orthopedic Physical Therapy.
- Certified Practitioner in Pilates Rehabilitation, including mat and equipment, through Polestar Education. She also has special training in the area of pelvic floor therapy.
- Graston Technique Provider.
TIP: Ask Kim about the time she shaved off half her eyebrow trying to imitate her Dad shaving or when she ran away from a fenced in dog and dislocated her kneecap.
5 Favorites
Vacation: Hawaii
Celebrity: Robin Williams
Book: Don't Sweat the Small Stuff
Team: my kids teams
Hobbies: jogging and dance
Kim Gladfelter, MPT, OCS, FAAOMPT
Executive Director
Physical Therapist
Pilates Instructor
Janet Petarra Perrino, MPT
Physical Therapist
"Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live in."
Janet has embraced a life long love of learning, as evidence by her 40+ continuing education classes in physical therapy, and has been thrilled to apply her knowledge over the last 20+ years to clients of all walks of life and backgrounds. She is especially interested in using manual therapy to address orthopedic and sports-related issues, as well as treating clients with vestibular, post-partum, neurological or lymphedema issues. Janet possesses a strong base of experience in orthopedic and sports injury treatment.
- Undergraduate degrees in Biology and Psychology from Miami University in 1989.
- Master of Physical Therapy degree from Temple University in 1995.
- BA in Zoology (yes, we are animals) and Psychology.
- Worked for seven years in Chicago with Loyola University Medical Center treating orthopedic, vestibular, lymphedema, burn, amputee, and neurological disorders.
- Especially interested in using manual therapy to address orthopedic and sports-related issues.
- Graston Technique® Provider
TIP: Ask her why her BA in Zoology made for a great beginning as a Physical Therapist.
5 Favorites:
Place: New Zealand (never been but it is at the top of my list for dream places to visit).
Food: I love my husband's home made pizza best but I miss ethnic foods such as Indian, Thai, Ethiopian, and Middle Eastern since I have picky children.
TV Show: Downton Abbey, Call the Midwife, and Game of Thrones.
Singer/Group: Annie Lennox to enjoy the music, Alanis Morissette when I want to sing loudly, Katy Perry to hang out with my daughter.
Sports: Dance and Ice skating.
Janet Petarra Perrino, MPT
Physical Therapist
Keya Bhuptani, PT, CKTP
Physical Therapist
"Do a little more each day than you think you possibly can."
- Degree in Physical Therapy in 2008 from Maharashtra University of Health Sciences in Mumbai, India.
- Special interest in Orthopedic Manual therapy, treating a variety of dysfunctions of the musculoskeletal system and treating patients with neurological conditions.
- Certified Kinesio Taping Practitioner(CKTP), using the rehabilitative taping method to re-educate the neuromuscular system, reduce pain, enhance performance and prevent injury.
- Experienced in Aqua-therapy and enjoys educating patients on proper ergonomics.
- Continues to expand her expertise within these areas by attending numerous continuing education classes during the year.
- Graston Technique provider.
- Speaks fluent Hindi, Gujarati and a little bit of Marathi.
5 Favorites:
- Indian Classical Dance
- Traveling
- Spending time with family
- Dancing
- Watching movies
Keya Bhuptani, PT, CKTP
Physical Therapist
Katrina Wong, DPT
Physical Therapist
Pelvic Floor Specialist
“There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.”
Katrina graduated from Mount Saint Mary's University with her Doctorate of Physical Therapy. Her interest in physical therapy began when she taught a balance exercise class at a senior center in her undergraduate years at Whittier College. Throughout physical therapy school, Katrina found a special interest in orthopedics and women's and men's pelvic health. In her free time, she enjoys being outside, whether that is running, walking, hiking, or helping out in the garden.
5 Favorites:
Hobbies: Running, hiking, aerial yoga
Book: Everybody Always by Bob Goff
Food: Ramen
Vacation: New Zealand
TV Show: Survivor
TIP: Ask Katrina about the time she ran her first marathon.
Katrina Wong, DPT
Physical Therapist
Shalini Pachauri
Physical Therapist
“You must also give mental and physical fitness priority.” - Jim Otto
Shalini earned her Doctorate of Physical Therapy and is currently licensed in California as well as New York! Every day for Shalini is a new opportunity to support, care and help people. She is mindful of how challenging life can be for people who are in physical pain and is inspired to continue pursuing her career in health care. She looks forward to making a difference in people's lives by encouraging a healthy and active lifestyle.
- Physical Therapy degree from India
- Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree from AT Still University
- Licensed in California and New York
- Focused on Manual Therapy and Graston Techniques
- Volunteered at Stanford, El Camino Hospital, with the Boy and Girl Scouts, and for the Cupertino School District
- Proficient in English, Hindi, and Punjabi
TIP: Ask her about her experience as a Preschool and Elementary Teacher 🙂
5 Favorites:
- Family and friends get together
- Classical music
- Traveling
- Family videos
- Creating happy moments
Shalini Pachauri, DPT
Physical Therapist
Alison Fong, DPT
Physical Therapist/Pilates Instructor
“Strength doesn’t come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming
the things you once thought you couldn’t”
- Rikki Rogers
Alison has a passion for providing a holistic, individualized approach to physical therapy. She enjoys integrating osteopathic manual therapy with traditional and Pilates-based exercises to optimize movement and quality of life. .
- Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from New York University in 2002
- B.S. in Biological Sciences and Gerontology from Mount St. Mary’s College in 1999
- Practitioner of Pilates for Rehabilitation (mat & equipment) through Polestar Education in 2007
- Training in Myofascial Release
- Training in Pelvic Floor physical therapy
5 Favorites:
Workouts: Spinning, Pilates, barre, yoga sculpt
Food: Sushi, burgers, breakfast burritos
Hobbies: Discovering new places to eat, traveling/exploring
TV: Anything on Food Network & Travel Channel, FBI/CIA shows
Movie: Sleepless in Seattle
Alison Fong, DPT
Physical Therapist &
Pilates Instructor
Lori Seymour
GYROTONIC®/Pilates Instructor-Teacher Trainer, Hanna Somatic Educator®
"Make the impossible possible, the possible easy, the easy elegant."
- Moshe Feldenkrais
After being told to stop dancing by several doctors, Lori came to Pilates as a young dancer and swimmer in 1988 to rehabilitate a chronic hip injury. Over the next 2 decades of her dance career, she used Pilates to rehabilitate her back and knee injuries.
- Obtained first Pilates certification from the Physical Mind Institute in 1998.
- Continuing education since includes scoliosis, osteoporosis, gait, vestibular issues, disk issues, various other joint conditions, and golf.
- 2009 Apprenticeship with master trainer Kathy Corey.
- 1999 she came across GYROTONIC® and fell in love. Certified in every aspect of GYROTONIC®, level 2 Pulley Tower, Golf, Scoliosis, Pelvis and is an approved pre-trainer of level 1 GYROTONIC®.
- Certified Hanna Somatic Educator®. HSE retrains the nervous system to turn down chronic tension.
TIP: Lori is especially fond of the city of love, Paris!
5 Favorites:
City: Paris
Movie: Farewell My Concubine
Singer: Billie Holiday
Sport: Hockey - San Jose Sharks
Animal: Cat
Lori Seymour, CHSE
Certified GYROTONIC®/Pilates Instructor-Teacher Trainer, Hanna Somatic Educator®
Divya Zucaro
Yoga Instructor
"Yoga is the perfect opportunity to be curious about who you are."
Divya is an inspired yoga and meditation instructor of 20 years. She introduces creative discussion of yogic philosophy as it relates to our modern lives, and encourages each person to come to the poses in balance of effort and ease. She hopes for you to deeply feel good, to laugh, and to find peace in every breath, not just in class, but as a means to engage with life. Wellness, after all, includes more than just the body.No matter how you look or feel when you enter the room, Divya’s community will welcome you warmly. Whatever your experience, please, come to yoga. Divya’s educational achievements include:
- Bachelor of Fine Arts
- Multi-subject Teaching Credential
- Certified Yoga Instructor
- Meditation/ Stress Reduction Specialist
- Certified Hypnotherapist
- Certification in Guided Empathetic Meridian Tapping
TIP: Here’s the wild card. Even yoga instructors can be avid ice hockey fans who sometimes yell at the TV. Divya’s favorite goalie of all time is her teenage son. She also loves baking (and she’s been known to share).
5 Favorites:
Quiet activity: Colored pencil drawing
Smell: Redwoods on a warm afternoon
Book: House on Mango Street
Sport: Ice hockey
Beverage: Soy chai latte (You know...in case you're offering.)
Divya Zuccaro
Certified Yoga Instructor
Alexis Iwasaki
Certified Pilates Instructor
Gyrotonic Apprentice
"When the body, mind and spirit are in harmony, happiness is the natural result."
-Deepak Chopra
Movement has been a lifelong passion of Alexis’. Her mission is to share that passion with her clients.
Alexis started taking dance lessons at the age of 3 and went on the train at San Francisco Ballet School, Joffrey Ballet School and American Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive. In addition to ballet, Alexis has studied classical Japanese dance, contemporary, and hula, among others. She danced professionally with the Oakland Ballet and Sacramento Ballet Companies.
Credentials:
- Bachelor of Science in Communications/Mass Media from New York University in 2002
- Certified Pilates mat and equipment instructor from the Kane School of Core Integration in 2006 and 2007
- Certified Buff Bones® Instructor in 2017
- Certified GYROKINESIS® Instructor in 2017
TIP: Alexis is a huge animal lover/advocate. Ask her about her amazing experience at an elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
5 Favorites:
Vacation: New Zealand
Singers: Ingrid Michaelson and Pink!
Movies: Whale Rider, The Garden State, Hula Girls, Old Boy and Slumdog Millionaire
Animals: Elephants, whales and dolphins
Hobbies: Hiking, dancing and reading, doing anything with my 5 year old son
Alexis Iwasaki
Certified Pilates, Prenatal Yoga, and GYROTONIC Instructor
Amie Wang
Certified Pilates Instructor
Gyrotonic Apprentice
“Breathing is the first act of life and the last, our very life depends on it.”
- Joseph Pilates
Amie first came across Pilates many years ago when she was traveling as a consultant. It was the first time she fell in love with a movement method. While she continued pursuing a career in product management and marketing, Amie often considered becoming a Pilates instructor. Then, life presented an opportunity - motherhood and moving to a different country where she couldn’t take her desk job - and she embarked on her movement education journey.
Since becoming a certified Pilates instructor and teaching, movement education has become Amie’s passion. As a mom of two energetic and life-loving boys, she has a deep desire to enjoy active play with them. This means keeping fit and strong, mentally and physically, through Pilates and complementary movement methods such as Gyrotonics/Gyrokinesis, and Yoga. Amie pays special attention to alignment and form in her teaching and specializes in working with women (including prenatal and postpartum) and kids. Her mission is to share her passion and knowledge with clients so they can develop their own body awareness and movement practices to lead active and play-filled lives.
Amie obtained her Pilates certification through STOTT Pilates in 2013. She takes multiple STOTT Pilates workshops and courses each year to keep her certification updated. To deepen her knowledge and satiate her curiosity of the body and its capacity for movement, she has taken workshops in Feldenkrais Method, Move Your DNA (Nutritious Movement), Gyrokinesis, and is planning to get certified in Gyrotonics.
TIP: Ask her about the time when a stingray thought she was food and actually tried to eat her leg. Luckily no teeth were involved. Geek out with her on neuroscience, anatomy, and movement. 🙂
5 Favorites:
- Spending time with her kids
- Getting together with family and friends
- Traveling and exploring new places
- Watching movies
- Reading and enjoying a yummy cup of coffee alone
Amie Wang
Certified Pilates Instructor, Certified GYROTONIC® Instructor
Tanya Baldwin
Pilates/GYROTONIC® Instructor
“Change happens through movement and movement heals.” - Joseph Pilates
As a Naturopathic Doctor, Tanya believes in the healing power of movement. Embracing a holistic approach to teaching, she draws on her training and experience in Pilates, GYROKINESIS®, GYROTONIC® and Yoga to create a joyful and rewarding experience for her students. She loves watching her students grow in grace, power and precision as they learn to integrate mind-body principles in her classes.
TIP: Born and raised in Canada, Tanya has a few interesting tales about the strange customs of her homeland. Ask her about gunnel bobbing (Hint: it involves a canoe).
5 Favorites:
Food: Dark chocolate
Pastime: Curling up with a good book (even better if paired with chocolate)
Author: Terry Pratchett
Mythical Creature: Dragons
California Getaway: Anywhere along the Mendonoma Coast
Tanya Baldwin
Certified Pilates/GYROTONIC® Instructor
Julie Pollak
Assistant Manager
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
- Maya Angelou
Julie has been in the physical therapy profession since moving to Sacramento in 2014. She enjoys not only watching patients improve their physical wellness, but also interacting with patients and getting to know them on more of a personal level. She resides in San Jose with her husband and two-year-old son Julian.
5 Favorites:
• Favorite Movie: Couples Retreat
• Favorite Food: Moms Cooking
• Favorite Color: Blue
• Favorite Football Team: Wherever my Husband is Coaching & San Francisco 49ers
• Favorite Thing to Do on the Weekend: Being with my Family
Julie Pollak
Assistant Manager
Ryan Guiterrez
Assistant Manager
“Never say never because limits, like fears, are often just illusions.”
–Michael Jordan
Ryan has a huge passion for sports which inspired his dream to become an Athletic Trainer. He currently attends SJSU for a Bachelor’s in Kinesiology. He plans on applying to the Athletic Training graduate program at SJSU in 2019, in hopes of achieving his dream of being on the sidelines of a professional sports team. In his free time, Ryan enjoys playing video games and binge-watching shows on Netflix.
5 Favorites:
Sport: Football
TV Show: Impractical Jokers
Food: BBQ Ribs
Color: Blue
Teams: Atlanta Falcons (NFL), New York Yankees (MLB), and UNC Tar Heels (NCAA Basketball)
Ryan Gutierrez
Assistant Manager
Julie Hall
Office Admin/Customer Service Representative
Quote: "Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live in." - Jim Rohn
Julie Hall
Office Admin / Customer Service Rep.
Allessandra Valencia
Office Admin/Customer Service Representative
"It's no use going back to yesterday because I was a different person then." - Lewis Carroll
Allessandra is a Bay Area native who loves spending time in the sun. She loves traveling and eating delicious food of all kinds. Treating people with kindness is very important to her. She aims to help people feel understood and valued.
5 Favorites:
Color: Green
Flower: Sunflowers
Dessert: Ice Cream
Animal: Cats, Bats, & Racoons
Book: Howl's Moving Castle
Allessandra Valencia
Office Admin / Customer Service Rep.
Tracy Tomita
Operations Manager
"It's not who you are that holds you back, it's who you think you're not."
A native of the Bay Area, Tracy joined the team at PhysioFit as it gave her the opportunity directly contribute to her local community. Tracy cares about our patients and works hard with the team to get them back to doing what they love. She's been a part of PhysioFit for so many years that both the staff and patients feel like a second family. In her spare time, Tracy brings the same spirit and love for physical well being to the Special Olympics.
TIP: I love learning foreign languages. Know any great sayings or idioms?
5 Favorites:
Vacation: Somewhere on a beach, lake or river or where there are lots of museums.
Team: Motevideo Piranhas (my nephew's swim team) first and Niners, Warriors and Giants are a close second.
Movies: My Fair Lady, Love Actually, Grease (the original)
TV Show: Almost any medical/science series and American Ninja Warrior
Animals: Dogs and sea turtles
Tracy Tomita
Operations Manager
Erica Wang
Customer Experience Manager
"Strength. A river cuts through a rock, not because of its power but because of its persistence." - Jim Watkins
Erica has always been a people person. She loves meeting new people and discovering what makes them light up. Erica uses exercise to lower stress and increase her ability to care for those she loves. A self-confirmed wellness geek, she loves to matchmake people's health and wellness needs with the right solutions for their time and money.
5 Favorites:
State of Being: Learning
Dog Breed: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Flavor: Sweet and Tangy
Dream Trip: Cornwall, England
Sport: Comedy Sportz
Erica Wang
Customer Experience Manager
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Brett Ungari
Marketing Assistant
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. - Wayne Gretzky” - Michael Scott
Brett has played sports his entire life. He received a scholarship to play lacrosse at Sierra Nevada University in Lake Tahoe, NV where he also received his BS in Marketing & Business Administration. In his free time, Brett can be found hanging out with his Fiancé, or playing with his golden retriever, Charlie.
Fun fact: In college, Brett scared a grown black bear out of his kitchen with a lacrosse stick.
5 Favorites:
My Dog: Charlie
Sports: Lacrosse & Hockey
Place to Visit: Tahoe
Show: The Office
Teams: SJ Sharks & PLL Atlas
Brett Ungari
Marketing Assistant
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Move Better. Live Better.