By Kamala Kirk Prior to moving to Arizona, Jennifer Keely would fly in from Chicago every year to attend the Waste Management Phoenix Open for her birthday. While staying at a hotel in 2020, a commercial came on that caught her attention — and ultimately changed her life. “At the time I was living in Chicago, and we would come out to Arizona to get some sunshine,” Keely says. “I was watching this ad featuri ...

By Allison Brown Trainers at Sundial Pilates in Carefree use decade-old methods to help clients strengthen their core, increase flexibility, tone muscles and even reduce pain. The studio doesn’t just call its workout Pilates, it strictly adheres to the methods developed by physical therapy pioneer, Joseph Pilates, who developed the movements and exercises over a span of 60 years. “Utilizing the specialized ...

By Alex Gallagher Chef Scott Conant has been delighting diners with his award-winning cuisine for 35 years and has captivated audiences with his tenure as a judge on the Food Network shows “Chopped” and “Chopped Sweets.”  More recently, he has inspired readers with his latest cookbook, “Peace, Love and Pasta: Simple and Elegant Recipes from a Chef’s Home Kitchen.” As the fourth cookbook to be penned by Cona ...

By Alison Bailin Batz On her second go-around in Arizona, Camila Frederico is taking it all in. “As the new general manager of Civana Wellness Resort & Spa, doing so has been easy,” Frederico says. “It has certainly lived up to the hype from Travel + Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler and USA Today — and then some — so far.” Frederico oversees the resort’s 22 acres, 144 rooms and suites, and 20,000-square-foo ...

By Annika Tomlin Jennifer Gage was visiting California during a summer trip when she was introduced to StretchLab. “I play tennis, and I suffered a shoulder injury playing (in California),” Gage says. “A girlfriend of mine had taken me to her Pilates class, and the Pilates instructor asked if anyone there had heard of the new StrechLab that just opened.” After the class, Gage immediately walked to the Stret ...

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski William Swearingen is passionate about senior living communities. As senior vice president of sales and marketing for Spectrum Retirement Communities, Swearingen was part of the team that brought Lone Mountain Memory Care to life in February 2018. “It’s one of the most beautiful memory care-specific communities that I’ve ever seen that doesn’t overdo that luxury component,” Swe ...

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Charles Small says owning Glo Medspa is the “best job ever.” Because of his work and that of his staff, Small’s clients leave the Scottsdale Medspa living their best life. “The best part of my job is helping people look better and then they feel better about themselves,” Small says. “It’s definitely rewarding.” Small’s background is in helping people. For 15 years, he served as ...

By Annika Tomlin Founded by Olympic medalist Bryan Clay and Joe Culver, Eat the Frog Fitness was born from decades of elite, science-based athletic training and expert knowledge of the fitness industry. The company’s name is inspired by Mark Twain’s quote, “Eat a live frog first thing every morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” This 24-hour-accessible facility opened a new locat ...

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Susan Clark is all about education. When her Clark Bodywork Therapies clients visit her, she shares her treatments on an oversized muscle chart on her wall. “I show them where muscles connect and why I worked the areas,” Clark says. “A lot of people who have low back pain have super tight psoas and illiacus muscles, which are in the pelvic region. They’re amazed at how their lo ...

By Kamala Kirk For almost 40 years, Dr. Georgine Ray has helped improve the quality of people’s lives by diagnosing and treating various hearing disorders. From young children to the elderly, she works with people who are struggling with issues such as hearing loss and tinnitus, offering an advanced level of expertise, quality care and support to her patients. “I see patients of all ages because hearing los ...

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Dr. Julie Lam shadowed an optometrist as a youngster and one thing struck her: Patients aren’t afraid to see their eye doctor. “I’m a people person, and that fits with the profession,” Lam says. “I communicate with people. It’s a rewarding profession, and that was my goal.” In 2013, Lam founded Eye Care North in Cave Creek to treat patients like her grandfather, who suffered fr ...

By Madison Rutherford   Looking for a workout that will make you feel like Hilary Swank in Million Dollar Baby? We beat you to the punch. Trade the treadmill for some sparring gloves and check out these four North Valley gyms that offer boxing classes designed to sculpt muscles, test endurance, bolster self-esteem and teach self-defense.   The Pound Gym This high-intensity fitness facility feature ...

Insurance battle continues for area firefighter   By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski   Austin Peck always wanted to be a firefighter. He was sociable as a student at Cave Creek's Cactus Shadows High School, about the same time his uncle, then a Glendale fire chief, introduced him to the occupation. "Not to boast, but I was really physical," says Peck, a Goodyear firefighter. "I've been a helpful person ...

Time to Heal  The do’s and don’ts of working through injuries. By Dr. Robert Cucitrone Juggling work, errands, exercise, and time with family and friends is a recipe for exhaustion. Sometimes, no matter how careful you are, injuries are bound to happen when your body is exhausted, and no one has the time to let an injury knock them off their feet. But continuing a lifestyle of being constantly on the move w ...

Cupping Therapy Ancient technique offers Olympic-level pain relief. By Richard Sedillo If you were glued to the TV during the 2016 Olympics in Rio, at some point you probably saw a few athletes, swimmers in particular, with clear plastic cups stuck on their backs. The cups were pulling up their skin into various-sized bumps, the way a throw rug gets if you get the vacuum cleaner hose caught on it. You were ...