Palm Beach Central’s Bronco Band  Brings Home The State Championship

The Palm Beach Central High School marching band triumphed over the competition to claim the state championship crown for the 2016-17 school year.

The Bronco band won the Class 3A crown at the Florida Marching Band Championships (FMBC) for the first time in school history last November at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. Palm Beach Central earned first place with a score of 87 points, pushing past Miami Coral Park High School, which took second with 85.45 points.

“I could tell early on in the summer that the group was special,” said James Yaques, director of bands at Palm Beach Central since 2005. “We were really happy with our show design, and the band was taking the product and bringing it to life.”

The Broncos bounced back from an off-year in which the band missed finishing in the top five for the first time in four years. In 2015, heavy rains moved the semifinal competition indoors and the bands performed at a standstill — which hurt the Broncos.

“Our show is most effective with the music and visual together,” Yaques said. “With half of the component taken out, we just missed the finals. Based on results from prior events in the season, if the semifinals would have not been rained out, we probably would have finished second or third. I think missing finals [last year] without the opportunity to perform their full show really hurt the kids. It may have been a motivator to be even better.”

Bronco band performances throughout the 2016-17 season were impressive, finishing first in the semifinals, in addition to winning a regional competition at Jupiter High School and placing second at a regional competition at Park Vista High School.

The championship-winning show was performed to the music of Sleeping Beauty. This upcoming year’s show will be based on the fictional character Poison Ivy, one of Batman’s many enemies. The repertoire changes every year.

Emma Pitot, a rising senior, has been a member of the marching band since her freshman year. Pitot plays the alto saxophone and will be the section leader for the second year in a row, as well as having added responsibilities as band captain.

“Our biggest challenge is keeping everybody motivated,” she said, with a current focus on leading the team to a repeat championship. “We have to do the small things to get to the big picture, which is winning states. My job is to help lead, but it’s a team effort.”

Pitot’s teammates are proud of their most recent accomplishment and have high hopes for the future.

“It’s harder to maintain than to win,” said Madison Pompos, who is entering her junior year. “We have to work twice as hard. Last year we had motivation; this year we have to fight to get that feeling again.”

Pompos, who has been in the band since she was a freshman, was one of 12 saxophonists in the 105-member state champion marching band. She has been elevated to the important role of drum major for the upcoming year.

The Broncos have spent much of the summer learning new steps and formations because they perform a different show every year, Yaques said. Each show runs approximately 10 minutes.

Motorists on Forest Hill Blvd. can often catch a glimpse of the band practicing in the Palm Beach Central parking lot on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 to 7 p.m. during the school year.

“That’s our main practice field,” Yaques said. “We sometimes practice in the [football] stadium so the students get used to the feel of grass as opposed to asphalt.”

Yaques has brought the Broncos to statewide prominence with a culture of excellence. The Florida State University music graduate served for four years as the principal tuba player for the Second Marine Division band in the prestigious United States Marine Corps Band. He also holds a master’s degree in music conducting from Florida International University.

The band season begins in July and runs through November, with the semifinals and finals for the upcoming school year set for Nov. 18. There were several preseason practices in May and June to get the incoming ninth-graders familiar with the high school band.

The entire group learns the basic steps during the summer practices, and the band practices simultaneously for football games and band competitions. Often, they perform at football games on Friday night and head to competitions on Saturdays to hone their skills.

The well-respected Broncos have been regular contenders for the state title most of the last decade. The marching band is a two-time silver medalist (2014 and 2012) and also reached the Class 3A state finals (top five) four other years (2013, 2010, 2009 and 2008).

Yaques, who directs all the bands at Palm Beach Central, is very proud of the marching band’s accomplishments.

“Winning states is certainly the top goal for the marching band,” he said. “We didn’t do anything differently. The students were really driven and worked really hard.”

The 2016-17 championship marching band consisted of flutes (6), clarinets (8), saxophones (12), trumpets (10), mellophones (5), baritones (10), tubas (5), percussion (16), color guard (32) and one drum major.

This upcoming year’s band will have about 20 new members, Yaques said, making the summer practices an integral part of the season, similar to spring practice for football teams.

“I think it is going to be tougher to repeat,” Yaques said. “Keeping the same kind of focus we had last year will be tough. But we are reminding our students that we will have to be better this year to do it again.”

Pompos recalls with pride the band’s big triumphant moment.

“You realize how much our hard work paid off,” said Pompos, who plans to major in criminal justice while playing in the band at either the University of Cincinnati or Florida State University. “We were overjoyed by the experience. I started crying, everyone was jumping, crying, screaming and taking photos. Every single moment was worth it.”

Track Star Karimah Davis Has Her Eyes On The Olympics

Watching the Olympics is always inspirational, especially when a hometown athlete is involved. That’s why we’re keeping an eye on local track star Karimah (pronounced KaREEmah) Davis. The recent Palm Beach Central High School graduate is the state champion in the 400-meter dash (52.91 seconds), and she came in a close second for the 200-meter dash (23.28 seconds).

Over Memorial Day weekend, Davis, together with the other top 200-meter runners in the world, traveled to historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, just outside Portland, to compete in the Prefontaine Classic, courtesy of title sponsor Nike.

“Nike pays for our flights,” Davis said. “They give us clothes and backpacks and shoes. They treat us like royalty!”

The Prefontaine Classic is the premier track and field meet in the United States, and the only stop in North America on the prestigious World Athletics Tour. It was established by distance runner Steve Prefontaine, who died in 1975 at age 24 and was the subject of two major motion pictures. To be eligible to compete in this elite track and field showcase, athletes must be ranked in the top 50 in the world in their event.

Televised on NBC, the Prefontaine Classic is where many Olympic track and field stars first establish themselves in the national consciousness and, perhaps because of this, attendance has grown. The Prefontaine Classic has attracted standing-room-only crowds for the last 10 years.

While there, Davis had the opportunity to meet Olympic track and field legends, perhaps picking up some pointers. Then, it was back home for summer track, and on to Florida State University this month — on a full scholarship.

So how did all this start? For Davis, it started late. Although the majority of runners start to get serious about the sport around the age of 8, Davis began running less than four years ago as a hobby.

“It was just going to be something I could play around with,” she recalled.

But coaches quickly took notice.

“I feel that’s why a lot of people are interested in me,” Davis said. “I stepped into the field at an older age, and it’s going really good for me — better than it normally should.”

Davis was running for Emerald Cove Middle School, just about to enter high school, when seasoned coach Derek Walker came up to her at a meet.

“As I was running, he came up to me and said, ‘I can turn you into a state champion.’ Now he’s my club coach,” Davis said.

Walker is so convinced of her potential that he is willing to move to Tallahassee. “He’s trying to move in that area so he can be involved in my future career,” Davis said.

So, what started as a hobby has turned into a quest. Davis’ personal records include the 55-meter (7.08 seconds), 60-meter (7.77 seconds), 100-meter (11.49 seconds) and the long jump (5.33 meters). With the Olympics always in the back of her mind, Davis practices three to four hours a day at Palm Beach Central, taking a break only on Wednesday.

That makes it difficult to hang out with friends.

“Many of my friends have different personalities, different aspirations and are on different routes,” she explained. “It makes it hard to mesh with them.”

Davis’ true support system is at home. “My parents are very supportive,” she said. “I probably wouldn’t be as far as I am without my parents putting me there. They keep my mind in the right place. They invest the time and the money.”

After her state win, Palm Beach Central celebrated by posting her accomplishment on its Twitter page. The Palm Beach County Sports Commission went further, inducting Davis into its Hall of Fame.

As hobbies go, track and field turned out to be a good choice for Karimah Davis.

“It’s turning out really well for me,” she said simply.

Then Davis was off… and running.

Wesley Newlands Finds Her Road  To Recovery In Wellington

With any sport comes the inherent risk of injury. In equestrian sports, which adds another, often unpredictable, living being into the equation, that risk can be particularly high. Fortunately for the thousands of equestrian athletes based in Wellington, the village is home to renowned physical therapy specialists skilled in helping riders quickly rebound from an injury

Show jumping competitor Wesley Newlands found the help she needed to do just that at Athletes Advantage, located off Pierson Road in Wellington. In September 2016, the 29-year-old Canadian was riding in Belgium, simply walking to cool down her horse after a training session, when the horse tripped and fell. As the horse went down, Newlands’ leg became stuck underneath, shattering her ankle.

At a hospital in Belgium, where the staff spoke limited English, making communication difficult, they opted to put Newlands in a cast for 12 weeks rather than perform surgery.

Upon returning home to Canada three weeks later, Newlands’ doctors advised that they would have elected to do surgery at the time of her injury. However, since her leg had already been set in a cast for three weeks, they elected to continue with the recovery plan determined in Belgium.

When Newlands arrived in Wellington in late December with plans to compete at the Winter Equestrian Festival, her ankle had been non-weight-bearing for months. Despite the removal of the cast after 12 weeks, she was still experiencing several problems with her foot.

“My foot was turning purple, and I was having a lot of swelling,” Newlands explained. “I couldn’t really walk.”

That’s where Wellington-based experts Dr. Nicholas Sama and Ed Smith of Athletes Advantage came into play. Sama, an orthopedic and trauma surgeon, X-rayed Newlands’ foot and recommended that she begin working with Smith and Athletes Advantage for physical therapy.

Inside the expansive warehouse space turned state-of-the-art gym and rehab facility, Smith helped Newlands regain strength and stability, as well as the ability to walk normally again, after atrophy of the foot and leg from lack of use.

“With Wesley’s situation, she had an injury that most likely should have been operated on,” said Smith, who founded Athletes Advantage 14 years ago and places a strong clinical focus on post-operative sports medicine rehabilitation. “The result of the downtime — the non-weight-bearing, casting and bracing — was so substantial that she got extremely tight, and she also experienced circulatory deficiencies because she couldn’t use the leg normally.”

Smith, a graduate of the College of Physical Therapy at the University of Florida, said Newlands developed many problems simply from not being able to use her foot.

“She ended up with Dr. Sama, a trauma surgeon here in Wellington who knows the equestrian world very well,” Smith said. “Working with him, we were able to develop at as rapid a pace as possible, but she had been non-weight-bearing for so long that the bones had actually lost density. Early on, we were concerned that the foot was going to fracture as soon as we put weight on it.”

Starting gradually, Newlands visited Athletes Advantage two to three times a week throughout the winter, resulting in returned strength and the ability to use her foot and ankle more normally. By week four of the 12-week Winter Equestrian Festival season, Newlands was back in the competition ring. By the end of March, she was able to ride and compete with all of her mounts, including Wieminka B, Geisha van Orshof, Gin Tonic and Isibel d’O.

“I was able to get back in the saddle pretty fast,” Newlands said. “I had a lot of psychological nerves when I was coming back to competition, and I’m still dealing with the worry that I’m going to hurt my leg again. I protect it a lot, but physically, I’m so much stronger.”

Newlands credits the experts in Wellington for her renewed strength and quick return to the show ring, and she is not alone with her success story. Smith has been practicing outpatient orthopedic and sports physical therapy for more than three decades, and Athletes Advantage has helped countless athletes with similar stories.

“These athletes play a sport, and we have a defined period of time that we’ve got to get them back to performance,” Smith said. “We built this place because I’ve always felt that there was a large gap between a closed-in, medical office and the sport that the athletes are returning to. So, we tried to build a place that would facilitate that transition. When they are done working with us, they are fit to return to practicing their sport.”

In doing so, Smith developed a unique niche. “We have enough space and enough variety at our facility that we can take people from a day after surgery all the way back to being strong enough to return to their sport,” he said.

For Newlands, that has certainly proven to be the case. Thanks to the rehab she underwent, she is spending the summer competing at show jumping events throughout Europe under the tutelage of 2008 Olympic gold medalist and Wellington resident Eric Lamaze.

As she continues to regain full strength and function of her ankle, Newlands’ short-term goal is to earn a place on the Canadian show jumping team and, “to be the best rider that I can be.”

Young Wellington Survivor Hits Leukemia Out Of The Park

When a doctor tells you that your three-and-a-half-year-old son has

leukemia, your world stops. As Tristan Dawson listened to a doctor diagnose her son Drew with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2012, the medical terms and treatments that he described were lost on her. Shock blocked any ability to fully comprehend what was happening to her little boy.

In the days to come, fear and confusion turned to hope and courage as Tristan and her husband Mark found two sources of strength — the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) and the Wellington community, where the Dawson family has lived since 2005.

A call to LLS shortly after Drew’s diagnosis gave the Dawsons information about Drew’s blood cancer that was an important first step in understanding what the future held. “It was so helpful for me as a mother to know what to expect,” Tristan recalled.

What she didn’t expect was the way LLS would become a central part of their lives. Following three years of courageous treatment — periods where Tristan couldn’t pick up her son without him crying in pain — LLS selected Drew as their “Boy of the Year” in 2015. He was celebrated as an inspiration in the fight against blood cancers, attending events held in his honor.

“That was when I really understood how powerful LLS is,” Tristan said. “We met so many people from so many different walks of life who are involved with LLS and support the research that will help more children like Drew.”

Many Wellington residents who support LLS are in the under-12 set. Drew’s school, Elbridge Gale Elementary School, was the No. 1 fundraising school in the State of Florida last year for LLS’s Pennies for Patients program, presented by Olive Garden. The school, inspired by Drew’s story, raised an astounding $21,000 in donations collected for the cause.

It’s just one example of the outpouring of support from the Wellington community that the Dawson family has experienced, and why Tristan said, “I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”

Thanks to LLS, there was something more to come for Drew that Tristan could never have imagined — her son hitting a home run off of Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr.

Drew was invited to take part in LLS’s “Day in the Life of the Astros.” McCullers gave Drew the experience of a lifetime, teaching him how to pitch, hit and even play ping-pong as he made every minute of the day special for a young boy who had been through so much.

“To see Drew sliding into home base puts our work into perspective,” said Pam Payne, executive director of LLS’s Palm Beach Area Chapter. “Only 60 years ago, survival rates for Drew’s leukemia were 3 percent. Today it’s 92 percent because of our research.”

Tristan Dawson is thankful for those research efforts.

“Without LLS, the protocols for my son would not be in place,” she said. “The survival rates would not be what they are today. Drew would not be where he is today.”

So what’s next for Drew? His sights are set right where an eight-year-old boy’s should be: playing Little League baseball here in Wellington.

To learn more about the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, visit www.lls.org/palm-beach-area.

Popular Cycling Classes Keep Members Moving At Ultima Fitness

Ultima Fitness has been helping people in the Wellington area get and stay fit for more than 20 years. Along with its general exercise space, Ultima offers group classes led by more than 30 instructors. Among them is longtime Ultima staff member Judy Duany.

As operations manager and group fitness director, Duany works to form and maintain relationships with Ultima’s membership. She also instructs a cycling course, and you will not find her on the sidelines when you get on a bike. She is exercising with the group, selecting the music that will propel the attendees into better shape.

“We’re family owned, so you get a feeling of community here,” Duany said. “Friendships are developed here, so members share a common bond when they come in here. It’s more than just show up, do your thing and leave. Everybody is very encouraging and supportive of each other.”

Duany is thoughtful when she says that anybody can get on the exercise bike in her class and have fun. The class allows you to work at your own pace and capability.

“All of our classes are pretty universal, meaning you are in control of your own bike,” Duany said. “You can adjust the tension freely, and you can make it as hard or as challenging as you like.”

Duany uses music in all her classes as a catalyst for a positive workout experience.

“Music is huge, and that’s pretty much what is going to make it or break it in a cycling class,” Duany said. “It’s going to be a long ride if it’s bad music.”

She enjoys the family-oriented feel of the class. “Friendships continue out of the cycle room,” Duany said. “You’ll see many of them walk right across to get coffee together after.”

All of Duany’s classes are by request from the membership, and she keeps the focus on the individuals in the classes. “In order to have fun, it has to be about them,” Duany said. “In order to make it about them, every week is by request, so I take all of the requests, and I build all of my classes around the type of music.”

During one of her classes, music from the 1980s was the theme, and it got everyone up and cycling.

There is room to start and grow in the cycling class. Duany feels that cycling can be a universal exercise to fit different areas that people want to personally improve.

“Mostly people are trying for cardio reasons, weight reduction, strengthening legs, and a lot of people are intimated by cycling,” she said. “They think it’s too hard, or they can’t do it, or they’re not going to be able to keep up. But like I said, everybody can do it.”

Having a great trainer is a major part of the success in cycling classes.

“I just think they need the motivation, and that is what the instructor is here to do — help encourage them and keep them coming back and be their cheerleader,” she said.

Duany feels a great sense of satisfaction from her role as an instructor.

“I love to see when members hit their goals, and they come and tell me, and they either are training for a triathlon, or they’re just trying to increase their cardio, or they’re rehabbing their knee, and I love to hear the success of what it’s doing for them and how much it’s impacting their lives,” Duany said.

She finds that her class, and cycling in general, is a great way to constructively let out negative stress.

“It’s a matter of sometimes just having a bad day, and you just need to come in and cycle and not think about it,” Duany said. “They can choose to do anything, they can choose to go anywhere, when they choose to come to your class. It comes back to being a part of the community and being a part of something, so they feel safe in your class.”

Duany has been part of the Ultima family for close to two decades now. Her role and her hours have changed, since she has become a wife and mother. It is because of the love and support of the family-operated business that she has been able to grow into her leadership roles today.

“I’m more in the back office, addressing member concerns,” Duany said. “It’s another good thing about me being an instructor as well. The relationships that I form, it’s not so formal when people have to come in and ask about their account or speak about their account. I know their faces, and it’s not intimidating. You come in, and you can talk to me in class. It’s the benefit of me crossing over in departments.”

Duany encourages newcomers to her cycling classes.

“It does not require much once you are all set up on your bike,” Duany said. “It’s not like you have to keep thinking and overthinking. You can come in, and you can make it as challenging or as light a workout as you want, compared to some of the other machines out there, where you need to be trained on.”

She also makes sure that members do not get discouraged after one class.

“We have 30 instructors on staff. So, if you don’t like one, try another,” Duany said. “Don’t give up after your first one. That’s what I keep saying, whether it’s any class. There are multiple instructors, definitely something here to fit you, fit your needs and what you’re looking for.”

Ultima Fitness is located in the Wellington Plaza at 12799 W. Forest Hill Blvd. For more information about classes or other services, call (561) 795-2823 or visit www.ultimafitness.com.

‘Get Fit, Not Hit’ At Title Boxing Club’s New Studio In Wellington

With the tagline “get fit, not hit,” Title Boxing Club is out to change the image of the sport from power fighting to high-energy workouts.

“We deliver the best hour of your day. That’s what we do. We are an individualized workout in a group setting. The music is on high, the instructor leads the workout. You come in, and we do the rest. All you have to do is follow along,” General Manager Scott Lewis explained.

Lewis manages both the Wellington and Palm Beach Gardens franchise locations, which are owned by Robert Prince. The Wellington location opened March 1.

Title Boxing Club is affiliated with Title Boxing, the well-known boxing gear company that provides equipment for martial arts, boxing, mixed martial arts and more. It seemed only fitting that the company expand into Title Boxing Club, a place where the average person can learn the sport of boxing using Title Boxing gear.

Unlike the popular image of boxing, Title Boxing Club members feature a high percentage of women.

“When I saw the first class,” Prince recalled, “I walked in, and it was 60 percent women. As I was talking to them, it struck me that this is something that would help people, and people would like.”

Title Boxing Club offers both boxing and kickboxing classes in a friendly, high-energy atmosphere, with different membership packages, including unlimited classes, with the club’s seven instructors, including UFC fighter Jorge Rivera.

“Our instructors are all pro and amateur mixed martial artists and boxers, as well as certified fitness professionals, and they will walk you through the class,” Lewis said. “They show you the technique, but also give you a killer workout that will burn 600 to 1,000 calories per class. With our classes, you learn a skill as you get an amazing workout.”

Classes are offered throughout the day from 5 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Noon classes Monday through Friday are a half hour. There are also signature hour classes called “Power Hour” that include a 15-minute warmup, 30 minutes of bag work and 15 minutes of core work. On Saturday and Sunday, there is a 75-minute morning class. Group strength training, fundamentals classes and private training are also offered.

“It’s not Rocky where there’s a ring and somebody spitting in a bucket. It’s a completely different experience. We’re a club, we’re a studio, basically, that has bags,” Prince said. “We have an instructor every day who is teaching you what to do. All you have to do is get over the threshold.”

The clubs are up to 75 percent women, Lewis said, explaining that the workout is tough enough for a man but designed to be empowering and comfortable for women.

There are lockers available, and loaner gloves for first classes. There are 48 heavy bags that weigh more than 100 pounds. There’s an interlocking cage system holding up 48 elevated heavy bags.

“You get a resistance workout as you hit it, as well as a cardio burn, so you build lean muscle as you’re burning calories,” Lewis explained. “Here, you can always learn a new technique with your punching and kicking.”

The typical bag weighs about 50 pounds, he said, pointing out that the bags they use are approximately 6 feet long.

“That’s what differentiates us and our workouts from our competitors,” Lewis said.

Other specialized equipment includes a speed bag, a double-end bag, as well as medicine balls and other weightlifting equipment, providing for an engaging workout that allows members to focus on the workout rather than their problems of the day.

“We’re completely non-threatening. You don’t have to be in any particular shape, size, you just come,” Prince said. “You can be uncoordinated, you can be coordinated. You can have boxed. You could have kickboxed before, or, like 98 percent of our members, you’ve never touched a glove before. You just want a good workout — somebody to help you to achieve the goals that you want.”

At Title Boxing Club, boxing gear is available for purchase, ensuring that the proper gear is used at the high-energy, community-centric club.

“The initial concept of Title Boxing really was to train the average person like a fighter trains. A fighter doesn’t come in and spar every day — we don’t do that here, nobody gets hit here — we do everything else that a fighter does. Eighty-eight percent of what a fighter does is conditioning,” Prince explained.

Attending and participating in classes with the trainers helps members reach their goals. “At the end of the day, personal training is always important, especially in the case where somebody comes in and they want to get stronger, or in the case where they want to lose weight,” Prince said. “We’re here, and we believe in our members, and we want to meet what their needs are. Everyone likes a challenge.”

Prince likened Title Boxing Club to golf, where practice and participation increases skills. “You want to get more involved, and you want to get better at it,” he said.

Wellington’s Title Boxing Club holds special community events with partners Buffalo Wild Wings, Glazed and Confused, Hand & Stone and other local companies. Recently, there was a special event called Boxing After Dark, with glow-in-the-dark accessories.

“It’s a community club,” Prince said. “We do fun events, like member get-togethers and member socials.”

They also work within the community, including the Knockout Parkinson’s program, offering classes for those with Parkinson’s disease to have workouts that help with their symptoms. Employees also visit at St. Mary’s Children’s Hospital with mitts and gloves. “We probably get more out of it than the kids,” Prince said.

Special classes will also take place at the Mall at Wellington Green, including jiu-jitsu, strength/conditioning and women’s self-defense as part of a group of fitness businesses working together with Nordstrom.

Each month, Title Boxing Club holds an open house event with a different theme. Prince offers the first class for free, allowing people to learn more about the facility. Prospective members should come in a half hour early to get settled.

Title Boxing Club Wellington is located at 2863 S. State Road 7, Suite 100. For more information, call (561) 660-8212 or visit www.titleboxingclub.com/wellington-fl. Find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/titleboxingclubwellington.

Wellington Regional Medical Center  Designated A Comprehensive Stroke Center

Recognizing the prevalence of stroke-related hospital visits, Wellington Regional Medical Center made a commitment to the community to become a Comprehensive Stroke Center, which allows the hospital to care for some of the most complex cases and allows residents to receive care without having to leave the Wellington area.

WRMC is one of only 40 hospitals in Florida with this advanced designation.

“Previously, residents of Wellington and the surrounding communities were transported out of the area for stroke care,” WRMC CEO Robbin Lee said. “Now, not only can we treat our residents here in their community, we provide stroke care that follows nationally recognized guidelines that ultimately saves lives and improves the outcomes of stroke.”

The Comprehensive Stroke Center designation is given to hospitals that have distinct abilities to treat the most complex neurovascular diseases, such as stroke. WRMC’s dedicated, multi-disciplinary stroke team, which is specially trained and available to care for stroke patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week, includes a neuro-interventionalist, neurosurgeon, neurologists, emergency room physicians, intensivists, critical care registered nurses and a stroke coordinator.

To support the program, WRMC invested in a state-of-the-art neurointerventional lab that features a biplane angiography system to diagnose and treat strokes and other neurovascular diseases. The new equipment provides 3D technology, allowing for optimal evaluation of the neurological vascular system for diagnostic and treatment purposes.

The neurointerventional program is led by Medical Director Dr. Juan Gomez, a board-certified radiologist with fellowship training in neurointerventional radiology, neurodiagnostic radiology and vascular/interventional radiology. Gomez performs procedures in the neurological field and has vast experience in endovascular treatment of lower extremity arterial disease, venous disease and aortic aneurism treatment.

According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA), stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States. On average, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 40 seconds, someone dies of a stroke every four minutes and nearly 800,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.

WRMC recently received the AHA/ASA’s Get with the Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award with Target: Stroke Honor Roll. The award recognizes the hospital’s commitment to providing the most appropriate stroke treatment to patients according to nationally recognized guidelines.

“These quality measures are designed to help our team follow the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients,” said Alice Cruikshank, stroke coordinator of WRMC’s Comprehensive Stroke Program. “This recognition underscores the team’s hard work, but more importantly, it means we are doing the right thing for our patients.”

In an effort to educate the public about the signs and symptoms of stroke and the importance of calling 9-1-1 as soon as possible, WRMC has teamed up with the AHA/ASA as the Together to End Stroke community partner. Four-foot-tall red letters that spell out “FAST” have been touring Palm Beach County since February, warning people to look for the following signs:

F – Facial drooping: Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile. Is the person’s smile uneven or lopsided?

A – Arm weakness: Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

S – Speech difficulty: Is speech slurred? Is the person unable to speak or hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence. Is the person able to correctly repeat the words?

T – Time to call 9-1-1: If someone shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and say, “I think this is a stroke.” This will help get the person to the hospital immediately, since time is of the essence.

The FAST letters were recently on display at the Wellington Community Center, where Gomez addressed a group of nearly 60 people on the signs and symptoms of stroke.

The engaged crowd asked several important questions, understanding that spotting the signs of someone having a stroke and reacting quickly can make a big difference in the outcome of a person’s stroke.

The letters are scheduled to make appearances at the Palm Beach Zoo, Lion Country Safari and the Mall at Wellington Green, among other places throughout the county.

The hospital was also recognized in a proclamation by Wellington Mayor Anne Gerwig, declaring May as National Stroke Month and lauding the hospital for its efforts to make Wellington a healthier community through education and providing important lifesaving programs.

“Stokes can occur to anyone at any time. Leading a healthy lifestyle, including exercising, eating a balanced diet and not smoking, can reduce the risk of stroke,” Gomez said. “Recognizing the signs of stroke, calling 9-1-1 and getting someone to a hospital like Wellington Regional Medical Center, which is prepared to treat complex strokes, is extremely important. I am proud to work with WRMC and the AHA/ASA to make a difference by getting out into the community and educating our residents on stroke.”

Wellington Regional Medical Center is a 233-bed acute-care hospital celebrating more than 30 years of treating residents in Wellington and the surrounding area. For more information, visit www.wellingtonregional.com. “The whole reason I took on a job with Orangetheory two and half years ago was because of the different vibe. It’s more family based,” he said. “We don’t just go like big gyms, ‘Oh, another person in here; enjoy your workout.’ We try to get personal with our members.”

Cohen continues to add personal touches to the fitness experience at Orangetheory, calling his members to ask about their dieting outside of the gym and pushing them to meet their goals.

“If somebody comes in here and tells me they’re looking to lose 15 to 20 pounds, two weeks later I’m going to call that person and ask them how it’s going,” Cohen said. “I’m going to ask them if they’ve been coming in. I’m going to ask them if they’ve been changing a little bit of their dieting habits.”

Orangetheory Wellington is located at 2625 N. State Road 7, For more information, call (561) 296-0485 or visit http://wellington.orangetheoryfitness.com.

New Level II NICU Open At Palms West Hospital For Tiniest Patients

Forty weeks is a long time to look forward to any event. If that event is the birth of a child, you will probably experience a full range of emotions while you wait — everything from joy to anxiousness. When the baby is born, you will be flooded with a sense of relief that everything has gone well.

But what if everything has not gone well? What if the baby is born too early or has a serious medical issue? The all-consuming emotion then is likely fear.

Palms West Hospital can now put those fears to rest. Long regarded for its focus on family-centered care, the hospital recently opened its new Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and renovated 10 maternity suites located in the adjacent birthing center.

Originally opening in 1986, the New Life Center at Palms West Hospital has spent 30 years listening to what parents want and what doctors need. The new state-of-art Level II NICU is the result.

Because not every baby born is a “well baby,” nor even a Level I baby, parents of infants with complex medical conditions can now stay together and focus on providing the needed support to their newest family member in comfortable, secure and private NICU suites while highly trained specialists do their jobs using the latest state-of-the-art technology.

“Our private rooms allow for intimate bonding time, which is ultimately difficult to achieve in a semi-private setting,” said Eric Goldman, CEO of Palms West Hospital. “Our NICU’s family-centered care environment provides these newborns and their parents with all the loving support they need and deserve.”

Each room is equipped with incubators, ventilators and other specialized equipment for premature newborns. Because family-centered care is such a priority at Palms West Hospital, the upgrades incorporate NicView Streaming technology, which allows families to view their newborn from a secure camera portal anytime, anywhere, on any device with internet access.

“NicView Streaming was a priority for us. Families should not miss a second of their baby’s early moments,” New Life Center Clinical Director Toni Ahern said.

Palms West Hospital is one of only five hospitals in Florida with this unique technology. “We are thrilled to unveil the upgrades to our New Life Center,” Ahern added. “The expansion is much more than decorative — we have expanded our staff and services to ensure that it is the safest place to welcome your baby.”

The new Level II NICU is staffed around-the-clock by board-certified neonatologists, experienced nurses, respiratory therapists, anesthesiologists and social workers in a unit that is equipped with the technology and equipment required to provide the most advanced and specialized care.

Dr. Bernardo Pimentel of South Dade Neonatologists specializes in the treatment of premature babies. He is very excited that the new Level II NICU is open at Palms West Hospital. “Level II is level of care provided to newborns who weigh one kilo or more,” Pimentel explained. “Typically, five to seven percent of all pregnancies result in premature births, often to younger mothers, diabetics, those with hypertension or drug addicts.”

Construction began on the new Level II NICU in January and was completed in mid-April at a cost of $4.9 million. “This unit is brand new,” Pimentel said. “There are big rooms. We can keep the mother there and they can see what we are doing with the capability of a camera. After she is released, the mother can see the baby from home. If the father is a soldier or out of state, he can see the baby through the internet.”

The fact that a neonatologist is on site 24 hours a day is also a real advantage, Pimentel stressed. No longer does the onsite doctor have to call for a specialist, then wait for the specialist to arrive.

Pimentel is also pleased with the highly trained neonatal nursing staff. “They are very capable nurses there,” Pimentel said. “They are well-prepared, and now they will get even more experience because they have the opportunity to deal with sicker babies. The babies will get the best care. We have always encouraged the participation of the parents in the baby’s care. Yet, in the past, a baby with issues had to be transferred somewhere else because we didn’t have the space, and it was only a Level I NICU. The expanded New Life Center is a good thing for the community and the entire area.”

Goldman said that new Level II NICU is an important upgrade for the hospital. “The addition of the neonatal intensive care unit was the missing piece of the Palms West Hospital puzzle,” he said. “For 31 years, we’ve been providing outstanding care in our children’s hospital, utilizing the most comprehensive group of physician specialists in more than 25 different pediatric specialties. Now we are able to extend that care, which is typically only found in university settings, to our newest and most fragile patients.

This serves as an example of our commitment to the western communities to be the leader in providing quality care with the most advanced technology to the patients we serve.”

Palms West Hospital is located at 13001 Southern Blvd. For more info., call (561) 798-3300 or visit www.palmswesthospital.com.

Pure Barre’s Unique Workout Is Gaining Popularity In Wellington

Micah Peters has been a fixture at the Pure Barre studio in Wellington since it opened. She has been the manager of the location since May 2014.

“I’ve been managing the studio since then, but I took over in November,” said Peters, who now owns the local fitness studio. “It was an opportunity that I could not pass up.”

Peters fell in love with the Pure Barre community and its unique workout when she was studying at Florida International University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in nutrition and dietetics. Paired with her cheerleading and dance background, Pure Barre, a combination of Pilates and ballet, was the perfect fit.

After Peters graduated, she learned that Pure Barre was opening in Wellington — her hometown. She knew it was the perfect opportunity to get involved as a teacher. “If you can hold onto the bar, you can do Pure Barre,” she said.

Pure Barre offers a beginners’ class called Pure Foundations for anyone who has taken five or fewer classes, where participants learn the various building blocks to the exercises in a hands-on, individualized small-class setting.

The typical 55-minute class can have up to 23 participants. “We target each muscle section to shake fatigue, and then stretch them out to create long, lean muscles, stretching each muscle section after we work it,” Peters said. “It’s low impact and easy on the joints. The workout was created by a woman and is geared toward a woman’s body, targeting the areas that women struggle with.”

However, men are also encouraged to join, and there are often special events to introduce men to Pure Barre. Nationwide, some NFL players take classes to sharpen their skills.

Participants must be 16 or older to take the class, which uses body weight for resistance, medicine balls, resistance tubes, and two-, three- and five-pound weights.

There are more than 450 studios across the country, with a similar layout in each, Peters explained, with a welcoming area, retail section, studio and cubbies for personal items.

The dress code is leggings or capris — shorts aren’t allowed because you want to keep your legs warm — a tank top or T-shirt, but no bare midriffs, and socks. Socks with grips are recommended.

Pure Barre isn’t just a workout, Peters stressed.

“It’s the community. It’s the environment. Seeing women come in here every day, the changes in their body, mentally, physically… it’s more than just a workout,” she explained. “The mental capacity, the physical capacity, the mind-body connection you have in it and seeing the change in others, and inspiring others and being inspired by clients as well. It’s amazing to see results in clients.”

Clients see results in as little as 10 classes, she said, and are able to find a familiar environment and workout when they travel. They also form lasting relationships.

“Clients will have met here, and they go on trips to New York together,” Peters said. “This is more than a workout. Friendships are developed here.”

Pure Barre has different milestones that are celebrated, be it 100 classes, 250 classes, 500 classes, 750 classes or 1,000 classes. When a client hits one of those milestones, they sign a bar in the back and receive a pair of socks.

Peters has seen clients overcome injuries and grow stronger, enjoy the challenge and transform their bodies. Pure Barre offers multiple membership packages, including those for brides-to-be and those who want to bounce back from having a baby.

Pure Barre is a challenge whether it is your first class or 1,000th class, she said, but always a great experience.

“Once you’re hooked, you’re hooked,” Peters said. “Once Pure Barre is in your life, it’s one of those things where you don’t ever want to let it go.”

For those who have never taken a class, Peters suggests coming a few minutes early — and be sure to keep an open mind.

“The first class can be a little bit overwhelming,” she said. “That’s completely normal. Give it a few tries, and you’ll definitely see results, because it is an effective exercise. It’s also fun to bring a friend because they hold you accountable, and you’re able to work out and have a good time together while changing your body.”

The Pure Barre experience is one that Peters truly enjoys sharing with her community.

“Pure Barre has always been a positive thing in my life,” Peters said. “It’s a dream for me to be able to actually say, ‘this is mine.’”

Pure Barre classes are listed online, where attendees are able to sign up and reserve a spot morning, afternoon and evening. Unlike other classes, attendees are able to sign up weeks in advance or on their way over. Walk-ins are accepted, and attendees can sign up for a class in the Pure Barre app. The Wellington location offers a new client special, as well as other promotions and packages.

Pure Barre Wellington is located at 11924 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 22, in Wellington Town Square. For more information, call (561) 469-7943, e-mail wellington@purebarre.com or visit www.purebarre.com/fl-wellington.

Orangetheory’s Heart-Rate-Monitored Training Helps Members Meet Goals

Orangetheory Fitness Wellington is one of more than 500 Orangetheory studio locations worldwide offering heart-rate-monitored personal training, interval fitness programs.

One of the main goals at Orangetheory is to strive for a calorie afterburn or the “excess post-exercise oxygen consumption” (EPOC) effect, as Studio Manager Kevin Cohen explained. According to this method, the body will continue to burn calories after exercise when pushing the body to its limits during workouts.

“Depending on your height and your weight, things like that, you could burn from 300 to 700 calories 36 hours after the workout, as well as however many calories you burn in your workout,” Cohen said.

The fitness club is a group-training facility, so clients are always working in groups when training at an Orangetheory location. Still, Cohen said they set up consultations with members who are working toward their own specific goals while exercising alongside others.

“Before anybody takes their first class with us, we have them come in 30 to 40 minutes early,” Cohen said. “We develop a personal touch and have them fill out a clientele intake form.”

Those personal touches are what Orangetheory locations work toward to give every member a unique experience.

“We go over their goals and see what they’re trying to accomplish, as well as introduce them to the trainer,” Cohen said. “It’s 20 minutes with us and 20 minutes with the trainer, and that’s pretty much how we get an idea for exactly what kind of workout we’re going to have for them and what we need to modify.”

The moment they step into the gym, clients are given heart rate monitors to use during exercise, and then personal heart rates are displayed on LED screens throughout the gym. There are five color-coded levels, which correlate with a percentage of your maximum heart rate: Gray, Blue, Green, Orange and Red.

“There is not going to be one person who is going to try to keep up with another person’s speed throughout the whole class,” Cohen said. “Everyone is going to go at their own pace.”

The goal is to be exercising with heart rates in the orange and red zones for the majority of the time. This gives the body the best chance to reach EPOC, the afterburn effect. “You can definitely push yourself more with the heart rate monitor,” Cohen said. “Just seeing your zones up there on the screen, you know if you’re slacking or not.”

Each class is 60 minutes long. They feature intervals of cardiovascular and strength training. During an individual’s consultation with an Orangetheory trainer, the client will get to work on goals and key in on personal fitness areas, whether it be weight loss, strength building, muscle tone and more.

When you leave the Orangetheory gym, the heart rate training doesn’t have to stop.

“The heart rate monitors that we use here can also be used outside the studio. If you’re going for a jog or going to play basketball, you can download the app, hook it up, and then you can actually see what heart rate zones you’re in,” Cohen said.

Cohen originally started working for Orangetheory at its headquarters studio in Fort Lauderdale, where the Orangetheory fitness journey began in 2010. Cohen was once a skeptic of heart-rate-monitored training, but has since found it to be personally effective.

“I really started focusing on that and going into some details with that and learning about it, and, personally, I’ve already lost a lot of weight, and my condition has gone up [by] huge numbers,” Cohen said. “I would definitely say it’s the EPOC effect.”

Cohen enjoys the culture at Orangetheory Wellington.

“The whole reason I took on a job with Orangetheory two and half years ago was because of the different vibe. It’s more family based,” he said. “We don’t just go like big gyms, ‘Oh, another person in here; enjoy your workout.’ We try to get personal with our members.”

Cohen continues to add personal touches to the fitness experience at Orangetheory, calling his members to ask about their dieting outside of the gym and pushing them to meet their goals.

“If somebody comes in here and tells me they’re looking to lose 15 to 20 pounds, two weeks later I’m going to call that person and ask them how it’s going,” Cohen said. “I’m going to ask them if they’ve been coming in. I’m going to ask them if they’ve been changing a little bit of their dieting habits.”

Orangetheory Wellington is located at 2625 N. State Road 7, For more information, call (561) 296-0485 or visit http://wellington.orangetheoryfitness.com.