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.