Wellington Moms On A Mission For Families With Chronically Ill Children

Casey Cares

When Jen Sherry and Kristina Bostwick met 11 years ago through the Mom’s Club of Wellington, they realized immediately that they were destined to become friends.

Both came to Wellington from big cities — Sherry from Baltimore and Bostwick from Chicago. They each have four children of similar ages, and both know what it’s like to be the mother of a child with serious medical needs.

Their bond deepened through their children’s illnesses, comparing notes on doctors and treatments and being each other’s source of strength. Sherry’s daughter has epilepsy, which is under control thanks to her current medications, and Bostwick’s son is a healthy high school senior after having open heart surgery as a young child.

Their shared experiences made them realize how important it is to have a network of other parents who can relate to having critically ill children.

“That’s what gets you through — other families to talk to who are dealing with the same challenges,” Sherry said.

Their desire to help others made them the perfect volunteers to help launch the Casey Cares Foundation in South Florida and serve as Champion of Children honorees for its inaugural “An Evening with Casey Cares” event on Saturday, Feb. 29 at the Breakers West Country Club.

The Casey Cares Foundation was founded in Baltimore by Casey Baynes, who was inspired by working at children’s charities to create her own nonprofit focused on providing special experiences for families with a child who is fighting a life-threatening disease that requires frequent hospitalizations.

For some, the family events may be the only reprieve from hospital stays and doctors’ visits. For others, they may be one of the last events they will attend with all family members present.

When Baynes looked to Florida to expand, she called the one friend she knew would make it happen — Sherry. And she called the one friend she knew would be right there at her side — Bostwick.

“When Casey asked if I could help, my first though was ‘Yes!’ My second thought was Kristina would be a perfect partner,” Sherry said.

It was not only Bostwick’s experience as a mother, it was also her background as a neonatal intensive care unit and pediatric nurse and the can-do attitude she had as PTA president at Panther Run Elementary School. Sherry knew that her friend would understand how meaningful Casey Cares would be to Wellington and the entire South Florida community.

“It was very special that Casey recognized the most important thing is the family unit,” Bostwick said. “If you can provide a little stress relief and respite, it is a boost to the entire family’s mental health.”

While it has been only been a few months since Casey Cares launched in South Florida, Sherry and Bostwick have already rallied sponsors, donors and sports teams to contribute to the special programming that is designed to keep families’ spirits high and create lasting memories.

Their first big outing brought together two boys who have been diagnosed with cancer and their families to attend a Miami Dolphins game. While the boys didn’t know each other — one is from West Palm Beach and the other is from Miami — having their families share the experience is part of the magic of Casey Cares. “We’re making connections for families to share a special moment and create a lasting bond,” Sherry said.

Other outings in the works are an afternoon at the zoo, pizza and movie nights, and a spa day just for moms who need self-care.

For children who are hospital-bound, Casey Cares found a special way to bring joy — brand new pajamas. The program is called “Kami’s Jammies” in memory of a young Casey Cares patient who loved to receive new pajamas when she was in the hospital.

Sherry and Bostwick have created partnerships with a number of organizations to hold pajama drives, including Chick-fil-A and the South Florida Science Center & Aquarium, which made Casey Cares a beneficiary of its “Noon Year’s Eve” celebration on Tuesday, Dec. 31, asking families to bring a donation of new pajamas. The Children’s Hospital at Palms West is one of the designated hospitals that will receive the pajamas to share with patients.

An Evening with Casey Cares will be the group’s biggest Florida event yet. As the evening’s honorees, Sherry and Bostwick are looking forward to welcoming hundreds of supporters who will enjoy a seated dinner, an open bar, live music from the Bay Kings Band, a silent auction filled with unique items and more.

“One of the things Jen and I love about Wellington is how charitable our community is,” Bostwick said. “I’m happy to see my kids grow up here and be surrounded by others who give back. We’re hoping to have that same spirit at the event where people can see a kid with a big, happy smile and know that it was because of their generosity.”

An Evening with Casey Cares will take place Saturday, Feb. 29 from 6:30 to 11 p.m. at the Breakers West Country Club. Tickets are $150 per person, and tables of 10 are available.

For more information about the Casey Cares Foundation, e-mail Jennifer McCorvey, southern region development director, at jennifer@caseycaresfoundation.org, or visit www.caseycares.org.

At Fyzical Therapy & Balance Centers, The Goal Is Prevention, Not Just Repair

Proper Balance

For more than 20 years, Mike Graves has been on a mission to change the way people look at their health.

“Imagine a world where physical health and vitality is the rule rather than the exception,” Graves said. “That’s a pretty exciting world.”

But he realizes that world can only exist by properly educating people about their health. While Graves feels as if he’s making progress, he admits that he has a long way to go before reaching his goal.

Graves’ mission began in 1998 when he started Gold Coast Physical Therapy Associates. Over time, his business interests in the physical therapy profession have changed.

Currently, he is one of the original shareholders, leaders and entrepreneurs behind Fyzical Therapy & Balance Centers, a national franchise with 450 locations in 46 states, including 10 locations in Palm Beach County.

Graves and his partner Bruce White remain the sole owners in Palm Beach County and are hard at work innovating and creating prevention-oriented services for patients, with a particular focus on senior citizens.

Graves and White said their company’s mission is “to prevent needless suffering and do all in their power to help seniors flourish.”

“We do this by educating our therapists through proprietary training programs, educating our clients and leveraging new patient treatment technologies in our centers,” Graves explained.

“Helping older people improve their balance is a huge issue today,” added White, whose career in the profession started while he was recovering from an injury to his shoulder blade back in 1994.

Since its founding in 2013, Fyzical Therapy & Balance Centers has grown and expanded. Clients range in age from 5 to 105, but 60 percent of the patients are at least 60 years old. Beyond the condition they are receiving physical therapy for, the vast majority of his clients suffer from medical and health issues that Graves refers to as “diseases of affluence.” Fortunately, that scenario can change.

“Depending on the study you read, between 75 percent and 98 percent of diseases of affluence are preventable,” Graves said.

He explained that diseases of affluence are, in large part, the result of conscious decision-making. Two of the more common ones are obesity and diabetes, which are preventable with lifestyle decisions and are often tied to poor dietary choices and physical inactivity.

The physical inactivity issue is a big one, as more than 80 million U.S. residents are classified as physically inactive, according to the Physical Activity Council.

Improving those unhealthy statistics requires equipping patients with the knowledge to make their own lifestyle changes. “Getting weaker is not a byproduct of aging,” White said. “Instead, it’s a consequence of not moving. Exercising in life is like putting money away in the bank for the future.”

“We can’t mandate behavior change,” Graves added. “Instead, we must educate and provide customized, evidenced-based programs that address our clients’ specific needs. When people are armed with knowledge, and have access to trusted resources, they can make the right decisions.”

One of the company’s newest product offerings is a medically based fitness program for older patients called Fyzfit. The Fyzfit programs are currently available at the company’s locations in Boynton Beach and western Lake Worth.

“The Fyzfit program will help anybody do the basic movements in life, such as safely getting around the house, putting food away in the cabinets and picking up something from the floor,” White said.

Graves noted that one of the other big issues that seniors have to cope with is avoiding falling down. Even a fall which does not result in an injury can be costly.

“When all is said and done, the costs of a non-injury fall can average in excess of $20,000,” Graves said.

Sadly, too many falls do result in injury, which can eventually lead to an untimely death.

“When we prevent a fall, we save a life,” Graves said. “We can prevent that fall. At the very least, we can prevent a whole lot of suffering and costly medical intervention.”

At Fyzical Therapy & Balance Centers, Graves said each facility has technology designed to counter falling. It’s a specialized vestibular system technology that specifically targets a patient’s balance system, which is tied to the inner ear.

“We have technology that can improve your vestibular system and deal with dizziness,” Graves said. “We can treat people with technology and educate them about what they can do to prevent falls. We have the most advanced technology available.”

The company’s leadership is also focused on re-educating the physical therapy profession. According to Graves, too many physical therapists traditionally focus solely on episodic care, treating the client’s body part rather than seeing them as the complete individual that they are. Physical therapists can and must do so much more, he said. By looking at clients in their entirety and engaging them on those issues, lives can be changed and suffering can be prevented.

Graves said that roughly 85 percent of his company’s current clients are walking in the door seeking help to recover from an injury. Currently, only some of those patients are getting fall prevention and balance care assistance. But the percentages are changing in favor of more care designed to prevent future problems.

The joint approach by Graves and White confirms the validity of the age-old cliché, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of care.”

“We have a sick care system in the U.S., not a healthcare system,” Graves said. “We’d like to see our physical therapy education system change, but change takes time. This is a cause worth fighting for.”

White said that his goal is to change the attitudes around aging in the United States.

“Successful aging in place does not just have to be about building access ramps and grab bars,” White said. “It’s about taking control of your physical health to live the longest possible quality-filled life.”

Fyzical Therapy & Balance Centers has 10 locations in Palm Beach County. To find the nearest location to you, visit www.fyzicalpbc.com or call (561) 331-3636.

Todd And Amanda Minikus Have A Partnership Focused On Horses And Family

Minikus Family

Todd and Amanda Minikus have had an enduring love affair with horses — and each other. They first met at the prestigious National Horse Show at Madison Square Garden in New York City in the late 1990s, just a couple of equestrians at one of the biggest shows in the United States.

“Todd was trying to steal my pallet for my equipment to be taken up,” Amanda recalled. “Needless to say, he was unsuccessful.”

Several years later, Amanda ended up working for Todd. Fast forward a few more years and Todd was finally able to steal her heart. They were married on Jan. 6, 2008.

The 2020 season is Todd Minikus’ 40th as a professional rider and 35th competing in Grand Prix competitions — an amazing achievement in the world of show jumping. He has won more than 150 Grand Prix classes and represented the U.S. on numerous occasions, including medal-winning Nations Cup and Pan American Games teams.

Todd also won the Million Dollar Grand Prix in Saugerties, N.Y., en route to earning the prestigious Equestrian of the Year award in 2014. That same year, his horse Quality Girl earned the top ranking for Horse of the Year with the most cumulative points.

“I am very proud of the accomplishments I have achieved so far,” Todd said of his lengthy career. “The more I do this, the more I realize I didn’t know anything about training horses and you still learn every day.”

Minikus, who grew up near Des Moines, Iowa, was also involved in bull riding when he was younger. He often attends the annual Professional Bull Riding Championships. He also enjoys NASCAR and went to the race in Charlotte in 2019.

“I love the sport. It’s the best sport in the world,” Todd said of bull riding. “I just played around with it. I just love all fast sports. Maybe I’m an adrenaline junkie.”

At their 10-acre compound in a gated community near Wellington, Todd is in charge of riding and training, while Amanda is in charge of everything else. When Todd is away at shows, Amanda takes over the riding and care of the horses at home. They moved into their four-bedroom home and 24-stall barn compound on Thanksgiving Day in 2010.

“It has been a partnership for more than 20 years, and at this point we have really found a balance between the two of us that makes it really work,” Amanda said. “As far as rules, no rules. Hard work and do it right.”

“My wife is always right,” Todd said. “Well, we are still alive.”

Balancing career and family can sometimes be tricky, but together they make it work. Their secret? “I have no idea,” Todd said. “We take it one day at a time.”

Minikus, who turns 58 years old on June 11, is planning to be busy during the current season at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington.

“I have a string of younger horses that I am bringing along and hoping to get some top horses to add to my string,” said Todd, who also trains and coaches several other competitors at various levels.

Robert Reyers of Wellington enjoys training with Todd Minikus.

“He’s one of the great American riders,” said Reyers, who trains with Todd six days a week. “He’s very visual. He’ll get off his horse and get on my horse to show me the right way.”

Even during training, Todd injects some fun into it.

“He has a very good sense of humor,” Reyers said. “And he’s a big family man. Everything he does, he does for his kids.”

Todd and Amanda have two children — Colt, 11, and Langley, 8. They also have several dogs, including Rhodesian ridgebacks. Managing it all together just works out for them.

“I cannot say there is any kind of program to make it all work. It somehow just happens,” Amanda said. “Our son Colt plays tennis and golf and is an extreme Lego builder. Our daughter Langley rides and does gymnastics. Langley shows a lot of promise with her riding. The barn chores tend to be difficult, seeing as both of our children are allergic to horses. Who would have thought?”

Langley will get itchy eyes and must take allergy medicine to alleviate the symptoms, Amanda explained.

With so much going on at home with the horses and children, spare time is hard to come by.

“There is really not too much time for relaxing,” Todd said. “It is a 24-hour occupation. But if there are moments, hanging at our house would be one of them.”

Equestrian Sport Productions President Michael Stone, a former rider and coach at the highest levels of international horse sports, has been watching top competitors for many years.

“Todd is one of the world’s top riders and has been able to maintain that for a long time,” Stone said. “It is not a matter of luck that he has remained at the top for all these years. He is, without a doubt, one of nature’s gentlemen.”

Equestrian insurance executive Joe Norick has known Todd since the 1980s when they met while both were in Arizona.

“To me, there’s no better horseman,” said Norick, who also is impressed by Todd’s teaching ability and his sense of humor. “He’s an amazing teacher. He’s super nice and warm. He doesn’t yell; he’s not mean. He’s like, let’s fix it, let’s make the horse better, let’s make the rider better, let’s make the team better.”

Todd and Amanda Minikus, as a team, are getting better every day.

To learn more about Todd Minikus, visit www.toddminikusshowjumping.com.

After Stellar 2019, Alex Granato Has Big Plans For 2020  With Top Mount Carlchen W 

Rising Star

Remember the name Alex Granato. A rising star in the ultra-competitive U.S. show jumping realm, he is on the cusp of becoming a household name, joining the likes of superstars such as McLain Ward, Kent Farrington, Margie Engle and Laura Kraut.

Granato, who is originally from Salt Lake City but now calls Wellington home, is coming off an exceptional 2019 season and looking forward to raised expectations. He has worked his way up in the industry, dominating the Midwest circuit for many years before coming to Wellington. He has won more than 50 Grand Prix events during his career, but last year was one to remember.

“I feel like my 2019 season was surreal,” said Granato, a relative newcomer to the Winter Equestrian Festival circuit in Wellington. “I think it was a big year for me to learn about putting the proper attention on my horses and my program. And to also be looking forward and planning for new goals.”

Granato and his most prominent mount, Carlchen W, a naturally fast and quick horse, were consistently contending for top honors throughout 2019. They won several major events, including a World Cup qualifier in Wellington last February and another World Cup qualifier in Columbus, Ohio in October. They were also part of the silver medal-winning U.S. Nations Cup team in Mexico in early May.

Their steady, reliable record resulted in Granato’s selection to his first Pan American Games, held in Lima, Peru in early August, where the U.S. team earned the bronze medal.

One of his Pan Am teammates was four-time Olympian and two-time Olympic team gold medalist Beezie Madden.

“Alex does not necessarily remind me of anyone in particular, but I think he is a great representative of the American style,” said Madden, a fan favorite at WEF. “He is very comfortable working out of a forward gallop and being aggressive, making him very competitive.”

Jeff Gogul is a top hunter rider who has known Granato for many years.

“His talent is God-given,” Gogul said. “I think he’s thoughtful and intuitive with his horses. He doesn’t rush horses along. He helps them meet their potential. He spent a lot of time with Carl, and they have had two incredible seasons. He knows when to push and when to back off.”

With his spectacular 2019 season in the rearview mirror, Granato has formulated a specific blueprint for 2020 with Carlchen W.

“My plan is to focus on a few important weeks and qualify for the 2020 FEI World Cup Finals in Las Vegas,” the 36-year-old Granato said. “I am also going to put focus toward some new horses that I’m excited about.”

The FEI World Cup Finals are April 15-19 in Las Vegas with a key qualifier in late January in Wellington and another in early March in Ocala. The top seven riders advance to the finals. Heading into the season, Granato and Carlchen W were in ninth place, just three points out of seventh.

Page Tredennick, who owns Carlchen W, remembers being aware of Granato when he was a junior, riding in Arizona and Colorado.

“I always admired his skill and drive even when he had tough horses,” Tredennick said. “I started working with him six years ago when my daughter was transitioning out of the horses and headed to grad school. That was when I purchased Carl, and he assumed the ride on my other Grand Prix horse Tanner.”

Granato runs the hunter-jumper barn Mad Season, based out of Wellington and Lexington, Kentucky, with professional rider Josh Dolan. It is named in honor of the horse Granato purchased during his last year as a junior competitor. They went on to win more than 20 Grand Prix events over the next decade.

Even on days when Granato isn’t showing, he stays busy, first by walking his dogs and then heading to the barn.

“I check in with everyone and get started on our plan for the day,” Granato said. “After riding and lessons, I’ll run a couple of errands and maybe grab some lunch. Then back to the barn for chores with the minis.”

On off days, Granato relaxes by spending time with friends either just cooking at home, going to movies or going to Drive Shack.

Granato stressed that his recent success isn’t just his.

“There is a long list of people who have supported and helped me along the way,” Granato said. “Just highlighting some… my family has always been behind the scenes encouraging me. The Tredennicks have trusted me to work with their horses and let me develop Carlchen to where he is now. And perhaps the most instrumental in helping me do what I’ve done has been Josh [Dolan]. He has always given it to me straight and helped me with the program and plan with the horses.”

In his spare time, Granato helps rescue and rehabilitate miniature horses for the Peeps Foundation, a nonprofit he and Dolan created.

“The Peeps Foundation has become a real group effort with Josh, myself, our staff and our clients all getting involved,” Granato said. “We do all the daily care, 90 percent of the feet trimming, we assist Josh with all the glue extensions and corrective shoes, and we’re constantly working on new rescues to help.”

Madden recalls Granato as an exceptional teammate.

“He is a wonderful person with a great sense of humor and can be very entertaining,” Madden said. “He also has a great sense of compassion, as evidenced by his work with the Peeps Foundation.”

Granato and Carlchen W, an 11-year-old warmblood gelding, have swiftly moved up the ranks to the be among the best combinations in the sport.

“Alex is honest and straightforward,” Tredennick said. “He’s quiet and a hard worker. “He’s Type A around the horses and reliable. Overall, he is a really good person.”

Learn more about Alex Granato and follow his career by visiting www.alexgranato.com.

 

Darragh Kenny Back In Wellington After A Show-Stopping European Tour

Peak Performance

Twelve consecutive weeks spent in the same community may not seem very permanent to some, but for Ireland’s highest-ranked show jumping athlete Darragh Kenny, it’s just about the closest thing he has to home.

The time Kenny spends competing in Wellington at the Winter Equestrian Festival, the Palm Beach Masters series and the Wellington Turf Tour could be considered the calm before the storm that is his peripatetic lifestyle as a professional athlete.

Following the 2019 WEF circuit, Kenny spent the remainder of his year traveling to a new city nearly every single weekend while climbing his way up the world rankings. Kenny highlighted his most successful year to date by accomplishing his personal milestone of breaking into the world’s top 10 in October and concluded the year as the No. 8-ranked athlete on the Longines FEI world ranking list.

In 2019, Kenny amassed an astounding résumé of top results across the globe. With Balou du Reventon, owned by Ann Thompson, he earned two prestigious 5* Grand Prix wins in the summer, which include the LGCT Grand Prix of Shanghai and the €500,000 Rolex Grand Prix in Knokke Hippique. The pair also produced two clear rounds in the 2019 Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup Final in Barcelona to earn team gold and the coveted final Olympic qualification slot for the Irish show jumping team in October, before going on to finish in second place in the LGCT Super Grand Prix at the Prague Playoffs in November.

Thompson’s Romeo 88 saw top results with Kenny through 2019, highlighted by second-place finishes in both the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Verona CSI5*-W in November and Kenny’s first Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final at CHI de Genève in December. Thompson is a valuable owner, also providing the ride on Important de Muze, which captured wins at the Sweden and London international horse shows, as well as sharing ownership with Kenny in Classic Dream, which finished in third place in the LGCT Grand Prix of London CSI5* and fourth in the Longines Grand Prix of Paris CSI5*.

Other notable finishes include victory in the $134,000 Kentucky Spring Grand Prix CSI3* and fifth place in the €1,000,000 Rolex Grand Prix CSI5* at CHIO Aachen with Jack Snyder’s Babalou 41. Vlock Show Stables owns two of Kenny’s additional top mounts, Scarlett du Sart Z and Billy Dorito, which earned wins in Kentucky in the $35,000 Commonwealth Grand Prix and the $36,000 Welcome Speed Stake CSI4* at the National Horse Show, respectively.

While 2019 was a monumental year for Kenny, 2020 holds a lot on the horizon for the 32-year-old Irish show jumper as he kicks off his competition year in Wellington with sights set on his first Olympic Games in Tokyo in August. Kenny will use the Florida winter circuit to prepare, which has made up a major portion of his competition schedule for the past 10 years, leading him to purchase a home and add a base in Wellington for his international business of Oakland Stables, which he owns and operates with American show jumper Hardin Towell. The Wellington location gives their global operation three bases, with additional locations in Thermal, Calif., and Meijel, Netherlands.

“I had a very busy year in 2019 as I traveled to compete every weekend, but it was rewarding to achieve one of my own goals, which was to be ranked in the top 10 in the world. I couldn’t have done any of this without Hardin’s support in managing our business in America,” Kenny said. “It is always nice to come back to Florida in the winter because it feels a good bit like home. It also gives Hardin and I a chance to work on organizing the business at the start of each year.”

Together with Towell, the international operation offers development and sales of high-performance horses, along with an elite training program for students of all levels. Its continued growth keeps Kenny especially busy during his stint in Wellington, as he spends his time training his students in addition to managing the business, while also competing an extensive string of promising horses.

“[WEF] is really good because it has so many different rings, and the horses can show so many weeks. You can really get to know the horses better,” Kenny explained. “I am able to teach, train and ride at all levels in one place.”

Kenny’s current string boasts a diverse group that ranges from up-and-coming young horses to experienced CSI5* mounts. Many of his Oakland Stables-owned young horses stay in Europe until they are ready to campaign as sale horses in Florida. The team is showcasing four new 8-year-olds this circuit with hopes of producing them along to sell while continuing to compete with Kenny.

For now, it’s a welcomed change for Kenny as he spends his time in Wellington and takes the opportunity to stay in one place for the full three months of the circuit.

Oakland Stables offers training and sales at locations in Wellington, Fla.; Thermal, Calif.; and Meijel, Netherlands. Visit www.oaklandstables.net to learn more.