Krista

Kinesiologist


Krista Whittaker is a registered Kinesiologist located on beautiful Vancouver Island in Nanaimo, BC. She received her Bachelor of Kinesiology at UBC, completing in 2016. Krista takes pride in working with many different populations. 

As an athlete herself, Krista has always had a fascination for the study of human movement and a great understanding of the human body. Krista has been able to take her passion and mold it into the career that best suits her, an industry-leading kinesiologist. Putting people and relationships first, Krista builds on this to ensure positive and effective intervention. 

Krista has gained over 10 years of experience working with children who have learning disabilities. She has volunteered at many different agencies including Soccer Dogs, Special Olympics, Active Start and Claro life. All of these programs have given Krista indescribable experience working with children  and a keen, unique perspective on intervention. Krista is able to build positive relationships with the kids she works with, leading to greater intervention and development. Krista leads with child-centered care, always putting the child first. 

Krista is always wanting to learn more and has a constant drive for continuing education. Having her experience and knowledge, Krista has an innate ability to break down movements, apply evidence- based practice and correct movements in fun and creative ways.  She is able to restore dysfunction and/or painful movement patterns. This assists her in all the populations she works with.

 

When Krista is not practicing, you’ll find her reading, studying and continuing to build on her passions. Krista also likes to explore the great outdoors and does lots of camping, fishing, snowboarding and hiking. When Krista does have a spare second, she often finds herself baking in the kitchen, her specialty being chocolate, peanut butter cupcake.

Certifications

  1. BKIN – UBC (May 2016)
  2. Advanced Exercise Prescription (September 2017)
  3. Advanced Vestibular Rehabilitation ( November 2018)
  4. Behaviour Interventionist (May 2019)
  5. Functional Movement Specialist (May 2020)
  6. Soft Tissue Release Certification (November 2020)
  7. Masters of Science in Kinesiology (ongoing)
  8. Strength and Conditioning certification (ongoing)

Wildewood Health = When I first started my health care journey, I wanted to practice in senior health and increase independent living. This passion stemmed from my realizing how lucky I was to have all my grandparents alive and well for my childhood. I was even luckier to have two strong, intelligent, whole-hearted grandmas by my side. This is where the name comes from, Wilde being my grannies maiden name and wood being my grandmas. Having their strength, wit and love fuelling me everyday.

Lucas

Athletic Therapist & Kinesiologist


Lucas is a graduate from the Athletic and Exercise Therapy (BAET) program at Camosun College in Victoria B.C. Lucas has experience working with a range of athletes, from the weekend warrior up to national level rugby players. You will find Lucas using his knowledge of rehabilitation through a range of manual treatment and exercise therapy.

Lucas grew up snowboarding and playing competitive lacrosse, through which his love of sport and physical activity, as well as personal experience with multiple injuries led him to pursue  Athletic Therapy. Lucas saw the value of exercise therapy first hand and wants to help everybody get back to their full potential, on or off the field.

Lucas has worked as a Student Athletic Therapist with the Jr Shamrocks Lacrosse team on their way to a runner up finish at the Minto Cup, Canadas Jr National Championships. Following that season, joined Rugby Canada in their preparation for the Tokyo Olympics.

Lucas works in a goal-oriented style helping you get back to sport or just every day life as quickly and safely as possible. Whatever the end goal, he is there to help along the way.

If he isn’t at the clinic you can most likely find him mountain biking with his dog Kai up in the hills surrounding Nanaimo.

Jalin

Athletic Therapist


Jalin Couper is a registered Athletic Therapist here in Nanaimo, British Columbia. She received her Bachelor of Athletic and Exercise Therapy at Camosun College in 2017. Prior to that, she completed her Bachelor of Science in Human Kinetics at St. Francis Xavier University in 2014. Her passion is getting everyone back to doing what they love from gardening to rec soccer to national competitions.

Her passion for athletics started at an early age, playing a variety of sports. It was a rare night that she was not at some sporting event or another. To this day not much has changed, now instead of wearing a jersey she is there providing medical care for athletes of all skill levels, keeping them on the field of play. Her eagerness to help people return to sport/activity came from dealing with her own injuries which fueled her desire to learn more about the human body along with the best ways to rehabilitate post-injury.

Over the past 10 years, Jalin has been working with a variety of athletes from all skill levels and ages. She works with teams like VI Raiders Football to Sr. B Men’s Timbermen Lacrosse to Rugby Canada’s Youth and Senior National teams.

Jalin’s treatment plans are very hands-on and personalized to the specific needs of the client. She will be with you every step of the way from injury through clinical rehabilitation back to a full return to play or activity, till you have reached your goals.

When not in the clinic you can find Jalin lacing up the skates at the rink or exploring the forests with her pup Nikko.

Katy

Kinesiologist


Katy Wright is a registered kinesiologist living in Nanaimo, BC. She received her Bachelors of Kinesiology at Vancouver Island University in 2020. Katy has lived in Nanaimo for 14 years and is passionate about making a positive difference in her community.

In her youth, Katy enjoyed participating in a variety of sports and athletics. She played on organized sports teams including basketball, volleyball, and softball, and also enjoyed creative activities like dance lessons. Growing up on the island, Katy favored seasonal activities like snowboarding in the winter and kayaking in the summer. Currently, Katy stays active by going to the gym and spending time in the beautiful outdoors of BC.

During her undergrad, Katy had the opportunity to learn about the various fundamental movement skills associated with different activities and sports. She is committed to advocating for inclusive play and adaptive activities for atypical children. She understands the importance of developing lifelong habits like physical activity, nutrition, and mental well-being. Katy has always had the right enthusiasm and energy to work with young children and enjoys getting creative. She is never shy to sing, dance, or get silly! Her interest in human anatomy and fundamental movement skills was what inspired her to pursue kinesiology as a profession.

In her spare time, Katy enjoys practicing her guitar, singing, and dancing. She loves to spend time having fun with her family and friends. Katy has been a vegetarian for the last 7 years and is passionate about sustainable eating practices. She has a little black tabby cat named Lucy who loves to cuddle and play.

Jenna

Athletic Therapist & Kinesiologist


Jenna graduated from the Bachelors of Athletic and Exercise Therapy program at Camosun College in 2022. Throughout her time as a student, she had the opportunity to work in a multitude of sports at Shawnigan Lake School. In addition, she worked with high-performance athletes at Rugby Canada, which was an incredible experience and personal goal of hers.

Using exercise as a tool for injury, pain, and lifestyle changes, Jenna is keen to work with all populations. She is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, which is applicable to all the athletes she works with. Jenna has always led a healthy, active lifestyle and knows the importance of this is for people’s happiness, livelihoods, and overall wellness. When working with her clients, she wants to ensure that their bodies don’t stand in the way of doing what they love, whether that be injury prevention, pain management, lifting and so much more.

In her spare time, you can catch Jenna playing for the Cowichan Piggies on the rugby pitch, or with those same teammates attempting to play with a pig skin in flag football. She loves living on this beautiful island, and she is always looking for more suggestions on where to go hiking or paddling.

Breanna

Kinesiologist


Breanna is a registered kinesiologist living in Nanaimo, BC. She was born and raised on the North Shore in Vancouver and graduated with her Bachelor’s in Kinesiology in 2019 from UBC. Breanna has since moved to the island where she has begun her career, working with a variety of different populations.

Breanna grew up being active and participating in sports and is passionate about encouraging physical literacy from a young age. Breanna is passionate about kinesiology and helping others move their bodies functionally. Her approach to treating individuals is through looking at the whole system rather than just the symptom and educating the client on their individual assessments and movement patterns. She treats her clients through this lens. Breanna is enthusiastic about continuing education and the ever-evolving science in human movement. She has experience treating a wide variety of populations including traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), soft tissue injuries, long covid patients, and neuro-diverse clients, but her cup of tea is chronic conditions.

Breanna grew up playing soccer and softball, skiing, swimming, and cross-country running. She now enjoys spending her weekend’s mountain biking, skiing, and taking her pup out for runs!

Travis

Office Manager & Kinesiologist


Travis Michelson is a Kinesiologist who moved from Sunny, South Africa, to the small Island town of Nanaimo, BC. He grew up playing every sport under the sun and being involved in any activity that kept him moving. This passion for moving and being involved in an active lifestyle led him to pursue a career where he can use this love. He completed his studies in 2010 at the University of Johannesburg and has since worked with various individuals to help them enjoy life to the fullest using exercise as a modality. The body was designed to move, and Travis is a big believer in using exercise as a form of medicine to help people achieve their various goals. Your body can become very resilient if stimulated correctly, and you can often achieve much more than you thought by giving your body the correct “medicine.”

Travis has helped various individuals reach their personal goals, such as completing their first triathlon, running their first half marathon, or being able to play with their grandchildren pain-free.

Travis enjoys trail running, swimming, and any sport involving a ball. You might see him running up and down Mount Benson in the snow during the winter or paddling around Neck Point or Westwood Lake with his lovely wife and two beautiful kids in the summer months.

Get in Touch

If you are someone who is interested in any of the services above, or simply looking for a local kinesiologist – you are in the right place. Please inquire within.