PINNACLE - Key Persons
Babette has been teaching mat Pilates and Pilates one-to-one and two-to-one instruction in studios in Westport and Norwalk since 2003. Her philosophy caters to the "Natural Spine-Tailbone Connection" method of training.
Babette graduated from Simmons College in Boston and began an extensive career in retailing that spans over twenty five years. She began at Bamberger's (which later became Macy's) on their executive training squad. Over the next twenty years she rose to Group Vice President of Merchandising. Over an additional five years, she branched out to other companies within the industry and also ran her own consulting and product development company. While working in retail, Babette joined a health club in New York and signed up for a Pilates mat class after hearing about all its benefits.
She found it difficult to catch on in a class atmosphere so she decided to work one to one with a Pilates instructor and in an instant she was totally hooked. She stayed with Pilates as her main source of exercise. Then in 2001, with her daughter starting high school, she decided it was time to make a major career change. Babette wanted to pursue something she was passionate about so she spent an intense year and a half receiving Pilates instruction and training and she obtained certification from the Physical Mind Institute in NY to teach mat Pilates and individual training on Pilates equipment. Wanting to excel in her new endeavor Babette also studied movement and anatomy for a full year with Irene Down. When she's not at Pinnacle Babette is most likely participating in a Pilates workshop to further enhance her knowledge and skills.
Janelle Thompson Biggs has been a life long student of dance and physical training. She began her studies with Pilates in high school. Pilates became an important strength training method for Janelle during formal ballet training. She has performed and studied with the New Haven Ballet, the Nutmeg Ballet, The Dance Theatre, The Paul Taylor Dance Company, and Eva Dean Dance Co. Janelle also performed and trained with independent choreographers like Hedi Latsky, Sean Curran, Michael Tracy, Doug Elkins, Merce Cunningham, and Marjorie Mussman. During Janelle's dance career Pilates became an important means to keep up her strength, flexibility, and rehabilitation from injuries. Later in her dance career, Pilates classes actually became a requirement to stay in some of the dance companies she toured and danced for.
A certified Pilates instructor through The Physical Mind Institute in NYC, she graduated from Roger Williams University with a degree in dance with an emphasis on ballet and modern dance. Further studies in dance took Janelle abroad to London where she studied and trained with Anna DuBoisson and Bill Louther. London is where her serious training with Yoga began. She is currently pursuing both an advanced Pilates certification and a Yoga certification at The Physical Mind Institute. Janelle is also studying Bartenieff Fundamentals and Gait Analysis. These two methods will be used in conjunction with her Pilates training in taking this body-mind awareness outside the gym into everyday life."
Job Titles:
- Personal Trainer & Yoga Instructor )
Jeff Bousquet joined Pinnacle Health and Fitness in 2009 bringing our clients a highly skilled and dedicated trainer who has life experience in many areas of fitness and business. Jeff is a NASM certified personal trainer and his approach focuses on functional movement and core conditioning. He is also a certified Yoga instructor pursuing a passion of his since first being introduced to the practice in 2004 through private sessions with Luisa Tanno. To date, Jeff has gone through a two year period of practicing Bikram and is currently studying Vinyassa at Saraswati in Norwalk, Connecticut. Jeff has also spent ten years studying various forms of martial arts including Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do and Gracie Jui-Jitsu.
Jeff is committed to setting the standard in the fitness arena while maintaining a healthy life balance. These qualities enhance each relationship he develops with his clients and helps him to bring out their best. When not at Pinnacle, Jeff owns and operates a successful painting company, Jeff Bousquet Painting Inc.
Jennifer Pollack brings a varied background of professional dance, shiatsu massage and Pilates Training to her understanding of the human body. She was first introduced to Pilates in 1991 while studying modern dance in NYC. In 1996, Jennifer completed her first Pilates Certification (600 apprenticeship hours) with Romana Kryzanowska. Since then she has taught at Power Pilates studios in NYC, Canyon Ranch in Arizona and locally in Connecticut. In July 2008 Jennifer re-certified with Power Pilates in order to deepen her own understanding of the Pilates Method and to share this knowledge with others. The classical system of Pilates' goal is to restore the natural curvatures of the spine (including a "neutral pelvis"), by strengthening the deep core muscles. This in turn allows for a balance of strength, stretch, stamina and stability in each individual.
Kelly Mesko is 29 and has been a personal trainer since 2005. She is certified by the National Association of Sports Medicine. Other certifications include yoga, pre-and-post natal, NASM stretch and special populations. She also enjoys teaching yoga, boot camp and strength classes. Working one to one with clients on a daily basis feels more to her like a vacation than a job. She is committed to her clients and is easily accessible. Each client gets an individualized program based on his or her needs. She is diverse as a trainer, her client's range from teenagers to seniors, as well as people with disabilities and health concerns.
Fitness has been a large part of her life since she began dance at four years of age. Her active background also includes gymnastic, swimming, cycling, running and strength training. She believes that a well-rounded fitness programs keeps both the mind and body vibrant and young. In today's busy society, it is important to make time for exercise. The gym should be a place to restore and renew your energy.
Kelly's main objective is to get individuals to feel and look their best. She believes fitness should be safe, effective and most of all fun.."
Lisa Wingard, LMT is available upon request and appointments
may be booked through Debbie at the front desk or independently
by calling (203) 243-1114.
Longtime client, Mark Rubenstein rated Lisa as "one of the top
five massages he has ever had". His experience crosses many
countries and we believe this is a sound testimonial to her skills.
Lisa Wingard is a graduate of CCMT 2001 in Medical Massage. Her studies began when she realized that she had an interest in helping people and a motivation to learn about ways to do so. She has over 6 years experience in helping people manage stress, pain and healing after surgery and managing chronic diseases such as Epstein Bar, Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, Lyme disease, chronic pain, muscle spasms or just soreness in general. She offers a full range of treatments to suit your own specific needs such as:
Job Titles:
- Instructor
- Yoga Director / Instructor and Massage Therapist )
Luisa has been a certified yoga instructor since 2002 and came to yoga through dance. She is a graduate of The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City. Her passion for dance led her to explore other styles of movement such as Yoga, Qigong and meditation. Luisa has studied and practiced many styles of yoga for the past 10 years including Anusara, Kripalu, Iyengar and Vinyasa all of which she incorporates in her teachings. Experience has taught her yoga is a broad spectrum that can meet you wherever you are and support you on your path to wellness. She focuses greatly on alignment and the balance of stability and mobility within each pose. And, of course, the joy and expression of each pose!
In 2008 Luisa graduated from the clinical program at the Connecticut Center for Massage Therapy. Her training included extensive anatomy, physiology and pathology in addition to Swedish massage, acupressure, myofascial release and deep tissue. This varied training allows her to blend styles to meet individual needs.
Luisa listens to her clients. She understands that each day is unique and as such our needs are different one session to the next. Luisa believes that movement and bodywork are pathways of healing and connecting with ones truest self.
Job Titles:
- Trainer
- Director of Growth Development and Personal Trainer )
A Holy Cross graduate, Michael has extensive knowledge of human anatomy and exercise science. He is an AFAA certified personal trainer and holds various other fitness and health certifications including CPR and AED. He has worked as a trainer and sports performance coach since 2001 in Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Jersey. Michael has also lectured at colleges and universities on the topics of speed and agility training. Michael recently finished an internship at the Athlete's Performance Institute and is a Sports Performance Specialist and Certified Cardiovascular Specialist.
Michael's goal is to personalize each client's workout in the most efficient and most fun means so they can achieve their goals. His clinical background allows him to effectively work with rehabilitation clients as well as athletes. With his background, he can create personalized cardiovascular prescriptions for his clients. Michael's sports performance background offers athletes of any age the results they want. When Michael isn't in the gym, this "jack of all trades" enjoys cooking, sports, carpentry, movies, music, theater, and video games.
Job Titles:
- Owner and Executive Chef of Valencia Luncheria
At the tender age of 21, Michael became chef of Buckaroo's, specializing in south-western cuisine. Here, he quickly became adept at kitchen supervision, calculating food and labor costs, and menu design, thus adding a new dimension to his restaurant repertoire.In 1994, Michael began working with Douglas Rodriguez at the three star nuevo latino restaurant, Patria in Manhattan. Under the tutelage of this renowned chef, he received the "Rising Star Chef of the Year" award by the James Beard Foundation.
This experience helped him during his tenure as a consultant for Erizo Latino, a 70-seat seafood restaurant in the heart of Soho. During this time, he was also the Executive Chef of the Doral Park Avenue Hotel. For his efforts of being responsible for all American food and beverage styles for the hotel, as well as the training of kitchen staff members, he received the "Chef 2000" award from "The American Tasting Institute". While Michael has garnered a well-rounded resume encompassing every aspect of the restaurant industry,
it is his food which best defines him. The owners of a then-yet-to-be- established southwestern restaurant in Aspen, Colorado were so thoroughly impressed by him that they invited him to consult for their designing team.
As the Chef de Cuisine, he created the theme and menu for Blue Maize, which catapulted the restaurant into its present luster.
Michael's reputation brought him back to his hometown of New York City and he was promptly presented with the immense challenge of revamping a hip, kosher restaurant whose food was generally considered sub-par, The menu of Lansky Lounge has been transformed into whimsical fantasy, featuring such delicious innovations as battered sole coupled with traditional kasha, a dish that excels in both presentation and taste. In 1999, excited to work with the nuevo latino style that he learned under Douglas Rodriguez, Michael became Executive Chef of Habana in South Norwalk, Connecticut. Working for Habana provided Michael with the opportunity to truly test his skills as he was offered the position of Executive Chef at its new sister restaurant Ocean Drive. In October of 2004 Michael opened his own restaurant, Valencia Luncheria and shortly thereafter through fate began collaborating with Pinnacle Health & Fitness, LLC on their nutrition program. Nutrition counselor Debbie Levin develops personalized meal plans for individual clients or families and Michael prepares the meals and delivers them fresh to Pinnacle.
Job Titles:
- Personal Trainer
- Spin Instructor and Personal Trainer
Since 1994, Shelley Kaiser has been involved in the fitness profession, translating a life-long passion for fitness and exercise, into a career.
Shelley teaches our highly popular spinning classes. This intimate class is open to a limited number of members, offering the opportunity for each class to be customized according to the class makeup. Known as a tough and challenging class (one that is not for wimps), Spinning with Shelley is a great workout.
Additionally, Shelley is an exceptional personal trainer working with clients that range in age from teenager to senior citizen.
Shelley was first bit by the fitness bug in 1978 when a friend introduced her to distance running. She competed in the New York Marathon in 1999 finishing under three hours. Her love for running got her interested in fitness and she started taking classes in step, aerobics, yoga and other forms of instruction.
When not on the bike, Shelley is likely to be found deep in downward dog or running - passions she still pursues.
Shelley lives in Weston with her husband Ben