Our Team

Jennifer Cichon - B.Sc K, M.ScPT, CAFCI

Jen is a physiotherapist and the proud owner of Chaparral Physiotherapy & Massage. She graduated from the University of Waterloo with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and went on to complete her Masters in Physical Therapy from Queen’s University in Kingston. She has been a practicing physiotherapist since 2006 and was the clinic director for a large company in Calgary. She is passionate about helping people get better and improve their quality of life. She believes in personalized, hands-on treatment as opposed to only machine based treatment.
Jen cares about her patients. This is reflected in each treatment and experience with her. She has completed Level 3 in Manual Therapy and is certified in acupuncture and hip rehabilitation. Jen has completed the Diagnostic Imaging course through the University of Alberta and has completed post graduate courses for the foot and the hips as well as myofascial release.

She enjoys skiing, hiking and is an avid runner having completed many half marathons over the years. She is a proud mother and loves spending time with her husband and children when she’s not helping people get better.

Charene Welsh-Mattson - MScPT, CAFCI, PgCPain, Balanced Body Pilates Certified Mat Instructor, Dry Needling

Charene is a graduate of the University of Alberta Masters of Physical Therapy program and has been practicing since 2008. She traveled and worked overseas fine tuning her skills in Moscow, Russia; Singapore; and Houston, Texas! She has been exposed to many cultures and practices of health care, incorporating them in her treatment approach. Since graduating she has taken courses in manual therapy and exercise prescription, and has obtained many certifications over the years: Acupuncture, Dry Needling, Post Graduate Certificate in Pain Management, Balanced Body Mat Pilates, and Rock Tape Practitioner. She has also taken further courses in Balanced Body Reformer Pilates and Core Align; hand therapy; and soft tissue release. She’s also certified in spinal manipulation, neurokinetic therapy, and hip impingement. She likes to focus on whole body mechanics and turning treatment into prevention.

Charene is excited to be back in Calgary with her husband and two wonderful boys, and particularly excited to be working at Chaparral with the freedom to spend time with clients, focusing on assisting clients with their therapy and lifestyle goals!

Eyal Okin - B.PT, CMS, Dry Needling, Vestibular

Eyal is a University of Haifa graduate and holds a degree in Physiotherapy (2006). He is certified in spinal and peripheral manipulations, and has the dry needling certification for treating chronic myofascial and neuropathic pain in the spine and extremities. He brings experience working as a physical therapist with a variety of athletes, including those playing elite level soccer, swimming and CrossFit.

Eyal has a special interest in vestibular therapy and concussion, and received a certificate of competency in Vestibular Rehabilitation. He also has extensive knowledge regarding TMJ (The temporomandibular joint ) and works with many dentists and oral surgeons.

He believes in integrating manual therapy, dry needling, myofascial release, taping and exercise prescription in a multi-modal approach to treatment for success in healing and recovery.

Eyal is fluent in English, Russian and Hebrew.

Andrea Longman (Ellis) - Grad Dip Phys, Acupuncture

Andrea is an English trained physiotherapist with over 26 years of experience working in England and Canada. She has worked in hospitals and industry as well as sports and private clinics in the UK and Canada. Andrea has treated patients ranging from 5 years old to 80 years and older. She is experienced with many conditions from helping clients maintain general health and active lifestyles simple strains and sprains, WCB and MVA patients, degenerative conditions, post-surgical and post-fractures, to name a few.

Andrea feels that one of the main reasons for her success is her ability to communicate and develop a great working relationship specific to the needs and lifestyle of her clients. Andrea is certified in acupuncture and uses techniques such as manual therapy, exercise therapy and Craniosacral therapy as well as various programs which can be taught privately or in groups.

Andrea prides herself in spending good, quality time with her clients teaching simple but effective techniques which address the whole body, therefore achieving optimum health and independence.

Lilac Christie B.H.ScPT, B.Sc.Kin

Lilac obtained a BSc in Kinesiology from the University of Waterloo (1991) with focus on exercise physiology, biomechanics and ergonomics. She then obtained a BHSc in Physiotherapy from McMaster University (1995). She has over 20 years experience with patients in a variety of settings from hospitals to rehabilitation facilities to private home settings, particularly with complex medical and surgical patients. She had a particular interest in orthopedic and neurological rehabilitation with the older population.

In the outpatient setting, Lilac has additional training and certification by the Alberta College of Physical Therapy to use “dry needles” or IMS (Intra muscular stimulation). She also has additional training in vestibular assessment and rehabilitation as well as concussion assessment and management.

Lilac loves working closely with patients with a client centered approach knowing that their families and support systems also play an important part of their recovery journey.

Lilac loves being active and enjoys playing ice hockey, road/mountain cycling, weight lifting, kickboxing, yoga, hiking, camping, kayaking, canoeing, downhill skiing and anything that takes her outdoors. Years ago, Lilac was a skydiving instructor and competitor with several World Records, US National and World Championship titles.

Recovering from surgery and many injuries herself, she can relate directly with patients in the recovery process. Keeping healthy, fit and pain free is Lilac’s passion in life and she is grateful to be able to share this with others and to be able to help them attain a better freedom of movement lifestyle!

Richard Sze - BKin, Dr PT, Vestibular

Richard is a proud born and raised Calgarian. He graduated with distinction from the University of Calgary’s Bachelor of Kinesiology program prior to moving to Australia to obtain his Doctor of Physiotherapy degree from the University of Melbourne. He stayed in Melbourne for an additional 2 years working as a Physiotherapist for vulnerable elderly clients and as a team Physiotherapist for Elite Australian Rules Football and Soccer clubs. In early 2019, he moved back home to Calgary and has since been working with medically complex clients within Alberta Health Services. Richard enjoys treating patients of all ages and conditions. He utilizes both hands-on treatment as well as an active exercise approach in an evidenced-based manner. He is certified in Vestibular Therapy, as well as ANIMS (anatomical neuropathic intramuscular stimulation), and is passionate about teaching physiotherapy students.

Outside of physiotherapy, Richard is an avid basketball player and has previously represented the University of Melbourne’s men’s basketball program. Richard also enjoys spending time with his wife (who is also a physiotherapist) and family, hiking in the Rockies, going to the gym, experiencing the food scene of YYC, and cheering for the Flames and Stampeders.

In addition to English, Richard is also fluent in conversational Cantonese

Roya Hamad - Bsc, PT, CAFCI, functional dry needling, Pelvic Health

Roya graduated from University of Jordan in 2003.
She has worked with everyone from pediatrics to geriatrics including neurology, post op orthopedics conditions, sports injury, cardiovascular and pulmonary health.
Roya has certificates in Acupuncture, functional dry needling, level 2 of manual therapy, k taping , Mackenzie protocol , and Pelvic floor physiotherapy.
On a personal level, Roya is a fitness and wellness enthusiast. She is a second degree black belt in Taekwondo from world Taekwondo federation in Soul S.Korea. She enjoys running , swimming, and workout in the gym. She also enjoys hiking in the mountains and occasionally cycling.

Jillian Ball - MScPT, BKin

Jillian is a born and raised Calgarian who completed her undergraduate degree in Kinesiology with honours and a minor in dance at the University of Calgary. She continued on with a Master of Science in Physical Therapy at the University of Alberta. She is also certified in Functional Dry Needling. Jillian has been an avid dancer from a young age, which sparked her passion for injury prevention and the treatment of musculoskeletal injuries.

In addition to private practice, Jillian has experience practicing in critical care, in-patient hospital, tertiary rehabilitation, and outpatient neuro rehabilitation settings. Utilizing evidence-informed individualized therapeutic exercise programs, client education, and manual therapy,
Jillian is dedicated to helping her client’s move better and feel better. In her spare time, Jillian enjoys a variety of artistic pursuits (including drawing and playing the flute), as well as reading, hiking, bike riding, and watching Netflix with her cat, Jet.

Femi Ojagbule - B.PT

Femi obtained his Bachelor of Physiotherapy from the University of Ibadan (Nigeria) in 2005 and in 2010 completed a Masters of Science in Applied Sports and Exercise Science from the University of Wolverhampton in the UK. After completing his Master's Degree, Femi continued to expand his knowledge and clinical skill by taking several postgraduate courses, such as the McKenzie Method® of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy® Parts A/B/C, dry needling/IMS, Mulligan Concept and Manual therapy. Femi believes in empowering his patients with the tools to manage their symptoms independently.

Randilee Farnquist

Randi is excited to be working with such a great health care team at Chaparral Physiotherapy & Massage. She has been working as a registered massage therapist since 2010 after studying the two year program of massage therapy at Lethbridge College and is certified with 2200 hours. She moved to Calgary from Lethbridge in 2012. Randi has worked alongside physiotherapists to better treat and offer more preventative care since she relocated to Calgary. She is also registered with the Natural Health Practitioners of Canada.

Randi enjoys promoting a healthy lifestyle by biking, rollerblading and the many yoga classes she attends to keep herself in shape to give the best care to her clients.

Olga Chernykh

Olga is very happy to be part of the Chaparral Physiotherapy & Massage team. She is a former personal fitness trainer and aerobics instructor. Her 4 years B.Sc. of Physical Training from Russia is the perfect background to complement her 3000 hours diploma in Advanced Clinical Massage Therapy from MaKami College in Calgary.

She has a true passion for therapeutic massage. Olga is very skilled in recognizing painful spots and to treat her clients with great care. Pre/post-natal massage, deep tissue, cupping and myofascial release are among her favorite techniques.

In her free time Olga likes painting, cooking, and enjoying outdoors activities.

Olga is fluent in English and Russian.

Nicole Wenzel

Nicole graduated from the 2200hr Massage Therapy Program at Mount Royal University. She is also Certified in the Clinical Assessment, Treatment, and Rehabilitation of Concussions.

In her schooling she enjoyed the variety of people she got to work with throughout the program and was able to experience real life scenarios which made the experience that much better. During the program she did extensive researched regarding scoliosis and developed treatments dependent on the client to find out the benefits of massage therapy. She was fascinated to see the progression with each treatment and the health benefits from receiving the massages.

Nicole always knew growing up that she wanted to work in a field that helped others. From personal experience she found massage therapy extremely helpful in recovery from sports injuries. She knew that this career would be a great fit for her with the variety of treatments and client cases you work with on a daily basis.

Nicole is a very active person and enjoy the outdoors. Hiking and biking up in the mountains are some of her favorite hobbies. She also enjoy taking her dog out for long walks by Fish Creek.

Stacy Wood

Graduated with honours from Alberta College Of Massage Therapy, completing the 2200 hour massage therapy program. Stacy recently attended Academy Of Lymphatic Studies to become a Dr Vodder Certified Lymphedema therapist. After obtaining clinical experience has Stacy returned to ACMT as a second year massage instructor.

Stacy develops treatment plans to meet each clients specific needs. She enjoys combining a variety of techniques to provide a therapeutic yet relaxing treatment. Each treatment can include myofascial, trigger point therapy, deep tissue massage, relaxation techniques and dynamic cupping. Stacy also enjoys working with prenatal clients to help reduce muscular discomfort.

Stacy also provides lymph drainage treatments to her clients. A few conditions that benefit from MLD treatment are pre and post surgery, to aid in stress reduction, to reduce swelling in muscle strains, ligament sprains and tendinitis.

She has a passion for helping people and is excited to continue her education in the future.

In her free time she enjoys hiking, skiing and wake surfing with her husband and 2 kids. She is also an avid runner completing in marathons.

Rachel Torn

Rachel is a graduate of the 2200hr Massage Therapy Program at Mount Royal University and a double certified yoga instructor with a passion for enhancing athletic performance, injury prevention and education. Since graduating, she has obtained certifications in Evidence Informed Clinical Cupping, FMT Advanced Kinesiology Taping, FMT Blades Advanced Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization and Percussive Therapy.

As a young athlete she grew up riding horses and competing in 3-day eventing, dressage and show jumping all over Ontario and Alberta. Her 10+ year riding career has helped her specialize in working with equestrian athletes using her knowledge to translate issues in the saddle into solutions on and off the table.

To achieve a whole human and client focused approach by employing the biopsychosocial model, she strives to create a collaborative environment with athletes and clients to develop a therapeutic massage treatment plan to optimize performance, recovery, and injury prevention. She also specializes in working with clients who have Hypermobility Syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.

She has learned that helping her clients reach their goals is one of the most rewarding parts of the job. Both on and off the table, she believes in empowering clients through honest communication, education, and movement.

Outside of the clinic she enjoys going to the gym, spending time outside and hiking in the warmer months, visiting her senior horse, reading, cooking, continuing her passion for learning, following her latest hyperfixation and spending time with friends and family.

Angela Lemme

Angela is a 3000hr registered massage therapist who graduated from Makami College, where she studied Advanced Clinical Massage Therapy. Angela is a true believer of the healing benefits massage therapy can provide and is always looking to educate herself and improve her skills. She is trained in therapeutic massage, deep tissue, relaxation, cupping and prenatal massage.

When she is not working, she is spending time with her family, going to the mountains for a hike or a walk around the neighborhood or trying out new restaurants. She enjoys being active, and in addition to her little one keeping her moving, she enjoys long bike rides or a great yoga class!

Jovana Zivanovic

Jovana graduated from the Professional Institute of Massage Therapy in May 2015, and has worked as a massage therapist since then. Jovana has been teaching anatomy and pathology, as well as massage theory and assessment since September 2016. She has completed her certification in ‘Understanding Regulations’ for massage therapists. She also versed in prenatal massage and lymphatic drainage.

Jovana cares about her clients well being, both their physical and mental health. Her dream has always been to work in a clinic setting with other health care professionals where everyone can work together to offer the best treatment plan for the clients.

Kaytlyn Hall

Kaytlyn graduated from the 2200hr Mount Royal University in 2021. Since then, she has done continuing education in Cupping and RockTape; and has plans to take many more modalities in the future. She has treated various populations over her time as an RMT, utilizing techniques such as trigger point release, myofascial release, and passive stretching. She can perform therapeutic and relaxation massage at different levels of pressure based on individual sensitivity or preference.

Kaytlyn has always wanted a job where she has the ability to help others mentally or physically. From a young age she began to have an interest in rehabilitation, based on personal injuries from soccer. She furthered her future in rehab by taking sports medicine and loved being involved as a trainer for various teams.

In her free time, she enjoys camping or spending time with friends and family.

Brooke Peacock

Brooke graduated from Makami Massage College Registered Massage Therapy program in 2019. Brooke is also a Certified Oncology Massage Therapist. She is trained in Reki and Psychosomatic Therapy. Brooke comes into massage therapy with a Disabilities Studies Diploma and Bachelors of Applied Child Studies Degree.

As a survivor of childhood Leukemia she was drawn to support others going through similar circumstances. She worked with therapy and medical teams supporting children, adolescence and adults who were diagnosed with various disabilities and conditions. She witnessed the toll that the circumstances took on parents, caregivers and other families and wanted to help them in dealing with their stress and self care. While supporting her parents through cancer she learned about Oncology massage therapy. She thought that more could be done with main management and stress related to the treatment.

She is passionate about supporting people where they are in their journey. Providing empathy and compassion through the healing process. She provides cupping, as well as Relaxation massage, Deep Tissue massage, Therapeutic massage and Prenatal massage.

In her free time she loves spending time outside, being creative and going to drumming circles. She also enjoys spending time with her family, friends and chihuahua.

Jordan Cunningham

Jordan was born and raised in South Calgary. In 2015 Jordan graduated from Robertson College with her Health Unit Clerk diploma. After obtaining her HUC diploma, Jordan dove into the eye care industry, Jordan was promoted to Referral Coordinator shortly into her first year, and then promoted to Medical Record Specialist. Jordan eventually found herself in the Rehabilitation setting in 2021, as an Office Manager and was promoted to Care Manager within her first year – working with Government contracts within the Physiotherapy/Rehabilitation setting. With over 10 years of customer service experience, Jordan is eager to foster positive outcomes for all clients and promotes a safe and comfortable environment for all. Outside of work Jordan enjoys longboarding, spending time with friends and family and snuggling up with a good book and her cat, Carl.

Larisa Okin

Larisa has more than 10 years customer service experience and she loves helping others. Out of work she enjoys spending time with her lovely family and friends. She has great passion for reading, cooking and hosting. Fluent in English, Russian, Hebrew and Spanish

Melody Borrego

Melody has a great deal of experience working in customer service and front desk, with around 5 years in the industry. She is thrilled to become part of the team at Chaparral Physiotherapy & massage and is dedicated to providing you with the best service once you step into the door of our clinic.

Melody is originally born in Argentina and has fluency is French & Spanish. During her down time, she enjoys hiking, snowboarding and spending time with her family.

Herby Malaggay

Herby was born in the Philippines. She has a wealth of medical reception experience, previously spending many years working in a Dr. Office. She is now excited to be part of Chaparral Physio and Massage family.

Herby loves spending time with her family and enjoys the long drive to BC on long weekends to do so.
She loves taking her dog hiking and paddle boarding to enjoy the nature whenever she has free time.

Madison McKay

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