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.

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.

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.

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.

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 likes to incorporate relaxation massage techniques with myofascial cupping, deep tissue work and trigger point therapy to provide a therapeutic yet relaxing treatment. She also enjoys working with prenatal clients to help reduce muscular discomfort that accompanies pregnancy. Stacy is also trained in TMJ massage which includes releasing muscles intra-orally and more recently became a Certified Lymphedema Therapist

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 has always had a passion for helping others and becoming a massage therapist was a natural extension of her enthusiasm for anatomy and wellness. She is a 200hr certified yoga instructor with two teacher trainings under her belt and graduated from Mount Royal University in 2020 with her 2200hr diploma. Her time spend at MRU gave her the opportunity to work with a large population during practicum and reinforced her love of treating and teaching clients.

During her education she studied the benefits of massage therapy on clients who suffer from chronic migraines and headaches. Her love of learning lead her to complete the Cupping Canada Evidence Informed Clinical Cupping and is excited to share the benefits of cupping therapy.

In her spare time, she likes to knit and cross stitch, spend time with friends and family, take care of her parrots and plants and work up a sweat in spin and yoga classes.

Jessica Craik

Jessica is graduate of the Alberta College of Massage Therapy 2200hrs and a member of MTAA. She has a passion for massage, health, wellness and doing whatever she can to tend to her clients needs through therapeutic massage, relaxation, and pain management.

With previous experience in healthcare, specifically long term care, she understands the importance of maintaining health and well-being at all stages of life and she will work hard to create individualized treatment plans for her clients.

Jessica offers a variety of modalities including therapeutic and deep tissue massage, dynamic cupping, relaxation, prenatal massage and myofascial release.
In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her 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 is excited to be working in a clinic that is rehabilitation focused. From a young age she began to have an interest in rehabilitation, based on personal injuries from soccer. She took sports medicine in school and loved being a trainer for different school teams including volleyball, rugby and football. She was able to learn even more about whiplash and concussion rehabilitation after suffering from a car accident.

Kaytlyn graduated from the 2200hr Massage Therapy program at Mount Royal University. She enjoyed the various opportunities in outreach, clinic, and case study to apply the techniques learnt. She excelled at treating clients with S.I.C.K Scapula, Morton’s neuroma, and M.S. utilizing techniques such as myofascial release, trigger point release, and passive stretching.

In her free time Kaytlyn prioritizes family and friends. She loves to do casual hikes and go camping. She loves dogs and wants lots of different breeds.

Melissa Miller

Melissa became a registered massage therapist in 2010 after attending MH Vicars 2200hr program here in Calgary. She has since taken many different courses such as Massage for the birth year, intro to cranial sacral and is one course away from being certified in advanced orthopedic massage. Melissa has a range of experience from treating MVA’s to chronic conditions to treating children and the elderly. Her main focus has been on therapeutic massage treatments because it allows her to be able to see the progress she can make together with her clients.

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.

Mikayla Ravenda

Mikayla was born and raised in Calgary Alberta. She graduated from St. Mary’s University with a bachelor degree in English this past December. She has 10 years of customer service experience and thoroughly enjoys helping people however she can. In her spare time she’s found either with her nose in a book, camping, playing with her dogs, listening to music or spending time with family and friends.

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

Gabrielle Schmidt

Gabrielle was born and raised in Montreal but has been in Calgary for the last 30 years. For the last 18 years she’s been a book keeper at a local Calgary establishment and has recently decided to venture into a more hands-on, customer service role here at our clinic. She loves helping people and helping people reach their goals. When she’s not working, she’s either found spending time with her family and children, walking her dogs, gardening or painting! She is also fluent in English, German and French.