All Locations Archives - Performance Optimal Health

Zachary Hojnacki

“I have a curiosity and passion for understanding and helping people. I love to teach others and so teaching and coaching – be it mental performance coaching or athletic coaching – have given me an outlet to do that with people of all ages.”

Zachary Hojnacki, MS, Ph.D., is a mental performance consultant who specializes in incorporating mindfulness and anxiety management strategies into high performance athletic environments. Zac has over five years of private mental performance coaching experience working with individual athletes and teams, as well as experience on various boards of directors, currently serving as the Acting Coaches Representative for Metropolitan Swimming in New York. He is an adjunct professor of psychology at Iona University, and currently teaches child and adolescent psychology.

As a former Division I athlete and competitive swim coach, Zac has extensive experience guiding athletes in the competitive sports space, totaling over 10 years of experience. He currently serves as Head Coach of the BGNW Marlins and was named the 2023 Metropolitan Swimming Senior Coach of the Year. As a former athlete himself, Zac is also very passionate about helping athletes overcome performance anxiety. He had his own share of setbacks throughout his career that have driven him to better understand the role stress plays in athletic performance so he can guide athletes to not only improve their competitive outcomes, but also experience more joy when playing their sport.

Zac believes in a highly personalized approach to care, and assumes every client enters with unique circumstances that need to be unpacked and understood to best support their needs. He also thinks clients should always have a voice in their care, as they know themselves better than anyone. His approach with clients is collaborative and supportive so they can work together to reach their individual goals.

He is dedicated to living a healthy and active lifestyle himself, and mental performance coaching allows him to share his knowledge of mental and physical health and wellness so others can enjoy the same benefits of healthy living that he does. Outside of work, Zac is an avid rock climber, triathlete, weightlifter, and yogi, and he enjoys using movement as a way to relieve stress.

Publications:
Mindfulness and Anxiety as Predictors of Swimming Performance Under Pressure

3 not-so-quick tips to improve your mental game

What happened to racing?

Sarah Sutin

Sarah Sutin, MS, CMPC, is a mental performance consultant who works with individual athletes, teams, coaches, and parents. She works with all levels from competitive youth, to collegiate and professional athletes. She has made an impression as one of the first mental performance consultants working with the United Soccer League.

After receiving her undergraduate degree, Sarah worked in the sport world as a professional performer, instructor, and trainer for eight years. In that time, she realized how valuable mental performance was to all levels of athletes. After years of self-learning and applied work on mental skills, she knew she wanted to help others have access to this world. It was an easy decision to return to school and now she gets the pleasure of helping hundreds of athletes become better humans and performers.

She currently focuses on helping athletes return to sport and life post injury. She also puts focus into a top-down approach; with an understanding that athletes spend the most of their time with coaches and parents, she works to educate and provide tools for everyone to create stronger bonds and more confident humans.

While a lot of the work is education focused, Sarah’s goal is to make mental performance sessions as personable and conversational as possible. Using a mix of person-centered and cognitive behavioral therapy frameworks, Sarah creates comfort and autonomy in dialogues, as well as providing tangible skills to take away.

Sarah enjoys anything outside and values her quality time with loved ones. She enjoys any opportunity to go hiking with her partner and dog, skiing, or just a patio evening filled with deep conversations. She is also an avid traveler, artist, weightlifter, sports fan, and once in a while still gets her fix of circus arts.

Claire Spellman

Jennifer Fier

Kristen Chacho

Andrew Chruscicki

Andrew Chruscicki is a project manager and assistant to the CEO, Todd Wilkowski. He is responsible for a variety of strategic operational and growth projects, such as developing end-to-end standard operating procedures and process maps for a variety of departments, from on-boarding new clients through accounts receivables.

Andrew has created Performance's business intelligence platforms and oversees the design and production of all analytics and reports for managing and improving operations. In addition, he works closely with the CEO on growth strategies and plans, and he directly oversaw the creation of the North Naples office, from site selection through opening.

In his free time, he enjoys cycling and swimming.

Todd Wilkowski

"I empower people to live better by living by our core values. As an educator, I teach people what they need to know to take accountability for their own health and achieve a balanced life."

Todd Wilkowski, PT, SCS, has a life-long commitment to helping his clients live better lives in pursuit of Optimal Health. He founded Performance in 2002 and has expanded it from one office in Manhattan to a network of facilities throughout Connecticut and most recently in southwest Florida. His visionary perspective on the healthcare marketplace, as well as his tenacious approach to service innovation, continues to expand the boundaries of what is possible with Performance.

Todd took the burgeoning physical therapy practice and transformed it into a company rooted in a holistic approach to health and founded on his own core values. He expanded Performance’s mission from its original focus on recovery to one of finding balance in all aspects of one’s health: sleep, exercise, recovery and nutrition. Each are equally important and necessary to maintain Optimal Health. In an ever-evolving world, Todd strives to keep Performance one step ahead, anticipating people’s needs and challenges and empowering them to live better.

Todd is a board-certified sports clinical specialist, and has served as an adjunct professor at New York University, and sits on several advisory boards: Greenwich Youth Lacrosse Medical Advisory Board and the Ithaca College Athletic Advisory Council, of which he is the chairman. He previously was a member of the Hospital for Special Surgery Rehabilitation Network Advisory Board, and is a past president of Burning Tree Country Club.

When he is off the clock, you can find Todd playing golf, training and spending time with his family. He especially enjoys watching his four daughters participate in athletics themselves (three are rowers, one a soccer player) and teaching them lessons about life through sports.

Michael Beecher

"I empower people to live better by practicing what I preach."

Michael Beecher, PT, DPT, OCS, SCS, is the transformation and integration lead for Performance, overseeing the growth of the company. He is also a Titleist Performance Institute medical professional, a Hospital for Special Surgery credentialed advanced hip clinician and a certified dry needling specialist. He enjoys working with patients to close the loop of injury and recovery, helping them on their journey to rehabilitation from start to finish.

After graduating Sacred Heart University where he played Division I soccer, Michael underwent an intensive sports residency program with the Steadman Hawkins Clinic, then returned to Sacred Heart as an adjunct professor. He has published his research on physical therapy in numerous publications and seeks to serve as an educator both in and out of the Performance clinic, where he serves as the Chief Operating Officer. He is currently a member of the Hospital for Special Surgery Rehabilitation Network Advisory Board.

Michael used to play Division I soccer for Sacred Heart, and continues to stay active and play recreational sports. In his downtime, Michael spends time with his family and friends and likes to go hiking and paddle boarding.

Publications:
Journal of Orthopaedic & Physical Sports Therapy

SportsHealth: A Multi-disciplinary Approach

Journal of Athletic Training

Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation

Francine Blinten

"I empower people by connecting with them, discovering their motivations, gaining their trust and listening to them."

Francine Blinten, MBA, MS, CCN, CNS, has worn many hats: she started out in the finance sector, and later transitioned into the world of nutrition after having children. She looked for a new project to focus her energy on and drew on her childhood upbringing that was full of healthy eating habits. Francine specializes in disease prevention, management of chronic disease, weight management, gastrointestinal disorders and bone support. She also has a subspecialty in oncology nutrition.

Francine is a firm believer of listening to what your body needs and creating a unique, comprehensive diet that meets those specific goals, steering away from a quick fix. She uses laboratory results, medical history and the client's background to customize an eating plan appropriate for the their age, gender and lifestyle.

Outside her role at Performance, Francine is a lecturer at the Yale School of Medicine and consults for the Connecticut Mental Health Center, a partnership between Yale University and State of Connecticut.

Publications:
Better Eating and Recovery: Addressing Food Insecurity at an Urban Community Mental Health Center, International Journal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation (2016).

Hunger is a Health Issue, Health Progress (2019).

Ashley Jerry

“I pride myself on providing motivation, support and accountability to clients. Because eating is so personal and often requires behavior change, I ensure my clients know that I am there for them every step of the way.”

Ashley Jerry, MS, is a nutritionist who specializes in a variety of fields, including food sensitivities, medical conditions, and sports nutrition. Her expertise includes gut health issues, weight loss, self-image and an overall understanding of nutrition, as well as treating a diverse range of medical conditions such as high cholesterol, high blood glucose levels, obesity, pregnancy, gastrointestinal function, anxiety, depression, and overall health. Ashley also specializes in sports-specific nutrition guidance, including for sports such as powerlifting, running, bodybuilding, crew, football, and more.

One of Ashley’s fortes is designing customized nutrition protocols to include meal plans, grocery lists, health tips, and supplement recommendations. Having the ability and knowledge to assess lab results helps Ashley to create a comprehensive eating guide to keep her clients on track and improve overall health.

Ashley is a strong advocate of having a strong knowledge of nutrition, which makes all the difference in a person’s mental and physical strength. Childhood obesity is something that she is also very passionate about, as educating children on how to take care of their bodies is the start to implementing preventative care long term.

Ashley provides telehealth services to clients based in Florida and New York, as well as telehealth and onsite services in Connecticut, with the exception of Greenwich. Outside of work, Ashley is very involved in the bodybuilding world, as competing and training is a huge part of her life. She also enjoys spending time with friends and family, as well as spending time with her French bulldog, Leo.

Adam Wright

“I am driven by a model of servant leadership. I aspire to share power, put the needs of others first, and help people develop and perform as highly as possible by leveraging their strengths and honoring what is unique about each individual.”

Adam Wright, M.Ed., Ph.D., is a mental performance consultant who has worked with athletes at all levels, business executives, and medical professionals, among others.

A published, peer-reviewed author, college instructor in sport psychology, and speaker on optimal human performance, Adam has made an impact not just in the classroom, but in the NFL, the European PGA, MLS, and Wall Street. He is also currently the director of mental performance for the Washington Nationals Major League Baseball Team.

Adam sees the field of applied sport and performance psychology as intellectually engaging and personally fulfilling, as it requires an intense curiosity for lifelong cross-disciplinary learning that is not limited to a research lab. Rather, it is an opportunity to engage with clients directly to creatively and artfully apply the science of performance to help them thrive in their life and craft.

As a lifelong learner, Adam continues his education in counseling and psychotherapy at St. Bonaventure University and the Academy of Clinical and Applied Psychoanalysis.

He currently resides with his wife, son, and Goldendoodle. After spending the last decade volunteering his time as a youth coach across multiple sports, Adam now spends his spare time obsessively digesting books and listening to podcasts related to optimal performance while running, lifting, obstacle course racing, golfing, mountain biking, skiing, and sometimes discussing philosophy, wine, microbrews, and 911s.

Zachary Hojnacki

Mental Performance Consultant

Zachary Hojnacki

All Locations

“I have a curiosity and passion for understanding and helping people. I love to teach others and so teaching and coaching – be it mental performance coaching or athletic coaching – have given me an outlet to do that with people of all ages.”

Teachers and Scholars

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Sarah Sutin

Mental Performance Consultant

Sarah Sutin

All Locations

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Claire Spellman

HR/Finance Coordinator

Claire Spellman

All Locations

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Jennifer Fier

Finance Associate

Jennifer Fier

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Kristen Chacho

Clinical Operations Assistant

Kristen Chacho

Care From The Core

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Andrew Chruscicki

Project Manager and Assistant to the CEO

Andrew Chruscicki

Naples

Care From The Core

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Todd Wilkowski

Founder/CEO

Todd Wilkowski

"I empower people to live better by living by our core values. As an educator, I teach people what they need to know to take accountability for their own health and achieve a balanced life."

Teachers and Scholars

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Michael Beecher

Transformation/Integration Lead

Michael Beecher

Greenwich

"I empower people to live better by practicing what I preach."

Care From The Core

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Francine Blinten

Nutritionist

Francine Blinten

All Locations

"I empower people by connecting with them, discovering their motivations, gaining their trust and listening to them."

Teachers and Scholars

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Ashley Jerry

Nutritionist

Ashley Jerry

Most Locations

“I pride myself on providing motivation, support and accountability to clients. Because eating is so personal and often requires behavior change, I ensure my clients know that I am there for them every step of the way.”

Care From The Core

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Adam Wright

Mental Performance Consultant

Adam Wright

Virtual — All Locations

“I am driven by a model of servant leadership. I aspire to share power, put the needs of others first, and help people develop and perform as highly as possible by leveraging their strengths and honoring what is unique about each individual.”

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