Julia Munro learns to use a piece of outdoor exercise equipment from Jenessa Maddalena this past Saturday at Lions Park in Oliver as part of the inaugural Day of Wellness sponsored by Grant Storzuk, the owner and operator of the Okanagan Physiotherapy and Active Wellness Centre, that has offices in Osoyoos and Oliver. (Trevor Nichols photo)
On a brisk late fall morning this past Saturday, a group of ladies crowded around Jenessa Maddalena in Lions Park in Oliver.
Maddalena stood with her outstretched leg resting on a piece of the park’s new outdoor fitness equipment, demonstrating a hamstring stretch.
She pointed out which muscles she was working, how to safely execute the stretch, and what it was good for.
The ladies nodded, then tried the exercise themselves.
“We all come down here and play around on this equipment, but learning to use them properly is what we need,” said Oliver resident Cathy Pidduck.
She and the rest of the ladies were some of the many local residents who received services or classes from the health professionals from South Okanagan Physiotherapy and Active Wellness Centre.
The first ever Day of Wellness – a partnership between the clinic and Desert Sun Counselling and Resource Centre – let Oliver and Osoyoos residents come in for massages, physiotherapy sessions, posture classes and more, all for a small donation.
The day happened in large part thanks to the clinic’s owner, Grant Storzuk.
Storzuk, a licensed physiotherapist, convinced his employees to donate their time to raise money to help community members access auxiliary medical services.
Storzuk owns and operates separate clinics in Osoyoos and Oliver.
“It seems like we have a lot of people who fall through the cracks and as much as we try our best to do our pro bono work for everybody we still have to have this funding,” Storzuk said.
He explained he wants to help Desert Sun develop a “slush fund” that can be used to help people access services like the ones his clinic provides, anything from getting fit for a brace to chronic pain and physiotherapy sessions.
“Whatever we raise is going to go towards helping the community in some way,” he said.
Storzuk said the Day of Wellness was his way of doing something to help the community, also ensuring the money raised would stay in the community.
Tamara Aspell, the executive director of Desert Sun, couldn’t be happier.
“Grant has a really good heart for the community,” she said. “This is a next step to a really good partnership between Desert Sun and the wellness clinic here. It’s just such a great combination of the two services that really provide a holistic wellness to the people.”
Aspell explained that a healthy body is the “key to a healthy soul,” and that many of her clients will benefit greatly from the resources the Day of Wellness will provide.
“On a regular basis in the work that we do, we hear so much about self care. You have to take care of yourself. Ongoing self care is so important,” she said.
Storzuk said he is just happy to be a part of the community and organizing events like this is a good way to say thank you.
“I’m very thankful to be in the community and that everyone has given us support. The more support that the community gives the more we can support it,” he said. “At the end of the day we’re here to help and be a part of the community.”
Because of the solid response to the inaugural event, Storzuk said he will strongly consider holding more events like this one in the future.
He is committed to not only providing quality services to his clients in Oliver and Osoyoos, but also to promoting a healthy lifestyle for residents in both communities, he said.
For a first-time event, the response was very strong and he’s happy about that, said Storzuk.
TREVOR NICHOLS
Regional Reporter
