Staff
Tom Strafaci, CSCS
Tom is the Director of Personal Fitness Training Services at Functional Physical Therapy and Fitness, as well as the owner/operator of Functional Fitness, Inc. in Pasadena.
Tom is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), former national team power lift champion, former national collegiate power lift champion, and former world record holder in the squat for his weight division. Tom also regularly competes in the Senior Olympic Powerlifting competitions and the World Famous Marine Corp. Mud Run held at Camp Pendleton each year.
Tom has worked with clients ranging from pitchers in the Atlanta Braves farm systems, post rehab conditioning individuals, severe weight loss clients and senior citizens who have medical conditions that require special exercise intervention.
For the last nine years Tom has worked with many local physicians and psychologists in an effort to best serve his client's fitness needs. Tom also is a regular speaker at the Huntington Hospital's Senior Care Network and is on the board of directors of the San Gabriel Valley Convalescent Aide Society.
Frank Chow, DPT, OCS
Dr. Chow received his Bachelor of Science in exercise science from the University of Southern California in 1996. He later received his Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT) also from the University of Southern California. His clinical specialty is in the areas of orthopaedic and sports physical therapy. Dr. Chow is an American Physical Therapy Board Orthopaedic Certified Specialist (OCS). Along with his clinical interests, Dr. Chow has had numerous opportunities to participate in research studies at the Orthopaedic Hospital in Los Angeles, CA, at the University of Southern California, and in the private practice setting. He is co-author to a study published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research and in an article in Clinics in Podiatric Medicine and Surgery.
David S. Im, DPT, TPI CGFI
Dr. Im received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of California at Berkeley, his Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT) from the University of Southern California and his TPI certification from the Titleist Performance Institute. He specializes in golf, orthopaedic, neurological, and sports injuries and is trained in both inpatient and outpatient aspects of rehabilitation. His treatment approach utilizes the most up-to-date manual and exercise techniques derived from experience and evidence-based medicine. Dr. Im is an avid golfer and has also worked as a personal trainer for over ten years developing customized programs for clients with special needs.
Rocky Hermes, CPT
Rocky Hermes began his professional career in his homeland of Germany. He devoted four years to business/trade school. During the course of his professional pursuits he chose to fulfill his national duty by enlisting in the German military for 2 years. While fitness has been a lifelong personal interest to Rocky, he decided to meld this facet into his professional life. Thus began his foray into the world of personal fitness training. The grassroots training for Rocky came through a challenging opportunity of managing a fitness gym in Germany for 5 years. Not only did Rocky learn the "nuts and bolts" of the fitness arena by this hands-on learning process but he also obtained his first certification of personal training during this time.
In the U.S., Rocky has earned an additional certification as a CPT with the I.S.S.A. As an original member of the Functional Fitness team (since 2000), Rocky has flourished with the organization. With over a decade of personal training experience, Rocky Hermes provides sound, competent, and valued expertise to anyone that seeks a fit lifestyle.
Bryan Centola, PTA, CPT
Bryan has been a personal trainer for Functional Fitness since the summer of 2001. His expertise has been personal training for the individual with special medical needs. Bryan is also a licensed physical therapy assistant and this added background gives him special tools to manage this unique population. In addition to training personal fitness clients, Bryan spends a considerable amount of time managing home health patients at their homes. In his spare time, Bryan enjoys traveling throughout Italy, fine Italian food, wine, cars, and soccer.
Jordan Nichols, CSCS
Jordan Nichols is a native of Southern California and a graduate of Colorado State University. At the university level, he played football and competed on the triathlon team. He was a two time JC All American football player in college. Jordan is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and currently heads up our tri-athlete training program. Jordan's hobbies are snowboarding and extreme sports competitions.
Roselyn Villacarlos, CPT
Roselyn Villacarlos was born in Chicago, Illinois and grew up in Los Angeles. Her love of fitness began with doing aerobic exercise videos with her mother at the age of four. Roselyn graduated from California State University Long Beach where she double majored in Kinesiotherapy and Fitness with a minor in Psychology. She enjoys surfing and playing beach volleyball.
Michael Cianciola, CSCS
Michael Cianciola oversees the personal training department in our Arcadia facility. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our Functional team from a fitness training career that started in 1997 in large fitness gyms. As a former high school baseball player, Michael knows first-hand the importance of proper training and fitness. Mr. Cianciola has also been an instructor in physical education and health for grades K- 8 at a private school for over 6 years. He is a personal trainer certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association and the National Academy of Sports Medicine. After years of teaching and training, Michael joined our Functional team to impress upon his passion for movement and desire to impact how people of all ages move. In his spare time, Michael enjoys watching baseball and keeping an eye on his alma mater, Bishop Amat.
Carey Crowell, CPT
Carey Crowell is a graduate of Occidental College who minored in Education and received her Bachelors in Kinesiology. Carey joined our Functional team as a Physical Therapy Aide in November of 2004 and for the last two years has worked as a Certified Personal Trainer who enjoys helping clients achieve their fitness goals. While a student at Occidental College, Carey was a four-year varsity starter on the softball team and was named MVP three of four seasons. She has been playing softball for more than 17 years and continues to play on competitive teams throughout the year. In addition to playing softball, Carey enjoys photography and cooking.
Robin Ishibashi, CSCS
Robin Ishibashi is a graduate of Whittier College (2003) where she majored in Kinesiology and Leisure Science. During her four years at Whittier College she played intercollegiate basketball and was a 4-time All-Conference selection for the SCIAC, and a 4-time team MVP. Robin is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and a USA Weightlifting Certified Club Coach. Robin has four years of college coaching experience with her alma mater, Whittier College, as well as with Chapman University. She also enjoys working with athletes of various sports and abilities to help get them to the next level. In her extra time, Robin enjoys basketball, Olympic Weightlifting, playing a variety of sports, and cooking!
Amiee Gomez, CPT
Amiee Gomez graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a degree in Physical Education and Kinesiology. She worked as a Fitness Coordinator for the federal government for eight years before joining the Functional team. Amiee is an ACE certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor. In her spare time, she enjoys rollerblading, golfing, and participating and teaching in spinning classes.
