Lake Mary Life | Oviedo-Winter Springs Life | Wekiva Springs Life

Focus On Glow Skin & Body Massage

Sherri — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 18:17:15 +0000

When you ask Diane Hamacher, paramedical skin care specialist and owner of Glow Skin & Body Spa, what inspired her to pursue a career as an esthetician, she describes a painful, yet defining moment. A failed cosmetic treatment left her with second-degree facial burns and the motivation to explore treatments for her scars. As a result, Diane discovered her calling.
A graduate of the Paul Mitchell School and educated by Dr. James E. Fulton, the co-developer of Retin-A and Vivant Pharmaceuticals, Diane provides clients results-oriented skin care coupled with an empathetic and caring perspective. That same compassionate spirit is infused into the Glow philosophy – offer superior luxury in a quaint spa environment. “Our goal is to provide exceptional service while you relax, refresh and renew,” Diane explains.
And according to her clients, she delivers.
“Diane has been helping with my skin care for over six years now,” says Longwood resident Valerie Bennett. “Her facials are not only a soothing, relaxing experience, but they encourage enhanced tone, elasticity, even color and general health of the skin. She educates and empowers the client on how best to care for her skin at home, between facials. And she offers exceptional service.”
Whether soaking their toes during a spa pedicure or enjoying a Soli Tone facial, clients luxuriate in the Glow Skin & Body Spa personal experience. “Our custom treatments are designed to address the needs of each individual, whether they are struggling with acne or rosacea or simply want to improve the overall health of their skin, nails or body,” says Diane. “We offer an option for everyone.” With an extensive menu that includes facials and peels, laser hair removal, waxing, body treatments, makeup application (including the new Xtreme Lashes® eyelash extensions!), massage therapy, nail services and heated sunless airbrushing, clients can transform their look and rejuvenate their spirits – all under one roof. However, Diane’s passion for delivering the best-quality spa experience extends well beyond the Glow walls. Each month you can find her providing complimentary facials and skin treatments to the parents of the critically ill patients at Walt Disney Pavilion at Florida Hospital for Children in Orlando.
“If I can provide them with relaxation and escape from their situation, then I’ve done my job,” says Diane. “Just as I appreciate those who helped me on my journey to health and healing, I can see the appreciation in the smiles and relief these parents feel – those experiences are truly invaluable.”

-Shelley Ouellette
Located in downtown Lake Mary, Glow Skin & Body Spa offers appointments Tuesday through Saturday. To book your appointment, visit www.glowlakemary.com or call 407-323-1991.

Focus on Dan Calton, CPA

Sherri — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 18:10:52 +0000

You run a small- to medium-sized business. You wear many hats, but finance and accounting aren’t among your core strengths. You can’t remember the last time you actually spoke to your CPA. All you see is the staff accountant who comes in once, maybe twice a year, files your tax returns, fills out the mandatory paperwork, and perhaps prepares a set of financials for you. Then it’s right back to 11 months of the Lone Ranger routine. You need more than just a perfunctory analysis of your financial situation. It’s a dilemma.
Or is it? With over 20 years of solid financial experience behind him, Dan Calton, CPA, PA provides an exceptional service in our community, helping the entrepreneur with the complexities of running a business, while giving advice simply and concisely. “What sets us apart is our holistic approach to client relationships,” says Dan, an FSU graduate, with an MS in accounting. “We transcend the typical client/CPA relationship by acting as strategic partners with our clients 365 days a year. We take care of the taxes with absolute precision, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. We excel at helping business owners make sense of the rapidly changing financial environment.”
For many businesses, it doesn’t make sense to pay a six-figure salary (plus benefits and a bonus) to a seasoned chief financial officer. Dan fills that role by making his considerable expertise available in matters like feasibility studies, enterprise and accounting software selection, budget and forecast preparation, fraud audits, internal control reviews, process improvements, and human resource management – and in a cost-effective manner.
“Many small firms cannot afford a CFO, but they can afford me to come in for several hours or days a month to be their financial coach,” says Dan. “Sometimes the departure of a key member of a company’s finance and accounting team has left a void. We can step in and fill the void while helping them find a suitable replacement.”
Dan’s professional history makes him the ideal person to help smaller companies. After he passed the CPA exam in 1990, he embarked on a career that sent him around the world, working for firms like Arthur Andersen, and multi-billion dollar organizations, including Eckerd Corporation and the Marriott Corporation. Having made the transition from big companies to his own entrepreneurship, Dan brings to the table an understanding of the inner workings of both large and small companies.
A health issue was the main reason for Dan’s exit from Corporate America. At the same time his wife Elizabeth gave birth to his now four-year-old son, Jacob, Dan was diagnosed as having prostate cancer. Six weeks later he made one of the most important decisions in his life.
“It was a wake-up call,” recalls Dan. “I wanted to run my own show, so I started my own business. And fortunately the cancer has been in remission since I made that decision.” While the progress of his health is encouraging, Dan wanted us to end this focus with an important warning:
“My doctor says I’m clinically cured, but I was lucky. I probably waited a little too long to deal with my illness. I encourage all men to get tested regularly. You might be saving your life.” -
Thank you, Dan, from all of us! – Michael Kramer

Focus on Strassman Insurance Group

Sherri — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 18:08:10 +0000

“Are we covered for that?”
It’s not a question you want to be asking your insurance agent after the hurricane has hit, after you’ve been in a car accident, or after a burglar has made off with your great-grandmother’s heirloom necklace.
Allstate agent Steve Strassman of the Strassman Insurance Group in Lake Mary knows the right time to check your coverage is before you ever have to file a claim – or at least once a year when your policies come up for renewal.
That’s why Steve makes sure that his home, auto, boat, and life insurance clients get a friendly call from a member of his staff around renewal time asking them to schedule a Customer Protection Review with him.
“We do it proactively so our customers don’t have to reach out to us – we reach out to them,” says Steve. “Some clients have never had their policies reviewed on an annual basis and we find that there are tremendous gaps in their coverage that will only be revealed at the time of a claim. And then it’s too late to change anything.”
Jewelry coverage is a frequent oversight.“People don’t realize if they have some jewelry over $1,000 or $2,000, it’s usually not covered in a homeowner’s policy,” says Steve. “You have to add that.”
Flood and water damage insurance is often overlooked, too.
“A lot of policies don’t come with protection for water and sewer back-up,” he says. “That’s another thing you have to add. Everything has to be gone over carefully.”
During the review, he will also take a look at situations where you might be sued – like a common fender bender.
“There are a lot of litigious people out there today,” says Steve. “You have to make sure your assets are well-protected. If you don’t, you could lose everything you’ve worked so hard for.”
Steve will not only be certain that you have the right coverage, but that it comes at the right price. If it’s a homeowner’s insurance policy, he’ll check to see you’re not overly insured. If you’ve fortified your house against hurricanes, you could qualify for the wind mitigation discount.
“It could be up to a 20 percent decrease,” says Steve. “It’s a huge discount.”
If your house has a monitored alarm, that’s a discount. And if you have teenage drivers who are good students, that’s a discount, too.
“We just run through everything and check coverages and check discounts,” says Steve. “It’s a very time-consuming process, but it’s essential. We make sure our clients are covered and we save them money, because if we don’t, someone else will.” – Peter Reilly
The Strassman Insurance Group has been in business since 1998. It is located at 3895 Lake Emma Road, Suite 113.

Focus on Stetson University

Sherri — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 17:56:38 +0000

Just a short drive north of Lake Mary lies one of Central Florida’s most significant cultural treasures. Stetson University’s award-winning School of Music offers invaluable opportunities to enjoy world-class performances – close to home.
Recognized as one of the finest undergraduate-only professional schools of music in the country, Stetson’s School of Music has purposefully limited the program to just undergraduates, meaning that students get more time with professors and access to opportunities to develop professionally. “In fact, our students benefit from gaining exposure to graduate-level and professional-level repertoire,” explains Dr. Jean O. West, dean of the School of Music.Offering several bachelor programs in music education, performance, technology, composition theory, and more, the school not only stresses artistic excellence and professionalism, but also embraces the academic rigor that Stetson University is known for. The School of Music, College of Arts & Sciences, and School of Business Administration are located at the historic campus in DeLand, while the College of Law is in Gulfport and Tampa. Stetson also has a Center at Celebration.
“Our students benefit from a rich academic and performance foundation that leads to exciting professional careers as professional performers, educators, composers, and conductors,” Dr. West says. The school boasts a dynamic team of artist-faculty, many of whom have been at Stetson for nearly 30 years. The faculty and students are gearing up for a magical lineup of concerts this spring featuring superior music selections and unforgettable performances. One of those is Dr. Michael Rickman’s Piano Scholars Festival taking place February 24-26. “We invite prospective students to campus for auditions and the opportunity to compete for scholarship money,” Dr. Rickman says.
“We will welcome guest pianist Mirian Conti from Juilliard, who will be conducting master classes with the students, in addition to performing.” Dr. Rickman will join colleague Edit Palmer in a special piano performance on February 26 to conclude the festival.
Often, alumni continue to study at some of the most prestigious music graduate schools in the world, and no one is prouder of their achievements than the Stetson faculty, says Dr. Lynn Musco, professor of clarinet.
With a student-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, the invaluable one-on-one time spent between faculty and their students forges “relationships that last not just four years, but a lifetime,” says Dr. Musco, who is performing in recitals on January 22 and March 27.
Dr. Musco along with colleagues Dr. Ashley Heintzen, professor of bassoonand Dr. Ann Adams, professor of oboe, comprise the faculty woodwind trio Veritate Winds. “We all love to play, but our passion is teaching,” comments Dr. Adams. Veritate Winds performs on March 16.
The faculty members are able to draw from their professional experience to give students tactical, need-to-know performance skills. Dr. Heintzen, who is performing in a January 20 faculty recital, says “a live performance never goes the same way twice.”
“We teach our students the spirit of collaboration,” she says. “Chamber music is important for the students because they learn to work without a conductor and learn with each other.” On February 3, Stetson will present a Faculty Recital with Stephen Robinson and Friends, coordinated by Dr. Stephen Robinson, professor of music and brilliant guitarist.
“This will be a very different kind of concert of chamber music with guitar,” Dr. Robinson explains. Attendees will enjoy hearing arrangements featuring piano, oboe, clarinet, violin, cello, flute and even bongos, among others. “It will be a crazy combination of instruments with guitar and great fun,” Dr. Robinson says.
Another can’t-miss musical treat will be a duo of Stetson Opera Theatre and Orchestra performances on March 23 and 25, directed by Dr. Russell Franks, professor of voice. Along with conductor Anthony Hose, professor of music, Dr. Franks will lead students in a performance of Ibert’s musical farce, Angélique and Poulenc’s Les Mamelles de Tirésias (in English).
“In Poulenc’s opera, a woman named Thérèse gets tired of being a submissive wife expected to birth babies. She becomes a man, Tirésias, and seeks to take on the world,” Dr. Franks explains. “Naturally, her husband isn’t happy with this, so she ties him up and then challenges him to worry about babies. He actually finds a way to give birth to thousands.”
Stetson is synonymous with exposing both students and the community to cultural opportunities says Dr. Routa Kroumovitch-Gomez, professor of violin. Every summer, she takes a handful of students to the Orfeo Music Festival in Vipiteno, Italy. Stetson students cite the festival as one of the most enriching educational and creative experiences available.
“The students come back different people because they understand what it takes to be a professional on an international scope,” Dr. Kroumovitch-Gomez says. – Ashley Cisneros
To access a full list of upcoming Stetson School of Music concerts, visit www.stetson.edu/music or call 386-822-8947.

Focus on Tom O’Brien Realtor at Watson Realty

Sherri — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 17:56:30 +0000

With three-and-a-half decades served in the medical device industry, Tom O’Brien knows how to survive both market and technology trends. Having dealt with buying groups at the highest levels of corporate hierarchy, he also learned how to be prepared to deal with the unexpected. Now, as a Realtor with Watson Realty in Lake Mary, he brings his negotiating and technical savvy to what can accurately be considered an industry “in flux.”
“It’s not your father’s real estate landscape,” Tom says. “As a Realtor today you need to possess a skill set that is markedly different from what agents possessed even five years ago. The process has become even more complex due to the mortgage crisis. If you haven’t adapted with the times, you’re not going to succeed.”
Today you need to be an experienced negotiator familiar with every aspect of real estate, especially how to effectively work with attorneys and lenders, Tom believes. “Most importantly, we must set realistic expectations with our clients. With housing inventory at a seven-year low in this region, the expectation must be that the market has seen a correction. If there’s an attractive property on the market at a competitive price, there’s less wiggle room for the buyer or seller to negotiate.”

Tom feels a strong obligation to his clients to be as informed as possible. In a community like Lake Mary, potential buyers see an area that offers an ideal quality of life, and they are excited and hopeful to find a great home at an affordable price. They also have access to all the information they need to make informed decisions before they even meet with a Realtor, making them more sophisticated shoppers. Tom’s goal: Make the buyer (or seller) feel comfortable with the transaction.
“People know exactly what they want because they research the information on the Web in advance. So instead of going to 20 houses, you take them to the three that they believe best fit their criteria,” he explains. “Then you negotiate in good faith. If I can save them several hundred dollars in fees, I will, and they appreciate that.”
Of course, Tom admits that being a Realtor in Lake Mary has serious advantages. It offers a desirable way of life and has great selling points. Touting the area’s cleanliness, great schools, and overall quality of life, Tom knows that the region almost sells itself. The more challenging part is navigating the process and creating a desirable outcome for clients. “I’m passionate about what I do because I’m helping people realize their dreams,” he says. “There’s nothing more rewarding than that, so I’m going to do everything I can to make it happen.” – Jack Roth

FOCUS ON PRIVATE WEALTH MANAGEMENT

Sherri — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 17:29:23 +0000

Engaged client service and expertise during turbulent markets
Today’s economic climate offers considerable opportunities as well as potential pitfalls that can derail casual or haphazard investors. It is more important than ever for affluent individuals to have a coherent and customized long-term financial plan coupled with professional portfolio management. Located in the heart of Lake Mary, Private Wealth Management is a team of seasoned financial professionals who offer unbiased, independent advice – pure and simple. The firm provides fee-based guidance to high-net-worth families, professionals, and current or former business owners who have worked hard to achieve success. With more than 60 years of combined experience, the team at Private Wealth Management provides expertise in asset management, retirement income distribution and wealth transfer strategies. The firm’s team approach allows each of the firm’s advisors to apply their specialized knowledge for the benefit of their clients, enabling Private Wealth Management to address any set of financial circumstances, no matter how complex.
Helping clients through counseling, coaching, and caring
Private Wealth Management assists clients in turning their hopes for the future into reality through the creation, management, and preservation of their wealth. This is accomplished by prioritizing goals, developing an achievable plan, and determining the ongoing strategies needed to implement the process. The most important part of the firm’s mission is the counseling, the coaching, the listening and the caring, as well as the knowledgeable and intelligent planning that Private Wealth Management strives for in every relationship. Simply put, the firm helps clients enjoy their lives and achieve their goals.
Experienced team
Dominic Nori is CEO and Fixed Income Specialist at Private Wealth Management. He has over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, having previously started his own full-service broker/dealer firm with offices in New York City and Mountain Lakes, New Jersey. He founded Private Wealth Management in 2000 to serve the needs of high-net-worth families.
Since moving to Florida, Dominic has been actively involved in children’s charities. To benefit Arnold Palmer Hospital and New Hope for Kids, he founded the Fall Classic 5k Run, which he chaired for five years. He is currently on the board for New Hope for Kids, a Central Florida charity focused on helping children and families suffering from grief, loss or life-threatening illnesses. Beyond his philanthropic interests, Dominic enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, running, biking, skiing, scuba diving and reading.
Adam Goldstein serves as Private Wealth Management’s Chief Operating Officer and Director of Wealth Management. He handles the day-to-day operations of the firm as well as portfolio construction and the ongoing maintenance of client investment allocations.

Adam and his family are avid fund raisers for Camp Boggy Creek, a year-round camp for seriously ill children located in Eustis, Florida. Additionally, they are actively involved with CureSearch, a national childhood cancer foundation dedicated to finding a cure for pediatric cancers.
Vijay Marolia, MBA, CFP® is the firm’s Chief Investment Officer. His role is to identify investment opportunities in fluctuating market environments which can be utilized within the strategic portfolio allocations of Private Wealth Management clients. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and has appeared on AM Radio 1440’s Friday evening talk show as the “Financial Guru,” and is regularly invited to offer his financial advice to Fox 35 Orlando News. In addition to his passion for finance, Vijay enjoys teaching. He has volunteered with Junior Achievement since 2007 and has had the privilege of teaching Central Florida high-school students subjects ranging from Honors Economics to Success Skills. He spends his leisure time reading, writing, golfing, and rooting for the Orlando Magic.
Patrick Buchanan, CFP®, ChFC®, CLU® serves as the Director of Advanced Planning Strategies for Private Wealth Management and is responsible for the development and application of client specific strategies for income distribution, wealth transfer, and risk management. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, Chartered Financial Consultant™, and a Chartered Life Underwriter™. Patrick’s family is active in fund-raising for Seminole County Animal Services through TEARS Inc., a nonprofit organization founded by his wife, Kris. Patrick is an accomplished public speaker who has been invited to speak to several industry associations as a proponent of comprehensive financial planning. He enjoys the topics of leadership and personal confidence and enjoys sharing advice with the local community and organizations.
Private Wealth Management provides fee-based asset management and comprehensive financial planning with in-depth strategies for growing, protecting, and transferring wealth. Contact Private Wealth to learn more about how they can provide you with unbiased, independent advice: 407-804-1444. Securities and Financial Planning offered through LPL Financial, A Registered Investment Advisor, member FINRA/SIPC

FOCUS ON EVOLUTION AUTO

Sherri — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 17:26:23 +0000

For better or worse (…it’s worse) little has changed in the car business in the last 60 years. At far too many dealerships, salespeople still hide in the bushes, the sales environment is combative at best, and inventory is chosen to meet the dealer’s needs, not yours. It all culminates in an emotionally draining negotiating process over an intentionally cryptic set of numbers, an exercise affectionately referred to in the business as “Crunch and Punch.”
Lake Mary/Sanford, however, is now home to one of the first true innovations in automotive retailing since the modern dealer model was minted in the post-WWII boom. Evolution Auto is putting the rest of the car business on notice that it’s time to, quite frankly, get with the times.
What makes Evolution Auto so unique? The advantages are built into the company’s DNA. Before opening its sparkling state-of-the-art, pre-owned car dealership on Rinehart Road near the Seminole Towne Center, Evolution Auto began life not as a company designed to sell cars, but to buy them, and that makes all the difference.
“The company started in the early 1990s as a service to purchase select cars from owners in the U.S. and export them to clients around the world,” says Wendy Forster, part of Evolution’s marketing team. “That gave us tremendous insight into what buyers ultimately want and we learned how to find those cars in the marketplace. Today, that same ‘buyer’s eye’ is what sets our extensive inventory of pre-owned cars apart from what you’ll find at other dealers.
“We carry all the most popular models, in the most sought-after colors, and with the options and packages people want,” Wendy continues. “And in the rare instance we don’t have exactly what a customer is looking for, we can go out and get it.”
That kind of flexibility and purchasing power is unheard of in the pre-owned car marketplace. A customer’s ability to buy a car that meets specific criteria is something typically reserved for new car dealers only. Evolution Auto, in fact, so blurs the line between new- and used-car buying that the dealership occupies an entirely new category of automotive retailer, one that has tremendous advantages over franchised, new-car dealers. “If a client is shopping for a particular model but wants to compare that car to the three or four other models in the same class, they can do that here all in one trip, because we carry so many different brands,” says Wendy. “Previously, a client would be forced to make trips to several different dealers to comparison shop, often stomaching a unpleasant experience at each stop.”
Also like a new-car dealer, Evolution Auto is qualified and proud to service every car they sell for the life of the vehicle. The dealership’s 20 bay, climate-controlled service department is so advanced and immaculate, you could safely eat your holiday leftovers off the floor. Evolution Auto also features a parts department, aftermarket installation center, and car spa that are each the envy of the area’s highest-end dealerships.
Suffice it to say, the cars on Evolution Auto’s lot can easily be mistaken for new, as well. Each Gold Check Certified car, besides being hand selected for quality and desirability, goes through a 125-point mechanical inspection. Many cars offered by Evolution Auto are still under factory warranty (many with less than a year’s worth of time and mileage on them), and warranty extensions are available from reputable providers chosen with the same care applied to the cars. Evolution Auto offers cars, SUVs, vans, and trucks to fit any budget and financing options exist for just about any credit scenario.
There’s only one piece remaining to cement Evolution Auto’s position above and apart from traditional dealers – the customer experience. For that, Evolution Auto employs a concept that is as simple as it is revolutionary.
“We follow a one-price model, which is unprecedented in the pre-owned car marketplace,” says Wendy. “Our customers research their purchases thoroughly before they come to us, and they know what these cars should cost. So each car is marked with a low, fixed price that is absolutely competitive. No negotiation is required, and our salespeople earn a flat rate commission, not a sliding scale that rewards them for charging customers more. As such, our entire sales experience is pleasant, relaxed, and enjoyable.”
Customers (and other dealers) take note. The (r)Evolution is on. Car dealers in general may not change for another 60 years, but thanks to Evolution Auto, the business will never be the same. – Chip Colandreo

BRIAN BADRAN FIGHTING FOR HIS DREAM

Sherri — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 17:06:47 +0000

BY Jill Cousins

Physical fitness and competition have always intrigued Lake Mary resident Ryan Badran. So when he noticed a martial arts studio had opened up next to the gym where he lifted weights, Ryan couldn’t resist taking a peek inside.
Ryan liked what he saw. He signed up that day, back in 2005, and started training right away.
“As soon as I started training, my instructor said that I was meant to do this,” says Ryan, 25. “I just loved it. I’ve always been interested in physical fitness, and I’ve always been very active. And there’s no better workout.“
After training in kung fu with Master Jimmy Wilson for three years, Ryan decided to step it up a notch and start training for competition. Just two years ago, he had his first fight in the combat sport of Muay Thai.
An injury knocked Ryan out of competition for 10 months, but he bounced back this summer in a big way. In a span of about five weeks, he won the U.S. Muay Thai Association Florida welterweight championship and the International Kickboxing Federation World Classic Muay Thai amateur championship, and earned a spot on the USA World Kickboxing Federation’s Sanshou team that was scheduled to compete in the World Wushu Championships in Turkey last month.
At the event in Turkey, Ryan was attempting to become the first American to win a gold medal. He won all 12 of his previous martial arts bouts – 10 in Muay Thai and two in Sanshou. Muay Thai primarily involves punching and kicking, with no takedowns. In Sanshou, competitors try to take down their opponents.
Ryan’s goal is to add jiu-jitsu, a Brazilian form of martial arts that focuses on ground fighting, so that he can eventually compete professionally in mixed martial arts – a full-contact combat sport that incorporates Muay Thai, Sanshou and jiu-jitsu.
Ryan, who owns a construction business with childhood friend Cole Engel, says he would probably be in the military if it weren’t for his discovery of competitive martial arts. He had his share of trouble in high school and was actually encouraged to take up martial arts by a psychologist.
“I was constantly getting in trouble in school,” Ryan says, “and I had a lot of anger issues. This has really helped me. Punching people in the face keeps me sane! Hard work makes you a stronger person, physically, mentally, and ultimately spiritually. It pulls everything together. It did for me.”
All that fighting does come at a price. Ryan’s face almost always bears the scars of his sport (“If I don’t have at least one black eye, I haven’t been training,” he says). And in June of last year he sustained a sternum injury while training that knocked him out of competition for almost a year.
His return to the ring was somewhat of a fluke. In March, Ryan accompanied his friend and business partner Cole to a fight in Daytona Beach. Cole was competing, and Ryan volunteered to provide support in his corner. But when the event’s promoter told him that he needed a 155-pound fighter, Ryan jumped at the chance. Just two hours later, Ryan posted a first-round victory.
His next fight earned Ryan his first shot at a state title (which he won in Daytona on June 26). He is hoping that this summer’s success is only the beginning.
“My goal is to pursue a professional career,” Ryan says. “To get paid to do what I love to do – it’s chasing a dream.”

IN SEARCH OF THE NEXT FINISH LINE

Sherri — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 17:01:43 +0000

By Michelle Schwartz

If you’re not careful while running on the Cross Seminole Trail in Lake Mary most mornings, you might get recruited by a pair of running veterans – Frank French and Bill Braceland. The two have been known to find would-be runners out there struggling to get through two miles, transforming them to half-marathoners in no time.
“We started with a gal a few months ago,” explains Bill, “and what do you have her running now, Frank? Eleven miles?” Frank’s humble nod suggests that this is no big deal, runners being a helpful breed by nature. These two combined have completed 40+ marathons. And did we mention that Bill is 83 years old, and his buddy Frank is 77?
These unlikely enthusiasts met at a race several years ago when Bill suggested that Frank join him and his 70+ group during their morning runs.
“It’s a group that sticks together at the start and finish of most races,” says Frank. “It’s one of my favorite parts of running, I meet folks from all over the world.” While competing in local 5K and 10K races as well as half- and full-marathons all over the country, each of them boasts an awards room that could sink a ship.
“We usually win something for our age group,” Bill explains, with a twinkle in his eye. “Of course, often we’re the only ones in our age group. I don’t really outrun them, I just outlive ‘em.”
Laugh as they may, these two truly believe they’re onto something. Bill found running years ago, after losing 100
pounds. “I went to volunteer with my wife at one of the Disney marathons. I saw all these people and thought, ‘I can do that.’” Twenty-six marathons later, he’s still doing it, while inspiring his entire family along the way. A father of five, he recently led 14 of his children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews in the Disney World Half Marathon. And have the youngsters been bitten by the running bug? “Nah, they can’t keep up with me,” laughs Bill.
Frank, also a married father of five, discovered running in the 1980s, but thought his athletic career might be cut short after a valve replacement in 1998. With his cardiologist’s permission, he was back on the road shortly after and has run more than 15 marathons since. Other than the blood thinner he needed post-op, Frank takes no other medications. Bill requires an occasional ibuprofen for his spinal stenosis, but no meds for him either. None. “We found the answer,” Frank claims proudly. “Running gives us amazing energy and keeps us healthy. We meet so many positive people and we truly get a high that lasts all day.”
“After our 11-mile run in the morning, I come home and have a big bowl of cereal and I’m ready to cut the grass or weed the yard,” says Bill. “I would never have this much energy without our runs.” There seems to be no end in sight, either.
“We’re always looking for our next finish line,” agree the two, who are by no means leaving skid marks on the Cross Seminole Trail. “It’s sort of a run/walk,” explains Frank, “but speed doesn’t matter as long as you’re out there.”
Bill agrees. “At our age, there is no time goal. Any race where we finish vertically… that’s a successful race.”

Janet Nelson: A pillar of strength

Sherri — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 16:54:45 +0000

By Jill Cousins

Sanford resident Janet Nelson was 19 years old when a friend brought her into a free-weight gym for the first time. In her own words, she was “overweight and soft,” and when she attempted to do a bench press, she couldn’t even lift the bar.
But something about weightlifting appealed to Janet, and “it became the bug that bit me,” she says. She entered her first bodybuilding contest at age 21. In the 1980s and ’90s, she won several titles, including Ms. Orlando in 1993.
“I failed,” Janet says of her first contest, “and I went home feeling dejected. But I brushed myself off and went back into the gym. Perseverance is my middle name. The determination was there.”
That determination was clearly evident in Janet’s astonishing bodybuilding comeback in 2011. After taking a 15-year hiatus while raising her two children, Janet returned to bodybuilding at the age of 51 and amazingly won two titles. She was crowned overall champion at the Ms. Orlando Metropolitan championships at Lyman High School in April, then captured the Over-40 championships and placed second in the lightweight division at the Ms. Florida State competition at Dr. Phillips High School in August.
No one is prouder of Janet than her 16-year-old daughter Rheannin, a sophomore at Seminole High School.
Rheannin was a competitive gymnast for about 10 years. She stopped competing a few years ago, but found another outlet for her talents when she entered her first fitness competition at age 14. With Janet choreographing a routine that showed off Rheannin’s strength and acrobatic gymnastics skills, Rheannin captured two titles in 2010: Ms. Teen Fitness Florida State and Ms. Teen Fitness Sunshine State.
“I always want to make her proud and make her happy,” says Rheannin, who enjoys an extremely close relationship with her mom. “When I get advice from her, it gives me more confidence.”
Meanwhile, by watching Rheannin compete, Janet suddenly found herself inspired to get back into bodybuilding.
“When she was on the stage at the Florida State show [in August 2010], I thought, ‘That looks like fun. I want to do it again,’” Janet says. “It refueled my desire to return to competition.”
Janet had actually been involved in gymnastics as a young girl growing up in Philadelphia. Mesmerized by the sport when she saw Soviet gymnast Olga Korbut compete in the 1972 Summer Olympics on TV, Janet began taking gymnastics lessons in a local school program.
Her career came to a crushing halt at age 13 when, while performing a vault, Janet broke her leg in two places. Her mother gave her strict instructions: “No more sports!” With nothing constructive to occupy her free time, Janet began “hanging out at the street corner with the bad kids.”
Fortunately, Janet turned her life around after moving to Florida at age 19 and found her true calling in the weight room. “I started to develop confidence,” she says. “I started to feel that I could achieve anything.”
While she was training and competing, Janet also became a certified personal trainer (she is also a paralegal, who worked in the legal field for 10 years). Even though Janet took some time off to raise Rheannin and son Kyle, now 21 and a student at the University of North Florida, she never gave up her dedication to fitness.
Janet has been committed to living a healthy lifestyle, combining nutrition with her vigorous training schedule. But despite the pressures in the world of bodybuilding, she never succumbed to steroid or drug use.
“I’m all about good health,” Janet says. “I took the long road. It’s about making healthy choices and living my life. Everything I achieved, I worked hard for.”
Rheannin couldn’t be prouder of her mom – despite what some of her friends might think when they see Janet’s well- developed physique.
“My friends make comments – ‘Your mom’s a bodybuilder. I’m scared of her!’ But that’s normal to me. I embrace it,” Rheannin says. “I love her for who she is, and I also see myself in her.”
When she isn’t busy working out or training her clients, Janet enjoys speaking with young kids about developing healthy eating and exercise habits. In her personal training business, Janet has clients ranging in age from teens to senior citizens. They get the benefit of Janet’s 30 years of fitness experience, combined with her enthusiastic approach to a healthy lifestyle.
Exercising doesn’t have to be hard,” Janet says. “You just have to figure out what you like to do and stay with it for the long haul.
“I love going to the gym. It’s just what I do. I’m going to be the 80-year-old in the gym, without a doubt!”