Owner - Dr. Michelle Wolpov, PT, DPT, MBA, ATC, CSCS

Michelle graduated from Ithaca College in 1987, with a bachelor's degree in Physical Therapy. For the first six years she concentrated in the areas of sports medicine and orthopedics, completing a certification in Athletic Training (NATA) and becoming a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (NSCA). Working with athletes at all levels, Michelle held positions in private clinics, high schools, colleges (Montclair State), and with professional sports teams (NY Giants). In 1993, she became the director of a NovaCare clinic, coordinating its expansion and planning a turnaround strategy that would lead to over $3 million in annual revenues by 1998. From there Michelle moved on to a health care management company, where she worked with a team to develop three new outpatient rehabilitation start-ups in central New Jersey in 1999.

At the end of 1999, Michelle left her position to pursue an MBA degree at Monmouth University, where she graduated #1 in her class, with a 4.0 GPA. In 2000, Michelle was nominated for the New Jersey Women in Business Award and was inducted into the national honor society for business students, Beta Gamma Sigma. This led to an induction into the national society for “Who's Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities”. Michelle remains active with Monmouth University's Business Council and Alumni Society. In 2001, Michelle became the president and founder of Practice Management Consulting, a health care consulting business aimed at helping professionals with their business start-ups. Her ultimate dream would be to one-day combine fitness and wellness, with sports medicine and rehabilitation.

As a health care professional, Michelle is committed to helping people in the community. She volunteers her time at races and sporting events held throughout the state. In the past, she has directed fundraising events to help individuals with muscular dystrophy, MS, arthritis and breast cancer. She has been on medical teams for the Garden State Games and the Special Olympics. Michelle is personally a sports enthusiast and enjoys golf, cycling, hiking and skiing. She typically gets involved as an athlete to help raise money for charities. And finally, Michelle volunteers at Big Brother, Big Sister of Monmouth County.

In May 2002, Michelle realized her dream when she, as the sole owner, purchased Game Shape (formerly Planet Fitness) in Manalapan. She immediately started the company known as Professional Sports & Orthopaedic Rehabilitation Associates, LLC and began the turn-around strategy to take a worn down gym and transition it into a state-of-the-art, functional sports training facility which now offers physical therapy, personal fitness training, monthly gym memberships, massage therapy and nutrition counseling.

Michael Carroll, BS Exercise Science, CPT, CSCS

Michael Carroll is owner/operator of The Training Advantage, LLC an in-home personal training business in Monmouth / Middlesex Counties of central NJ. The training Advantage specializes in fitness, weight loss and sports performance programs.

Michael has a B.S. degree in Exercise Science from Rutgers University. He also has two certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association as a personal trainer and strength and conditioning specialist, and is a National Academy of Sports Medicine Corrective Exercises Specialist.

Michael has over 15 years experience in the health and fitness industry as a personal trainer, strength coach, manager, teacher and group instructor. He has worked with clients with a wide variety of ages and goals. Michael has come to Game Shape as a freelance personal trainer and continues with his in home business.

Lori Gerbereux, CPT, Nutrition Consultant

Lori Gerbereux has been an athlete most of her life. It is easy to see why she is, today, a certified personal trainer and nutritionist. She's a distance runner, a record setting power lifter and is presently a competitive all natural bodybuilder. She has a strong understanding of the importance of exercise and nutrition in keeping the mind and body healthy in today's fast paced, highly stressful world.

Lori is dedicated to helping people develop a training and nutrition program that can fit into their busy lives. She also continues to strive to enhance her own life by currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Nutrition.

Lori also volunteers at local hospitals, working with cancer patients during their chemotherapy treatments. She helps them maintain good nutrition and physical fitness during this time, thus lessening the effects of this harsh treatment.

According to Lori, "happiness is a healthy body"!

Karen Goeller, CPT

Sciron Fitness

Karen Goeller, ended up at Game Shape when she needed a facility to train her athletes. Ms. Goeller has been training athletes since 1978 and has produced State and National Champions. She is the author of the Swing Set Fitness books, Gymnastics Drills and Conditioning books, and many articles. Her inspiration for writing came after an accident left her with permanent spinal damage. Before her success as a published author, Ms. Goeller worked for Bela Karolyi, owned a gymnastics club, and had a college education that included physical therapy, health, nutrition, and advertising. She has held fitness, nutrition, EMT, and gymnastics certifications. Ms. Goeller has been featured in the media countless times, most recently in The Coast Star and Asbury Park Press.

Dan Greco, BA, NASM / WITS Certified Personal Trainer

Dan has extensive experience in the Sports and Fitness field. He's been a Health and Physical Education teacher for four years prior to becoming a Personal Trainer. Dan went to Cedarville University and obtained a BA in Health and Physical Education. He's coached basketball and soccer at the high school level and spent several summers coaching for a youth sports camp in Staten Island. He keeps active by playing hockey, baseball, golf, racquetball, and camping during his spare time. He's patient with clients and is confident he will help you achieve your fitness goals. Dan's areas of expertise include: functional strength and conditioning, core stabilization, balance training, and weight management.

Joanna Maidment, NSCA-CPT

Joanna joined the Planet Fitness - Physical Therapy & Wellness Center in 2002 as a Physical Therapy Aide. She now divides her time between personal training and patient rehabilitation, working with many different populations, ranging from 8 year old children to 80 year old adults.

Joanna has studied dance with various regional dance companies, including the American Reparatory Ballet Company (formerly known as The Princeton Ballet). Her athletic background includes competing in regional events as a racewalker and runner, winning numerous awards as one of the top 3 athletes in her category.

Joanna has earned the distinguished NSCA-CPT credential for personal training through the National Strength and Conditioning Association, one of the leading organizations in the health and fitness industry for personal training and strength conditioning.

Areas of expertise include: functional strength & conditioning, and core stabilization training.

Timothy Piotrowski, BS Health Studies, CPT

Tim Piotrowski is a full-time staff member of Game Shape. He is a physical therapy aide and a certified personal trainer. Tim currently has over 2 years experience as an aide and has been training clients with a variety of healthcare needs.

Tim earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Monmouth University in 2011. He continues to stay current with today's healthcare trends. His clients range from high school athletes to busy middle-aged men and women. Timothy's method of training uses old school training methods to emphasize the importance of form with exercise. Timothy also has an interest in diet and nutrition and speaks about this throughout his training.

Tim has a passion to work with individuals who fear gyms and encourages everyone he encounters to include exercise as a part of their daily lives. Tim also takes part in local events throughout New Jersey as a way to stay healthy. He recently challenged himself in the Tough Mudder which raises donations for the Wounded Warrior Foundation.

Daniel Salzman, BS Exercise Physiology, CSCS (pending)

Dan graduated from the University of Delaware in 2011 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Physiology. His goal is to become a licensed physical therapist and he is currently in the process of applying to schools.

Starting at Game Shape as a physical therapy aide, Dan has worked with a wide variety of patients of all age. He is very personable and makes sure the patient does all they can to get the most out of every exercise.

His interest in training athletes came from playing football in high school. As a result, he decided to pursue the CSCS certification of the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Dan is focused on his clients and pushes them to reach their goals. He knows that everyone is capable of doing more than they think they can and he makes sure his clients always work to their full potential.

Lawrence Zucconi, CPT

NASM Certified Personal Trainer

Lawrence graduated from Brookdale Community College with an Associate of Arts degree in 2005 and is now enrolled in the Dual Degree program at Kean University with a major in Psychology. He is in the process of applying to the Nathan Weiss Graduate School at Kean to pursue his passion of working with the human body as an Occupational Therapist.

At a young age, like any other child, Lawrence loved playing sports such as hockey, basketball, baseball, and soccer. Lawrence also grew up with asthma, which made it very difficult to play these sports. He was faced with a decision to either give up or do something to better his situation. His freshman year of high school, his gym teacher and best friend, helped him with that decision and he took up running track. For Lawrence it was one of the hardest yet one of the biggest accomplishments so far. Running and exercise became second nature. By the time he was in his senior year, he had gone from running a mile in 6:30, with taking his inhaler before each race, to running a mile in 5:05 with no inhaler. He had also gone from running a mile, to his personal best, 10 miles by his senior year. It was like his asthma had almost disappeared. After funning for years of Cross-Country and track, he had realized what his passion was...the human body.

With his teenage years as first-hand proof of what exercise can do not only for you aesthetically, but physically and mentally, he was hooked. He continued running and exercising through the next couple years while he was managing at Ruby Tuesday from 2003-2007. His passion became more of a reality once he accepted a job as a personal trainer at NYSC in 2007. While employed there, he obtained his NASM-CPT (National Academy of Sports Medicine- Certified Personal Training certificate) and also has specialization in senior, youth, and pre/post natal fitness. He then continued on his journey and found a great fir here at Game Shape in 2008.

Lawrence molded himself into an all around trainer through the years, given his specific training, which is sport related, to everyday functional training. He likes to focus on core stabilization and balance, which targets the core. The core ultimately protects the most important parts of our body, our organs and heart. He also trains for strength endurance, power, agility, hypertrophy, and stamina.

Francine Della Pietro, CNC

Certified Nutritional Counselor and Holistic Health Counselor

Francine graduated from the Academy of Natural Health Sciences. She started her own business, Nutritional Lifestyles, LLC, and counsel clients in nutrition independently in Personal Training Studios and Fitness Centers. Francine specializes in Gastrointestinal Diseases, such as Crohns, Celiac Sprue, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). She herself suffered from IBS and has learned to control her condition with diet, supplementation and exercise.

Francine also counsels clients for weight loss and other conditions such as; food intolerances, cholesterol and chronic diseases such as diabetes. My passion is to help others learn how proper nutrition aids the body in healing itself.  By creating nutritional programs individualized to each client Francine provides them with the knowledge and strength in controlling their health. She holds a Personal Training Certification with the American Fitness Professionals & Associates (AFPA) and she also is a member of the American Association of Nutritional Counselors (AANC) as well as the American Holistic Health Association (AHHA).

Lia Durazzo, CMT

Certified Massage Therapist

Lia seeks to secure a challenging position in Massage Therapy. She has been studying the art and science of massage therapy for about 2 years now. She graduated from the Cortiva Institute in Wall, NJ and finished top of her class.

Besides completing the mandatory 100 hours of clinic duty, she also became certified by the State of NJ and is an AMTA member.

Lia is well versed in many different techniques, including Swedish, Myofascial, Sports and Prenatal Massage Therapy.

Cherie M. Twardus-Sheridan, CMT

Certified Massage Therapist

Cherie graduated from the Somerset School of Massage in 1993. She is certified in Massage, Bodywork, and Somatic Therapy. Cherie practices with the intent to help as many people get back to their natural health.

She would like to further her education training with Cancer Massage and Nutrition, and then further pursue training in the Feldenkrais Method. Cherie is experienced in Therapeutic Massage, Reflexology, Aromatic Therapy, Body Stone Therapy, Neuromuscular Therapy, Reiki and Sports Massage.

Cherie enjoys life and lives it to the fullest. She engages in sports, races and triathlons.