At Body Place we are a community, a family, a dedicated team of professionals with strong values and warm hearts.
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Shannon Kirkpatrick
EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGIST
Shannon graduated from Australian Catholic University with a Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science and Masters of Clinical Exercise Physiology. She also holds qualifications in Clinical Pilates. Her decision to become an Exercise Physiologist stemmed from her desire to educate individuals about the benefits of regular exercise and loves witnessing people discover the physical and mental benefits of moving their body.
A specialist in Exercise Oncology, Shannon guides individuals through their cancer journey with individualised programs and dedicated cancer-specific small group classes. Her expertise extends to pre and postnatal care as well as osteoporosis management.
Shannon’s extensive experience working with NDIS participants across all age ranges, benefits them immensely, empowering each individual to thrive, irrespective of age or circumstance.
While currently a Moonee Ponds local, Shannon grew up in Gisborne, playing competitive netball and a keen swimmer. Practicing what she preaches, you’ll also find Shannon crushing her own PB’s at the gym.
In her downtime, Shannon loves reading a good book and taking her German Shepherd, Arnie, for walks.
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Tommas Ruberto
EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGIST
Tommas graduated from Victoria University, earning a Bachelor of Exercise Science Clinical Practice and a Master of Clinical Exercise and Rehabilitation. Additionally, he holds qualifications in Clinical Pilates.
As an Exercise Physiologist, Tommas has extensive experience with NDIS participants. He’s worked with various age groups, physical and mental conditions which has enriched his practice, allowing him to empower each individual to thrive and reach their fullest potential, regardless of age or circumstance.
One of Tommas’ areas of interest is lower limb rehabilitation and is dedicated to helping people regain strength and mobility in their knees and feet. His passion for sports physiotherapy also shines through as he assists clients in reaching their full potential, particularly in refining their running gait.
Outside of the studio, Tommas keeps up a keen interest in health and exercise, loves anything in nature, going for a run or surf to unwind as well as exploring Melbourne’s dining scene.
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Sammi Cooke
EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGIST
Sammi’s an accredited Exercise Physiologist with a Bachelor of Exercise Science and a Masters of Exercise Physiology from La Trobe University. Her journey toward becoming an EP began with a sporting background and a torn ACL during her senior year, leading her to discover a passion for exercise rehabilitation.
Driven by a desire to support individuals facing physical and mental challenges, Sammi finds fulfillment in empowering everyone to navigate difficult times through education and movement.
Sammi’s areas of interest include working with NDIS participants, musculoskeletal clients, cancer patients, amputees and aged care with a keen eye to specialise in Oncoloy and Neurology.
Beyond the studio, Sammi runs her own make-up business specialising in bridal makeup, playing competitive netball and is in training for a half marathon. She’s also absolutely obsessed with golden retrievers and has a pack of five furry friends!
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Emma Abfalter
EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGIST
Emma holds a Master of Clinical Exercise Physiology and a Bachelor's in Exercise and Sport from Australian Catholic University.
Her journey toward becoming an EP stemmed from a health challenge growing up, which led her to seek the assistance of an Exercise Physiologist for her own recovery. This experience sparked her passion for helping others to utilise exercise as medicine for their health and well-being.
Emma enjoys treating a diverse range of conditions, including musculoskeletal issues, chronic pain, injuries, osteoporosis, arthritis, prenatal and postnatal care and metabolic and cardiovascular conditions such as diabetes and hypertension.
Particularly passionate about musculoskeletal health, Emma has a broad background in athletics, gymnastics and netball, including competing at nationals five times for pole vault and coaching for over six years. She's now focused on furthering her expertise in female athletes' performance.
During her downtime, Emma enjoys practicing yoga, going for runs and indulging in her passion for art.
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Danielle Marcato
NUTRITIONIST, PERSONAL TRAINER
Dani’s a dedicated Nutritionist, Sports Scientist and Personal Trainer plus also our go-to-girl at the studio. Holding a Bachelor's degree in Physical Education and Sports Science from Victoria University, a Masters in Human Nutrition at Deakin University along with Certificates 3 and 4 in Fitness, she’s truly a triple threat.
With a diverse background in exercise and sports, Dani brings a wealth of knowledge to her personal training sessions and nutritional guidance. Specialising in hypertrophy training, strength and conditioning, hormone balancing and weight loss, Dani leverages her own experiences, education and passion to help clients achieve their health goals.
Growing up, Dani immersed herself in various sports like netball, soccer and ballroom dancing. Recently, she's embraced running, conquering numerous half and full marathons since Melbourne’s lockdowns. Her expertise in running training enriches her personal training approach.
Driven by her own experiences, teaching skills and love for cooking (earning her the title of our resident dessert queen!), Dani is passionate about empowering others to cultivate a healthy relationship with food and exercise. By merging her expertise in nutrition with her passion for fitness, Dani aims to inspire others to lead balanced, healthy and joyful lives.
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Ryan Thomas
EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGIST
Ryan has always been fascinated by human movement and anatomy and his studies in Cert III and IV of Fitness at the Australian Institute of Fitness, Bachelor of Exercise Science and Human Movement, and Master of Clinical Exercise Science and Rehabilitation at Victoria University have led him to his perfect career as an EP.
Since 2016, Ryan has been practicing as an EP in various settings, from physio practices to gyms and occupational health practices. Ryan joined Body Place because he missed treating people face-to-face and wanted to get back to doing what he loves. He finds it incredibly fulfilling to use movement to bring happiness and improve people's quality of life.
Ryan is well-versed in identifying muscular imbalances and functional movement patterns to address underlying causations of pain and dysfunction. He particularly enjoys working with paediatrics and adolescence to set them up for long-term benefits.
Growing up, Ryan played AFL and tennis and even became a sports trainer for his footy clubs while injured and unable to play. Outside of the EP world, Ryan’s favourite way to unwind is relaxing with his pup at the beach.
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Kody Galea
NUTRITIONIST
Kody, a passionate nutritionist, completed her Bachelor of Science majoring in neuroscience at the University of Melbourne before pursuing her Masters in Human Nutrition at Deakin University.
Kody’s journey into nutrition stemmed from personal health challenges during her bachelor's degree. Witnessing the transformative power of nutrition and fitness in her own recovery inspired her to pursue a career in helping others.
Kody finds immense satisfaction in guiding clients on their own individual nutrition journeys, witnessing their empowerment as they learn to fuel and support their bodies.
Specialising in women's hormone health, including perimenopause, pregnancy, PCOS and endometriosis, Kody brings a wealth of expertise to her practice. Continuously seeking to expand her knowledge, Kody is currently delving into topics such as the nervous system, gut health and pain rewiring.
With a background in Yoga and Pilates, Kody emphasises movement's role in holistic well-being.
Off-duty, Kody loves incorporating movement practices into her social outings, like attending yoga classes or going for walking coffee dates. She’s also known to organising food and board game nights with loved ones!
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Jacquii Vu
CO-FOUNDER & STUDIO MANAGER
Meet Jacquii, our client relations and operations powerhouse. She’s not just our go-to girl. She’s a natural community builder and mentor to our Body Place team. With a background in media, marketing and publishing, Jacquii decided it was time to shift gears and focus on her own mental and physical health, because let’s face it, life can throw some crazy curve balls making you reassess what exactly you want from it. Well what Jacquii wanted was simple; to create an inclusive place for everyone to have the chance to live better. This led her to manage her family run PT studio in Moonee Ponds for 10 years. To Jacquii, staff and many locals, this wasn’t just a gym. This was a community where everyone had a place.
You can count on Jacquii to not only know about your programs and goals, but also what your dog’s name and where your favourite dinner spot is. With a PT, Barre certificate, couple of marathons and two kids later, Jacquii alongside her sister and business partner Angela, is the seed of what Body Place has grown into today; your friendly allied health hub where everyone’s story and success is celebrated, just like it is her own.
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Angela Nankervis
CO-FOUNDER
Introducing Angela, our project manager, unofficial photographer and graphic designer. With a background in marketing and media communications, Angela’s career took a turn a decade ago, in the lead up to the birth of her first child. The impending life change prompted her to reflect on her aspirations, ultimately fuelling her desire to create something that brings joy and empowers others to live their best lives. So in the countdown to maternity leave, Angela obtained her personal training and barre certifications, joining forces with her husband, Dayne, and sister, Jacquii, to open a gym in her local community.
Since then Angela hasn’t looked back; juggling the launch of a meal kit business, the gym and typical mum life. The overarching belief that movement an food is medicine has driven the evolution of the gym into Body Place, a wellness hub centred around allied health services with a mission to make exercise and nutrition accessible to all bodies, abilities and needs.
Angela’s focus is centred around driving the overall business vision, integrating more in-house services into the mix. Stay tuned as Body Place becomes your home away from home for all things wellness!