Click the images to read more about each team member.
Operations Manager
Office Manager
Nicole was born and raised in Suffolk County, New York. She has had a heart for serving non profits since her time in India where she spent 10 years learning, developing and running multiple businesses. She moved back to the states in 2018 and made it her moral compass to only be involved with organizations where she felt was of benefit to the community. After a few years of searching for the right mission that felt close to her heart, she finally found Stay In Step and was grateful to be offered a position on the team where she could share her gifts of business administration. Outside of work, she devotes her time to her husband and two children and is heavily involved in ministry where she serves her church on multiple ministry teams.
Office Manager
Office Manager
Patricia Diosa was born in Medellin, Colombia, got married at age 16 and at 17 her first son, John, was born. She made the decision to start a family business which was very prosperous, but in 1993 she and her husband decided to move to the United States seeking new opportunities for economic development and for their children to learn another language. In 2004 her second son Julian was born. She is a very self-driven and motivated individual. She brings managerial skills to Stay in Step from her times working through Mary-Kay Inc. becoming a contractor in the real-estate business and eventually managing an Ann Taylor Inc. clothing retail store. It was in 2012 that she first met Gaby and Romy Camargo at Project Walk Orlando, a facility specializing in spinal cord injuries.
Unfortunately, Patricia’s son had been involved in a motorcycle accident earlier in the year that left him paraplegic, and the two families became great friends. One day Gabriela shared her dream of wanting to open a rehabilitation center in Tampa, FL to Patricia. In 2015, this dream became reality and Romy and Gaby offered her the opportunity to manage their new facility, “Stay in Step Spinal Cord Injury Center”. Patricia aims to use her expertise to help Stay in Step excel and move forward in the right direction. “This is a labor of love, where everyone suffers a condition that still has no cure, but where rehabilitation plays an important role in their lives.”
Insurance & Billing Specialist
Medical Biller
Deanna White was born and raised in Tampa, FL. She has been doing insurance coding and billing for the past 22 years, specializing in Physical Therapy billing. She joined Stay in Step in January 2020 to use her skills and expertise to help Stay in Step and our clients with navigating the insurance industry.
Physical Therapist
Physical Therapist
Cynthia has been a physical therapist since 2015. She received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Florida Gulf Coast University. She enjoys working with clients across the lifespan, but has a special interest in neurorehabilitation. She joined Stay in Step in August of 2021 to use her skills and expertise to help clients take a step towards recovery. She is dedicated to providing the best care possible to her clients to help them achieve their goals.
My goal is to provide physical therapy services to the community and have a positive impact on peoples’ lives.
“Be kind.”
Physical Therapist Assistant
Physical Therapist Assistant
Jason Kimber was born and raised in New Jersey but left for warmer climates upon graduation from high school. He moved around a lot but finally settle in Florida in 2003. Jason received his introduction to Physical Therapy after receiving a knee injury requiring him to seek out a PT to rehabilitate his knee and relearn how to walk again. During his time in therapy he developed an intense interest in anatomy and physiology and enrolled in massage school. Upon receipt of his LMT he started his career at the same clinic that helped him regain his prior level of function. After developing a following at his clinic he decided to enroll at South University where he graduated Cum Laude with his PTA degree in 2007.
Since then he has worked in a variety of settings including hospitals, home health, skilled nursing, and outpatient clinics where he discovered a keen interest in treatment of movement disorders like Parkinson’s Disease and stroke rehabilitation. Since then he has focused his continuing education on neurological disorders and gait training protocols. He received certification in LSVT in 2012 and has developed treatment programs to achieve successful outcomes. He joined the Stay in Step team in January of 2017
Continue to educate myself on latest techniques and exercise for SCI and movement disorder patients
The two most important days in your life are the day you are born, and the day you find out why- Mark Twain
Physical Therapist Assistant
Physical Therapist Assistant
Bethany Biles was raised in South Texas and attended Texas A and M university for her bachelor’s degree in biology. She used this background to attend physical therapy assistant school at Rasmussen University in Land ‘O Lakes Florida. She completed one clinical rotation at an inpatient setting where she learned to manage complex medical cases and help people get back on their feet following injuries and surgeries. She then came to Stay In Step and completed her last clinical rotation where she was able to gain hands-on experience treating individuals with spinal cord injuries, strokes, and traumatic brain injuries. After she graduated from her program, she accepted a job at Stay In Step as a Physical Therapy Assistant and now is able to participate in the implementation of activity based therapy and utilizing innovative approaches to best serve our clients and help them take a step forward towards recovery.
I am dedicated to improving the quality of life of every person I meet.
“Push harder than yesterday if you want a different tomorrow.”
Physical Therapist Assistant
Physical Therapist Assistant
Ariel was born in Los Angeles California but raised in Tampa Florida. He graduated from South University in 2021 as a PTA. Going into this field he wanted to work in an acute care setting but quickly changed his mind after completing his first clinical rotation at stay in step in December of 2020. He came back in July of 2021 after completing his classes for his final rotation and was able to lead training sessions alongside his clinical instructor Jason Kimber. During his final rotation here, Stay in Step had a position open up for another PTA due to a increase of patients wanting to join the facility. He went on to pass his board exam, receive his license and begun his career.
Expand my knowledge in the neurological field of physical therapy and help as many patients reach new limits and reach their maximum potential.
“There is no growth without struggle.”
Lead Trainer
Lead Trainer
George Palang was born and raised in Pensacola, Florida. It was from both his parents that George learned the value of hard of work and developed his willingness to help others. In 2012, George moved from Pensacola to Orlando, FL to pursue a degree in Exercise Science at the University of Central Florida. While in his last 2 semesters of college, George took an internship at Project Walk Orlando where he learned more about the spinal cord injury population and how to apply the various methods and techniques of activity-based therapy. It was also in Orlando that he made a friend in Romulo “Romy” Camargo, founder and owner of Stay In Step Spinal Cord Injury Recovery Center. He had no idea that meeting Romy would lead to something bigger in the near future but in 2015, George relocated to the Tampa Bay Area and is now the Lead Activity Based Exercise Trainer at Stay In Step. George helped develop the New Hire Training Protocol and serves as the Training Educator for new employees. He has created various exercises that have been implemented into the Stay in Step recovery program that challenges individuals in unique ways to help them take a step forward towards recovery.
I am dedicated to using my knowledge and experience to serve, educate and make a positive impact for everyone that travels through the doors of Stay In Step.
“The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide you are not going to stay where you are.”
Trainer I
Trainer I
Jose J. Lopez, born and raised in Venezuela came to The US in 2009 at the age of 15. He gained a lot of experience during the last years helping Romy with his daily rehabilitation therapy at home. His experience combined with his enthusiastic spirit, commitment, and dedication, made him a good candidate to help the Stay In Step’s clients take a step toward recovery.
Jose’s drive, knowledge and ability to connect with all clients made him the perfect candidate for the vacant Trainer position. In this new role, Jose will use his talents and expertise to lead therapy sessions and guide our clients toward their personal recovery goals.
I plan to attend Full Sail University to study video game design
No matter what you do, do your best. Aim high.
Trainer I
Trainer I
Nick Bartkus was born in Dunedin, Florida, attended Florida State University, home of the greatest college football team in the state, and graduated in 2017 with his bachelor’s degree in Exercise Physiology. After graduating, he wanted to find a job in the physical therapy field and gain experience before applying to graduate school. During this time, he decided that he wanted to go back to school and obtain his PTA license. He plans on applying to PTA school this year and furthering his education and knowledge in the field.
Obtain my PTA license
“I say luck is when an opportunity comes along and you’re prepared for it.”
Trainer I
Lead Training Aide
My name is Jake Sweeney and I’m from a small farm town just outside of Chicago, IL. Growing up, I naturally fell in love with physical activity. I always would spend my time outside playing sports, riding bikes, fishing and exploring. Through middle and high school, I gained a lot of unhealthy weight and it started to give me anxiety and affected my physical performance. I knew I needed to fix it early with a lot of health diseases running in my family. After 2 years I was able to lose a lot of extra bodyfat doing various activities and wanted to make a career out of it. In college, I decided to study Exercise Science so I could do that via personal training and physical therapy. After graduating college, I moved to Florida with the love of my life to continue to grow in a new setting. First, living in cocoa beach I taught group fitness classes and held one-on-one PT sessions. Now I live in Brandon and I’m gaining experience in the physical therapy field at SIS.
“You never change your life until you step out of your comfort zone; change begins at the end of your comfort zone.”
Training Aide I
Training Aide I
Sultan Carter was born in Philadelphia, PA. He spends most of his childhood in South Carolina, which is his parent’s home state. In 2005, he joined the United States Marine Corps at the age of 21, in which he served for 10 years. During his military service, Sultan has gained attributes that has carried over to both his professional and personal life. One attribute is the eagerness for being of service for others. Sultan separated from active-duty military in 2016 and in 2017, he become a full-time student to eventually earn a B.S. in Exercise Science in May 2021. In the same year, Sultan received an opportunity to join Stay in Step’s mission to continue to provide activity-base therapy for the military veterans and civilians.
“You can be great, and you will be great if you persevere and work hard.”
Training Aide I
Training Aide I
Edwin was born and raised in Wilmington, Delaware. In high school, he enjoyed wrestling where he found his love for fitness after winning state championship in his senior year. After graduation, he decided to pursue his love of fitness, and warm weather, and relocate to Florida. He is currently enrolled in St. Petersburg College and in his free time he enjoys concerts.
“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.”
Training Aide I
Training Aide I
Anique Williams was born and raised in Tampa, Florida. From the age of 13, she knew she wanted to become a Physical Therapist and run her own wellness center to create a much needed safe space in health care. In 2016, Anique moved to Daytona Beach to pursue a degree in Health and Exercise Science at the great Bethune-Cookman University, where she became a proud member of the illustrious Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. During her senior year she took and internship with Select Physical Therapy to apply her new found knowledge and learn more about all of the hard work it would take to fulfill her dream. In 2020, she obtained her CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist) pushing her one step closer. Anique then, while preparing for graduate school heard about the positive impact Stay In Step was making in the community and just knew she had to be apart of the innovative approach they were taking to health care. She now serves in her role as a training aide assisting trainers and physical therapists in their goal to challenge and guide individuals toward recovery.
“You can’t have rainbows without a little rain.”
Training Aide I
Training Aide I
Cathleen King was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming and moved around due to her Dad being in the military. She grew a love for sports and working out during high school through girls flag football and cross country. Through breaking a few bones along the way, she found a passion for exercise and sports science, being in and out of the athletic trainers office. She attended school in Nova SouthEastern University in Fort Lauderdale pursuing a CSCS (Strength and Conditioning Certification Specialist). Along with interning at Barwis as a Strength and Conditioning intern, she began building her programming and neuro background to then come to Stay in Step as a training aide.
“The only bad workout is the one that didn’t happen.”
Training Aide I
Training Aide I
Haley Lewis grew up here in Tampa, Florida, and is currently a student at University of South Florida, majoring in Biomedical sciences and minoring in nutrition. Her passion for keeping healthy and helping others has led her to pursue getting a degree for Doctorate of Physical Therapy. She is proud to be a part of the Stay in Step team and appreciates the experience she gets to obtain.
“I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.”
