Click the images to read more about each team member.
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.”
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
Bio Coming Soon!
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
Training Aide I
Nick Bartkus was born and raised in the Tampa area and attended Florida State University. He pursued a degree in Exercise Physiology and graduated from FSU in 2017. His passion for sports and exercise is what led him to seek a career in the physical therapy field, and in the future, he hopes to go back to school and further his education. Throughout his time in college, Nick volunteered at various physical therapy and rehab clinics where he gained vast knowledge and valuable skills that he plans to bring to the Stay In Step team. During his time here, he hopes to make an impact on each individual that he meets, and help them on their path towards recovery.
I hope to obtain my Doctorate of Physical Therapy and help each individual at Stay In Step achieve their goals.
“We didn’t come this far, to only come this far.”
Training Aide I
Training Aide I
My name is Ashley Milia and I am currently an undergraduate at the University of South Florida. I grew up in Cocoa Beach but was born in the city of Baltimore, Maryland. I knew I wanted to become a Physical Therapist before starting college and am now working towards my Bachelor’s Degree in Biological Health Sciences with a minor in Nutrition. Throughout my years growing up as a figure skater and dancer I always have had a passion for the field of exercise science. Now that I am in college I spend most of my free time weight training, cooking and getting involved at USF as well as around the Tampa area. I love to be involved and learn new things- I currently participate in exercise science research studies and volunteer in the TBI therapy unit at Tampa General.
My target goal is to obtain my DPT and become a physical therapist. I am very interested in specializing in the spinal cord/neurological setting. My time here at Stay In Step has opened my eyes to helping individuals in this area and I have watched myself become passionate about this setting. I want to help people become the best versions of themselves and help them to obtain their goals and be a part of a therapy team that will provide them with this ability. I always try to keep a smile on my face and remember every day to work hard and push myself and this is the influence I desire to reflect on others
“One year equals 365 possibilities.”
Training Aide I
Training Aide I
I have worked in health and fitness for over 7 years as well as being involved with athletics for almost my entire life. I’ve spent my fair share of time rehabilitating my own injuries and learning more about the human body and how physical therapy can help people recover through rehabilitation.
Looking to utilize my previous experience with strength and conditioning, physical therapy, and rehabilitation to successfully complete a DPT program and become licensed to practice. Long-term I would like to work with paralympic athletes in all phases of their rehabilitation as they return to competition.
Having a holistic, individualized approach to training and rehabilitation, which includes both the physical and mental components, is key to successfully completing performance goals. Stay focused and do work!
Training Aide I
Training Aide I
Emily was born and raised in the “Sunshine City” of St. Petersburg, Florida and led a very active childhood. She grew up playing volleyball, swimming and running track, After graduation from Florida State University in 2018, Emily accepted an internship position as an adaptive ski instructor in Colorado at the Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center (BOEC). She served as an instructor for people with various disabilities and special needs, introducing them to adaptive skiing or helping them to improve current skills. She became involved in adaptive programs designed to suit the unique needs of those injured while serving our country, who were faced with new challenges related to recovery. At the BOEC, Emily received intensive education and earned her PSIA ski instructor certification. She also facilitated wilderness courses including team building activities with various groups from cancer survivors to groups with Down Syndrome.
Emily continues to volunteer with local groups to support children and adults with physical and neurological disabilities. She enjoys spending her free time in the great outdoors running alongside her big fluffy dog, playing beach volleyball, and kayaking.
My long-term goal is to earn my DPT (Doctorate of Physical Therapy) to become a licensed physical therapist to learn advanced, innovative methods that will enable me to make rehabilitative progress with my patients in the clinic as well as support them in the adaptive sports setting. While at Stay In Step, I hope to leave each patient and individual I encounter in a better emotional or physical state by treating them with kindness and equity.
“You’ve got to keep going to keep growing.”
Training Aide I
Training Aide I
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.”
