Meet Our Staff
A team of fitness experts awaits you at Maximum Performance. We are excited to help you get started and continue on your way to a healthy lifestyle. Feel free to ask any of our staff your fitness or health related questions and we will help you find the answer. Helping you to enjoy your experience at Maximum Performance Physical Therapy and Fitness is our top priority. Meet Our Physical Therapists
Aaron Akin
Fitness Director
Aaron grew up in Manhattan, KS. After a couple of years in college, he was selected as a first round draft pick for the Florida Marlins. Following pro-baseball, he coached at Mt. Olive College, helping them bring home a 2008 National Baseball Championship. He then moved into a fitness specialist position at Pope Wellness Center in Mt. Olive, NC. He is CrossFit level 1 certified and is pursuing CSCS certification. He’s happily married to Tracy, who works as a dental assistant. Together, they have a three year old son, Jace. In his spare time, Aaron enjoys spending time with his family, fishing, hunting, golfing, and working out.
As the fitness director, Aaron will make every attempt to provide you the best in fitness. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact him. His job is to help you…Get Healthy For Life!
Our Fitness Technicians
Our talented Kansas State University students assist you during the early morning, evening and weekend hours. Our students are currently pursuing a health related degree. They have certifications in CPR and first aid. They are seeking the opportunity to share their knowledge and apply what they have learned in the classroom with our fitness members. Don’t be afraid to ask them fitness related questions, they like the challenge!!
Carly Herl
Fitness Technician
Kristi Howard
Fitness Technician
Meggan Roberts
Fitness Technician
Alyssa Roberts
Fitness Technician
Danielle Shearrer
Fitness Technician
Sara Tullis
Fitness Technician
Amber Wheeler
Fitness Technician
Our Instructors
MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE prides itself in finding top notch, quality instructors. All of our instructors have a passion not only for group fitness but also for helping better the lives of the members and helping them meet their individual goals. No matter what class you attend, you will always get a GREAT workout.
Amanda Couch
Indoor Cycling
Amanda is originally from central Illinois. She received her M.S. in Kinesiology from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. She has been in the Army since 2006; upon graduation from SIUE she went active duty and is now stationed at Fort Riley. She received her personal training certification through ACE and her Lifeguard Instructor certification through The American Red Cross in 2006. Before going active duty most of her time was spent personal training, teaching fitness classes, and teaching lifeguard/CPR classes. After taking one spin class in 2008 she decided to get her spin certification as well and has been teaching ever since. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her husband, being outside, working out, reading, and scrapbooking.
Karla Hagemeister
Step, Indoor Cycling
Karla is originally from Leavenworth as an Army kid. She has been married twelve years to her husband, Scott, and has two children- Jakob (7 years) and Emmaly (1 ½ years). Karla and Scott are both graduates of KSU; she is a social worker and Scott is a police officer. In her spare time she loves on her family, enjoys singing with the 8:45 Band at the contemporary service at First United Methodist, and is active on several community boards. Hobbies include reading, running, music, and growing in faith. Her favorite food is chocolate. She strives to be the best wife, mother, friend, and Christian she can be and tries to stay healthy and fit – she’s running in several 10K and ½ marathons.
Debbie Newton
Yoga, SilverSneakers®
Debbie has lived in Manhattan for 30 years and has 2 grown sons who are both firefighters and both very interested in fitness. Prior to teaching yoga, she was a mental health therapist for over 30 years. Debbie has been practicing yoga since age 19 and has been a yoga teacher for the past 5 years. She did her teacher training at the Yoga School of Therapeutics in Johnson County, KS. Debbie has a wide variety of experience in all levels of Yoga, especially therapeutics and restorative yoga. She has taught people of all ages, including children and seniors and people with a wide variety of physical challenges. Her hobbies are cooking, knitting, and doing yoga. In addition, she is an avid walker.
Kendra Staley
Yoga
Kendra Staley earned her 200-hour yoga certification through Yoga Alliance while living in Seattle, Washington and continued her yogic studies through a 40 hour pre and post natal yoga training in San Francisco. She has practiced yoga for 8 years and enjoys combining her background in yoga, dance and gymnastics into her classes. Kendra's classes focus on flexibility, strength and creativity. She also studied Thai massage for 60 hours in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and adds elements of Thai Massage, in the form of partner work, into her yoga classes.
Kari Wallentine
Yoga, SilverSneakers®
Kari grew up in Shawnee, KS. She graduated from Kansas State University with degrees in Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine. While completing her Masters degree, she started taking Yogilates classes through UFM. This sparked a passion in her for all things yoga. She has received YogaFit® and SilverSneakers® certifications. Her typical class style is relaxed and calming, yet fitness-based at the same time. She strives to improve students’ flexibility, balance, strength, and muscle tone through basic to intermediate yoga poses. Because of her training in YogaFit®, she can offer modifications for yoga poses to suit any body. Kari has been married to her husband, Todd, for 10 years. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, cooking, listening to music, crafting, watching movies, and hanging out with Todd. When not cooking, she enjoys dining at Brookville Hotel and dellaVoce, her two favorite restaurants. She strives to live life to its fullest. Her goals include improving as an instructor, making every class fun, and taking time for herself.
Our Substitute Instructors
Stephanie Grams
SilverSneakers®, Total Tone
Stephanie was born and raised in Parsons, KS. She graduated with a B.S. in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Athletic Training from Kansas State University in 2002. She then went on to earn an Associates Degree in Physical Therapy Assistant from Jefferson County Community College in Louisville, KY in 2006. Stephanie has been an employee of Maximum Performance Physical Therapy and Fitness Center since October 2006. She also helped design and establish the women's health program at Maximum Performance.
Erin Mann
Yoga
Erin (Eunkyoung) grew up in South Korea. She used to be an English teacher in Korea, and married Branden when he was stationed in Korea in 2005. Her husband has been in the Army about seven years and is in the middle of transitioning from army to civilian to become a financial advisor. Erin graduated from the University of Maryland University College (UMUC) with a degree in Human Resources Management and is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Finance Management with UMUC as well. She is a military pay technician in the Defense Military Pay Office at Fort Riley. Her most favorite hobby is yoga so she received YogaFit Level 1 training so she can share her yoga experience with others. Besides yoga, Erin enjoys taking her dog for a walk, running, and traveling. Her favorite foods include Mexican and Italian dishes. She lives her life by the following saying: “Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me. Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful…that’s what matters to me.”
Beth Smoller
Indoor Cycling
Beth is a graduate of Kansas State University and that other school down the road, but she definitely bleeds purple. A native of Holton, Kansas, she and her husband Brian have one son, Brady. In her spare time, she enjoys running, cooking, and scrapbooking. Beth loves almost all food – pizza, Italian, American, Mexican – except for anything texturally ‘weird,’ such as mushrooms. She lives by the motto: “Be so strong that no one can disturb your peace of mind.” Beth strives to stay fit and plans to run a full marathon soon.
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