Our Staff

Miranda Sallis BSc Kin, CSEP-CEP, R-Kin

Director

Miranda Sallis graduated from the University of Alberta with a BSc in Kinesiology and holds certification with the Canadian Society of Exercise Physiology as a Certified Exercise Physiologist. Miranda was the high performance testing & training specialist for ASDC NW until fall 2009 when she took over the Director Position.

Miranda has experience working with athletes and coaches as the Chef de Mission for Zone 8 at the 2008 Alberta Summer games and as Team Alberta mission staff for 2011 Canada Winter Games.  Miranda was the medical co-chair for the 2010 Arctic Winter Games in Grande Prairie and currently sits on the Sport Medicine Council of Alberta Board of Directors.

Miranda’s extensive background in exercise therapy and athletic training combine to provide a wonderful insight into the world of elite athlete development. Miranda combines her own special interests in exercise science, sport performance and injury rehabilitation with an amazing team of experts in the area of elite training, nutrition and mental skills to provide ASDC NW clients with the winning edge that they desire.

Danielle Ordyniec BSc Kin, CSCS

Strength & Conditioning Coach

Danielle Ordyniec comes to us from Hamilton ON where she graduated from the University of Waterloo with a BSc in Kinesiology. She holds certification with the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), and has completed internships with McMaster University’s Strength and Conditioning department, as well as Athletes’ Performance in California. These opportunities and her athletic background, have given Danielle a great understanding of sport performance and how to apply training principles and concepts to any athlete. Her philosophy focuses on training efficient movements from a solid foundation, and educating athletes and coaches on the importance of quality performance training.

Graeme Challis MSc Kin, NSCA CSCS, CSEP CEP

Strength & Conditioning Coach

Graeme holds a graduate degree in exercise physiology from the University of Calgary, where he studied how sport / strength performance is affected by environmental conditions, and the interpretation of physiological tests for the organization / planning of athletic training. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association, a Certified Exercise Physiologist (CEP) through the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology, and he holds level 1 certification in Olympic Weightlifting through the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP). Graeme has tested, trained, and consulted with all levels of athletes, with the aim to improve the long-term training process through application of sport and exercise science.

Matthew Bain MEd, MA, ChPC, RPC, MPC

Mental Performance Consultant (MPC)

Matt is currently a certified Mental Performance Consultant with the Canadian Sport Psychology Association (CSPA) and a member of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP). Matt holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Alberta in Recreation Therapy, a Masters degree from the University of Calgary in Education, and a Masters degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology from Argosy University and is currently doing his PhD in Sport Psychology with the University of Queensland with a focus on motivation, high performance sport, and coaching efficacy. As well, he is a Chartered Professional Coach (ChPC) with the Coaches of Canada and a fully certified NCCP Level III coach. Matt also holds a position as an instructor with the Grande Prairie Regional College PEAK department.

Leigh Goldie MS, BA, BPE

Mental Skills Coach

Leigh is an Instructor in the Physical Education and Kinesiology program at GPRC. He has a Master’s degree in Sport Psychology from the University of Oregon and is an Advanced Learning Facilitator with the NCCP Theory program where he facilitates multi-sport modules in Part A, Part B and Competition Development. Over the years he has conducted mental skills training sessions with numerous athletes, coaches and teams at the local, regional, provincial and college levels. Currently he is President of the Alberta Volleyball Association as well as a Vice-President of the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association.

Dave Hurta PT

Registered Physiotherapist 

Dave Hurta is a physical therapist and owner of Kinesis Physical Therapy in Grande Prairie. He graduated from the University of Alberta in 2001 with a BSc in Physical Therapy. He has completed a residency with the Canadian Academy of Manual Therapy and is certified to practice Gunn Intramuscular Stimulation (IMS).

Dave has a special interest in sports physical therapy and has worked extensively with recreational, National and Olympic athletes.

Dave has experience working as a medical consultant for Team Alberta at the 2006 and 2008 Arctic Winter Games and the 2007 Canada Winter Games. Dave was also the medical co-chair for the 2010 Arctic Winter Games in Grande Prairie. Dave has been an advisory board and executive member of the Alberta Sport Development Centre-Northwest (ASDC-NW) since its inception in 2006.

Dave is pleased to offer priority sport assessments in which members of the ASDC-NW can obtain a physical therapy assessment and treatment within 3-4 business days. He believes that with early treatment intervention athletes can make a full and successful return to competition.

Gale Antaya, PT

Registered Physiotherapist

A graduate from the University of Saskatchewan, Gale completed her Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy in 1989. As an orthopaedic physiotherapist, she has spent the past 18 years focussing on the assessment and treatment of orthopaedic conditions including acute and chronic injuries, neck and back sprains and strains, post-surgical intervention, TMJ dysfuntion, sports injuries, and chronic pain. Gale specializes in a holistic approach to manual physical therapy and integrates craniosacral therapy, visceral release, and myofascial release techniques into her conventional practise. Her main goal is to assist her clients in achieving optimal mobility thereby achieving optimal quality of life. One of her main mottos is: “you DON’T have to live with it”.

Karie (Quinn) Cassell RD, CDE, IOC Sport Nutrition

Sports Dietitian

Karie Cassell is a Registered Dietitian with over 18 years experience in the area of nutrition.  In addition to being a Certified Diabetes Educator, Karie is a specialized Sports Nutritionist with a diploma from the International Olympic Sports Committee.  Karie helps individual athletes, teams, coaches and families manage their specific nutritional needs.  Look for her publications in Canadian Living, Chatelaine, Today’s Parent and Canadian Health magazine.

Barb Shmyr

ASDC Administrative Assistant

Barb comes to us from the Grande Prairie Soccer Association/Wolves Soccer where she provided Administrative Support for the past 5 years. She enjoys playing volleyball and golfing. She is really excited at the opportunity to work with the ASDC to further enhance the opportunities for the elite athletes and coaches in the Grande Prairie and surrounding communities.