Trainer Bios

Aaron Sistrunk

Aaron has a B.S. degree in Physical Education from Wesley College. He has been in the personal training field for over 12 years and is certified in Sports Nutrition, Fitness Therapy, Personal Training, Bosu Kickboxing I & II, Pre & Post-Natal and a specialist in Sports Conditioning. His certifications are through the International Sports Science Association.  He is the strength and conditioning coach for all sports at Chestnut Hill Academy.  He is well known for training elite high school and college D1 athletes.  He is the personal trainer to many major accomplished athletes.  Aaron takes a personal interest in his clients and connects them with other D1 athletes to share experiences.  Check out some of their stories…

Ibraheim Campbell – Jimmy Rollins – Jesse Biddle – Rashad Campbell - Mike Mattel

Amy Carolla

Amy thrives on helping people reach their fitness goals while also helping them build a strong foundation for a healthier lifestyle. Understanding that exercise is only part of the package for a well-rounded lifestyle she focuses on using a combination of strength, cardio, flexibility and nutrition to aid in developing a healthy and balanced mind and body.

Amy finds it extremely gratifying to watch the transformation of her clients and the improvement in the quality of their lives!   She believes that improving the physical well -being carries over to other areas lives!  Her focus is her clientele; she is committed to building a great connection with them!!

Experience/Background:

Amy is a graduate of West Chester University with a B.S. degree in Kinesiology and a minor in Nutrition. She has certification with the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Amy is a former health and physical education teacher and the strength and conditioning coach at Springside School.

She recently became certified in Functional Movement Screening (FMS) and Madd Dog Spinning.  She is the owner of Chestnut Hill Balance, a personal training studio in Philadelphia, which won Best of Philly – New Gym in 2009!   Balance has become a destination where people can learn, practice and adapt a healthy way of living. Amy is a triathlete and enjoys the half ironman distance as well as the sprint and olympic distances.

Kathy Murphy

Kathy has been involved in the health and fitness industry for the past nineteen years. A healthy lifestyle has always been a way of life for her. This passion for health and fitness led Kathy to teach group fitness classes followed by the completion of a 200 hour yoga teacher training program. She is a registered yoga instructor through Yoga Alliance. Kathy also completed her certification as a personal trainer through ACE. Kathy holds a bachelors degree in chemistry as well as advanced course work in biochemistry and pharmacology. She fuses her scientific background with her passion for fitness.  See the Hill on the Avenue feature article on Kathy and her amazing classes.

Rob Licata

Rob Licata was born and raised in Northeastern Pennsylvania.  He attended Temple University in Philadelphia, PA where he found a passion for helping people achieve their fitness goals.  As a Division I athlete he is aware that nothing comes without hard work and dedication.  If you are motivated to succeed in all aspecst of life, Rob will be there to help you.  He not only wants to help you get into better physical condition, but wants to guide you towards a healthier lifestyle.

Rob has vast experience in weight training, circuit training, core conditioning, cardiovascular training, kettle bell training, weight-loss/weight-gain management and pre/post natal conditioning.

Antowine Graham

NASM Certified, Personal Trainer, has worked as a Personal Trainer for 7 years and has had a long career in sports and personal fitness.  A native of Philadelpia, Antowine was starting Varsity Quarterback at Dobbins High School and continued playing for Tuskegee University from ’98 – ’01.  After college, he joined the European Football League where he played with Berlin’s Keihl Baltic Hurricanes.  He returned to Philadelphia in 2003 and began his career as a personal trainer, while continuing to play football with Lancaster River Hawks of the Arena Football League.  Antowine has a sincere interest and dedication to enriching the lives of young athletes.  His commitment to kids is evident through his active participation with the International Student Athlete Academy (ISAA).  A non-profit organization geared toward preparing student athletes for academic and athletic success in high school and college.  Currently, Antowine works as a Personal Trainer and holds the positions of Football Coach, Chestnut Hill Academy and Athletic Director, ISAA.

Dan Galiczynski

Dan, a recent graduate from Penn State University, has come to Balance with a BA in Kinesiology. Along with his education, he brings his experience of 15 years as a gymnast. Dan is also a gymnastics coach for a local club team. As a gymnast Dan has been to USAG Nationals twice and NAIGC Nationals twice. At his final national competition he earned his spot as the national champion on the floor exercise, and fifth place all-around.

Dan believes very heavily on using ones own body weight when exercising, believing that it helps avoid injuries caused by heavy weights, and it allows for easier functional movements in everyday activity. He also believes that flexibility is extremely important to ones health. The more flexible a person is, the more freely they can move in all of their daily activities.

Renay Mahdy

Renay Mahdy is a Temple Undergraduate Alumni and Graduate of Nova Southeastern University with her Masters in Educational Leadership.  She is a personal trainer certified through  A.A.A.I/I.S.M.A.  and has been involved in this training field for seven years.  Renay is known as a cheerleader wherever she goes because of her high energy and enthusiasm.

Along with influencing others to stay active and pushing individuals to their potential, Renay carries this high morale into her classroom.  She is a fourth grade teacher in North Philadelphia within the Philadelphia school district. Once again she spreads her positive energy and enthusiasm to the children’s minds reinforcing that anything can be accomplished.   Dedication, determination, and discipline is the 3-D motto that Renay has lived by and reinforces to anyone who crosses her path.

Susan Brown

A Wyndmoor native, Susan Stewart Brown has a B.A. in English from Georgetown University where she was the captain of the field hockey and lacrosse teams. After receiving her Masters in Education from University of Pennsylvania, she was a teacher and head coach at Council Rock High School North for seven years. There she led both the field hockey and lacrosse teams to their best overall records and was named Bucks County Courier Times Coach of the Year. A relocation to London with her husband in 2008 led her to further pursue her passion for athletics and fitness as she received her personal training certification and worked as a personal trainer abroad. She holds National Strength and Conditioning Association certification and loves to share her enthusiasm for fitness, nutrition and wellness.

Scott Dyck

Scott was born and raised in Kansas, where sports were a part of daily life.  Scott played several sports in high school, and attended Tabor College where he played baseball for four years, graduating with a B.A. in English.

After 6 years in the Army, he moved to Philadelphia and decided to pursue his passion for physical fitness.  Years of playing and training for multiple sports, combined with military and martial arts experience, have him well prepared to help you achieve any fitness goal you may have.