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| Client Spotlights
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Daulot
It takes endurance, tenacity and maintenance to compete in an ultra marathon -- a foot race upwards of 100 miles.
 And Daulot Fountain has plenty of each to hold his own in 24-plus-hour races. Daulot has been competing in marathons, ultra marathons and triathlons for 20 years now, and has only recently added massage to his rigorous training schedule.
“I think of massage as maintenance, like changing oil in a car,” he said while in training for an upcoming triathlon, a grueling event that sees competitors successively swimming, biking and running with little to no break between.
Daulot has been coming to Dreamclinic for a year and a half. He originally received treatment for work-related injuries. An accomplished electrician, Daulot was experiencing pain and tension in his neck and shoulders, as well as numbness in his arm. After a few months of massage, he said the pain was gone and he was back to his old self.
These sessions led way to the use of sports massage modalities, and Daulot says the difference between his performance last year and his performance this year has been overwhelmingly positive. Rather than fight tension in his body during an event, Daulot says he feels more relaxed and flowing, which definitely gives him a competitive edge.
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Mindy
 Mindy Ziffren-Hall races for Team Group Health women’s cycling team. She's won seven state championships and achieved 40 victories in six seasons. Mindy loves skiing, running, swimming and, of course, competitive cycling. “There are so many things I like about Dreamclinic that I don't know where to begin,” she says. “First of all, since day one the entire staff cares about my health and well-being. Secondly, I love that I can receive massage from any therapist at Dreamclinic and be confident that it will be great and I will get results. Larisa has a wonderful review process before hiring therapists to make sure that they are the best!”
Mindy began receiving regular massage in 2000, the same time she began competitive racing. During her most rigorous training and racing times she likes to get massage once every three to four weeks. Massage helps with recovery, relaxation, injury prevention.
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Jennifer
 With a strong background in competitive sports, Jennifer Triplett recently joined the Starbucks Duetto Visa Category 4 cycling squad for her first year of racing. A Pacific Northwest native, her athleticism started at a young age where she participated in basketball, soccer, softball, track and field, ski team and volleyball.
“This season has been amazing,” Jennifer said. “Thanks to proper training, nutrition, massage and support from friends, family and teammates I am accomplishing my dreams.”
Jennifer says she recommends massage as part of anyone's training program, regardless of what sport they're competing in. She sees a Dreamclinic therapist for 90 minutes every three weeks. “Believe me,” she says. “It works.”
“I have been supplementing my training every three weeks with massage since January. I time it so I have a massage at least 2 days prior to a big race or event and then use the time on the table as meditation. While my muscles are soothed and relaxed, I visualize tactics and most importantly crossing through the finish line first.
“Thank you to all of those people who believe in me - and here's to getting to the Olympics!”
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Joyce
 Joyce Lagow is a brand manager in the food service group at Starbucks, as well as a competitive cyclist for Team Starbucks Duetto Visa.
Her involvement in athletics started early when she began spending weeks at a time hiking and camping with her family in Oregon. In high school, she competed in basketball and softball, which led to skiing and weight lifting in her twenties (at one point she could life 210 pounds -- twice her weight!).
Never one to rest, Joyce tackled rock climbing before finding discovering a setback in cycling: she found herself struggling just to finish races. Rather than give up, she found a new coach and a new resolve. A year later she won the Washington State Masters Criterium Championship.
Joyce now lends her expertise and support to her cycling team. “I am committed to building the roster with women who are dedicated to supporting each other as a team," she says. "Given the talent on the team now, I anticipate having an impressive season.”
Joyce is also a big proponent of massage. “In terms of racing, massage is critical to the recovery process. There is a clear correlation to my performance as an athlete and how consistently I employ massage during the racing season.”
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Brook
 Brook is the living embodiment of the expression, “work hard, play hard.” She obtained her doctorate in chemical oceanography from the University of Washington in 2004. While she pursued her degree, she spent her free time as a successful multi-sport racer, competing at the national level in both triathlons and adventure races. Brook's athletic career emerged out of a natural tendency to dabble in all sports. Running, biking, climbing and swimming were just a way of relaxing. At the same time, her first priority is to always have fun. True to form, the picture at left shows Brook on her wedding day, ready to surf! Brook was injured in May 2003 when a car hit her while she was riding. “My hip made a popping noise, and both my knees were really hurting,” she said. Her physical therapist thought she would not be able to race for several years, but Brook refused to accept this. She decided to try massage therapy to expedite her progress. She receive treatment twice a week for six weeks, and was able to run again by the end of the summer. “It is shocking how much it can help you recover," she says. “Especially for those of us who go go go.” Brook says the main difference between Dreamclinic and other massage places she's been to was our therapists' willingness to learn and research. “The listened to my problems, would make a few suggestion on the spot, and then e-mail me later with what they found out,” she said.
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Adriel
 Adriel is a very active custom yacht designer who enjoys biking, running, swimming, skiing, triathlons, trail running, sailing, and hiking. After an automobile accident, his general practitioner and chiropractor both recommended that Adriel undergo massage therapy for his low back and neck pain. So Adriel contacted Dreamclinic and began a course of treatment with weekly massage sessions.
Adriel is very enthusiastic about the results of his therapy. “Massage has increased my recovery rate more than any other factor,” he says. Adriel also gave high marks to the Dreamclinic staff: “The people at Dreamclinic are caring and compassionate. To them, it is much more than a vocation. The feeling you get from treatment at Dreamclinic is more than subjective, more than an emotion. You can tell through a series of acts that they want to be deeply involved in each client’s health and well-being.”
As he put it, “Why would you live in pain and discomfort when you don’t have to?”
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Kristine
 Kris is a graphic designer and medical illustrator, as well as the owner of Cognition Studio. Kris keeps healthy by running, cycling, weight training and doing pilates. She also enjoys hiking, aerobics, t’ai chi, and yoga.
Kris came to Dreamclinic after she began to experience severe muscle fatigue and strain following her runs. During her first visit, Larisa, Dreamclinic owner, discovered the problem -- scar tissue and adhesions resulting from recent surgery were causing restricted range of motion in Kris’ right hip. Her left leg was compensating for the injured right side and becoming fatigued in the process.
“After the very first session, I felt completely different and more myself than I had in 2 years!” she says. Since completing her treatment plan, Kris has regained full range of motion and “the freedom to move the way my body was meant to move.” She says the personal attention she received at Dreamclinic was invaluable. “Larisa showed me the muscles on a chart and explained the procedure in detail so that I understood everything. Her knowledge and compassion are profound.”
Having recovered full and pain-free range of motion, Kris now plans to get occasional massage to help avoid muscle fatigue and speed recovery after intense runs. “I believe that getting regular massages helps you stay in tune with your body. Understanding how your body works will make you a more educated and efficient athlete.”
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