Pelino APC opens its doors

The pools have been filled, the medical grade hyperbaric medicine chambers have been installed, the six VersaClimbers are up, the two-of-a-kind, two-metre treadmill and many other devices are running and it’s time for the Pelino Athletic Performance Centre to show itself off to the public.

The 10,000-square foot facility at Unit 5, 9515 Montrose Rd. will be holding its open house this Friday during regular business hours from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

It will include tours and demonstrations and at 6 p.m. there will be a quartet playing in the open gym space. It will be playing healing-based musical pieces relative to brain waves.

“She (Cynthia Konopka) came and did a demo for us and it is absolutely beautiful,” Pelino APC operations director Laura Micevic said.

Montrose Road is currently under construction by the clinic and open house visitors will be able to access Montrose Road from Lyon’s Creek Road.

Everyone is invited to see what the centre has to offer.

“Nobody knows that we exist or what we even have to offer and that is the point of the open house,” she said. “They can come in casually, take a look around and understand that this is the right place for them and that we can help with keeping their athletes healthy over the course of their playing time.”

The centre’s business model stresses that it is for all athletes and their fans with a goal of getting clients recovered in the shortest amount of time possible.

Micevic is looking forward to the open house.

“We have invited a full spectrum because we are building this for our community and that is first and foremost. We want to let them come in and see what exactly we have built here for them. Second to that is local physicians so they can understand what we have here that can benefit their patients and what we have offer. Lastly, it will be friends and family of ours who have been along this whole journey with us. We are excited to finally see it open for business.”

It has been a long time coming and Micevic is thrilled to see the new facility come to fruition.

“We have been trying to get this a very long time and it kind of lost a little bit of its mojo. Now it’s surreal. It is actually real, we are in here now and we have jobs to do.”

There has been a flurry of last-minute activity that started with the filling of the therapy pool and elite performance pools about three weeks ago.

“The difference between the therapy and elite performance is mainly the temperature of the water. Both have underwater treadmills but the therapy pool is kept at a 90-92 degree (Fahrenheit) temperature so there’s less shock, it’s easier for the patients and they can stay in the water longer,” she said. “The performance pool is meant for more high performance training and higher levels of exertion. That is where the athletes go because they can work harder without overheating. It will be at 80 degrees.”

There is also a cold plunge (60 degrees or lower) and a hot tub (104 degrees).

The two hyperbaric chambers were installed last Thursday and tons of other equipment has been arriving daily and being readied for action.

The two-metre treadmill, designed by Uberzati and Joe Pelino, is the first one on the market. It allows a full two metres of gait analysis which is ideal for large and tall athletes. The gait sensors are built into the treadmill frame as opposed to being set on top or at the side.

“It is something they (Uberzati) are very proud of as well and it is the only one that has a reverse belt option so we can do backward walking on an incline. It is about strengthening up the knee joints and it activates and targets different muscle structures and tissues which is super beneficial for rehabbing knees and joints,” Micevic said.

The treadmill also goes up to a 45-degree incline.

“It is really great for speed training.”

Staffing levels are being slowly ramped up and the clinic will launch with 12 to 15 employees.

“That is with all the unknowns of the medical department team that will be joining us. We are still sorting out some of those details. We have some really exciting partnerships coming and we are keeping those quiet until we get them lined up,” she said.

There is already a buzz in the community about the centre.

“We have a lot of local athletes really excited about the opportunity to come in here and train,” Micevic said.

The facility has been working with the Niagara River Lions for the past two years and will be involved with the Niagara IceDogs with Pelino serving as the team’s chiropractor.

“We are going to work with them and help them build a winning team this year.”

Pelino APC is also going to be working with Fort Erie International Academy’s girls hockey program.

Baseline concussion testing will also be a big part of the centre’s activities.

“We will be hoping to get as many young athletes in here for a new version of what the baseline concussion tests can be with data and visual eye tracking technology that we have added into that mix.”

Although the facility will provide elite services with very expensive tools and technology, it is striving to maintain its services at a competitive price in an effort to make it accessible and attainable to the Niagara community. The centre has gone above and beyond to ensure that the facility truly is for everybody.

Other tools the centre will include are: multiple treatment rooms; next generation technology and therapeutic techniques; a very large collection of cognitive training and athlete testing equipment; a five- to seven-person infrared sauna; other advanced recovery tools like the NovoTHOR red light therapy bed; and, EWOT (exercise with oxygen therapy).