I have always admired runners, having tried, and failed, taking on the sport myself. My legs became fatigued too quickly, and I had back and joint discomfort during my attempted runs. This can also happen with extended walks. I learned that the running and/or walking shoe makes all the difference. Both running and walking gait are critical in selecting the best shoe for the activity. It doesn’t have to be the most expensive shoe; it must be the right shoe. There is a unique fitting for every athlete, and I have mastered the talent of identifying the right shoe for each of my clients. In my programs, I will share with you the keys to identifying the right running, walking and/or hiking shoes specifically for you. You can become the runner, distance walker and/or hiker you envy in others but have been reluctant to attempt yourself for fear of injury.
Running Shoe Fitting Method
Do your legs, feet, back or hips ache after a run? A proper running shoe for your specific needs makes all the difference! I will discuss the fitting method I use, which may differ from others. I will bring different shoes for participants to see so you can observe the differences in the shoes and how they fit. Every shoe does not fit every person, and my job is to help find the right fit regardless of brand. I will talk about different methods of getting started.
Instructional/ Interactive Workshop – Running Shoes
How do you know what running shoe is right for you? I will guide the participants in the key to acquiring the best running shoe for their personal requirements. By listening to their previous experiences, both good and bad, with running shoes, I will analyze your feet and make recommendations as to how to recognize a better shoe to meet your needs. I will empower and energize you to take your running comfort and enjoyment into your own control. When you return home from the Ranch, you will have the tools to acquire the right running shoes + Finding the Right Trail Shoes:
You prefer to hike or run on trails? There are many different types of trail shoes, and the grips differ as well. We will talk about trail running, hiking or other, rugged terrain activities and how to identify the right shoes for you, for those activities.
2021 Winner of the “Best of Westchester” award, Ellen Brecher is an experienced running shoe consultant who owns and operates a running store in upstate New York. Ellen also leads running workshops and organized runs with her customers. Ellen has a reputation for finding the best running shoe for each individual, recognizing that one size (or type) does not fit all feet or running styles, and is known as the “shoe whisperer”.
Aman has been studying and practicing yoga for 30 years and teaching for 25. He was very fortunate to begin his studies of yoga in the Iyengar tradition with his brother Pujari and with Mary Dunn, one of B.K.S. Iyengar’s senior teachers.
He has traveled to India four times to study with the Iyengars and has been a certified Iyengar teacher since Mr. Iyengar established teacher certification requirements. He presently holds a Junior Intermediate level certificate and runs the Full Circle Yoga Institute in San Diego, CA.
Larry Payne, Ph.D. is an internationally respected Yoga teacher, author, and a founder of Yoga therapy in America. Dr. Payne co-founded of the International Association of Yoga Therapists and the Yoga curriculum at the UCLA School of Medicine. He is also the founder of the Yoga Therapy Rx ™ and Prime of LIfe Yoga™ programs at Loyola Marymount University, and the Corporate Yoga Program at the J. Paul Getty Museum and Getty Trust. In 2000 he was the first Yoga teacher to be invited to The World Economic Forum in Davos Switzerland, and in 1996, he performed the first documented headstand at the North Pole. He founded Samata International Yoga and Health Center in Los Angeles 1980, where he continues to teach groups and individuals. Dr. Payne is co-author of the international best seller “Yoga for Dummies”, Yoga Rx, and The Business of Teaching Yoga. He is featured in the Prime of Life Yogaand Yoga Therapy Rx DVD series. His most recent publication is Yoga Therapy and Integrative Medicine, from Turner Publishing. Dr. Payne has been a guest speaker at The Ranch for 35 years.
Cherie Kephart is the award-winning author of the inspirational memoir, A Few Minor Adjustments: A Memoir of Healing. She is a teacher, speaker, writing coach, and editor and has given motivational talks and workshops at venues and events such as writer’s conferences, wellness retreats, and commencement ceremonies. Cherie is also a Reiki Master, Breath Facilitator, and Certified Laughter Yoga Leader. She is passionate about inspiring people on their personal transformation, wellness, and writing journeys. You’ll find Cherie near her home in San Diego walk-dancing on the beach, laughing for absolutely no reason, and expressing gratitude for every breath.
Since joining ABC7 in 1996, David Ono has witnessed history worldwide, covering Hurricane Katrina, Haiti’s earthquake and Japan’s tsunami. He traveled across Europe and Asia chronicling brave acts of the Nisei soldier from World War II. He attended the Royal Wedding in London, tracked drug runners through Central America and reported from Paris on a terrorist plot to bring down the Eiffel Tower. Ono has trained with the FBI and the elite Los Angeles Sheriff’s SWAT team. President Obama invited him to the White House for an exclusive interview. And he witnessed white smoke at the Vatican twice – in 2005 for the selection of Pope Benedict the 16th and 2013 for the selection of Pope Francis. Ono surfaced in Boston, chronicling the marathon bombing. He has won seven Edward R. Murrow awards and 23 Emmys. David grew up in Texas and is a graduate of the University of North Texas. His career has included stops at KOVR in Sacramento, KDBC in El Paso, KOSA in Midland/Odessa and KXAS in Dallas. He has also hosted ABC7’s half-hour show Eye on L.A. This year, he led his network with his multiple Emmy Award-winning FACEism series.
Shirley Ann Higuchi discovered the deep connections her parents had to Heart Mountain when her mother was on her deathbed and requested that her memorial contributions be sent there. It was then that Shirley discovered her mother’s secret dream of having “something built there” to memorialize what happened to her family and others during that period of time. Setsuko’s dream was realized when the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center opened its doors to the public in August 2011. Yet out of each negative experience emerges a silver lining and had the Higuchi and Saito families not been uprooted from their homes in the midst of wartime racism and hysteria, Shirley would not be here. Today, Shirley works to ensure that the WWII Japanese American incarceration experience is not forgotten by organizing public programming and speaking engagements around this important topic. Her book tour of Setsuko’s Secret: Heart Mountain and the Legacy of the Japanese American Incarceration continues well into 2022. 
Vanessa Saito Yuille is a documentary filmmaker and a third generation Japanese American. Her mother was born at the Heart Mountain site. Her film An American Contradiction explores the historical context of the Japanese American camps through her own investigation and family history. It was screened at international film festivals and continues to be viewed as an educational resource today. She recently completed her first documentary feature Doctor Who Am I, and it’s currently out for festival consideration. Vanessa graduated from Barnard College with a BA in Astronomy and earned an MFA in film studies from the Academy of Art University. She lives in Los Angeles and is a freelance filmmaker and editor.
Kathleen Saito Yuille was one of the 556 children born at Heart Mountain, where her parents, two older brothers and older sister were incarcerated. After the war, the Saito family returned to San Francisco, where Kathleen graduated from high school before attending the University of California, Berkeley. She now lives in Milwaukee, where she became an active member of the Milwaukee Art Museum and served as board president of the Contemporary Art Society and as co-chair of two Contemporary Art Auctions, a major fundraising event for the purchase of art for the museum. She currently serves on the Milwaukee Art Museum Board of Trustees. She is now a tireless advocate for the preservation of the memory of the Japanese American incarceration, an interest that began when her daughter’s fifth grade class assignment rekindled her sense of family history.
Ray Locker is the editorial consultant for the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation. He has a master’s degree in journalism from Ohio University and a B.A. in political science from the University of Cincinnati. Before joining the foundation, he was an editor in the Washington bureau of USA TODAY, the managing director of the Investigative Project on Terrorism, the Sacramento bureau chief of the Associated Press, and an editor and reporter at the Los Angeles Times, Tampa Tribune and Montgomery Advertiser in Alabama. He is the author of two books about the administration of President Richard Nixon – Nixon’s Gamble: How a President’s Own Secret Government Destroyed His Administration and Haig’s Coup: How Richard Nixon’s Closest Aide Forced Him from Office. He also worked with foundation chair Shirley Ann Higuchi on her history of the Heart Mountain concentration camp.
Dianne Bailey is an evangelist for civic leadership. She finds great joy in helping individuals, families and organizations to design, implement and evaluate their giving plans. Her belief in the powerful connection between gratitude and generosity was born on Mt. Kuchumaa twenty-five years ago. She currently serves as National Philanthropic Strategy Executive at Bank of America. Dianne’s professional commitment to nonprofits also is deeply personal. She has served on and chaired many nonprofit boards and is a passionate advocate for women’s leadership, currently serving as vice chair of the Women’s Philanthropy Institute national council. She is a frequent speaker and commentator on topics related to best practices and trends in philanthropy. Her insights have been featured in Axios, Barron’s, Business Insider and The New York Times, among other publications. In her TEDx Talk, Dianne makes The Case for Fierce Optimism. To learn more about Dianne’s passion and expertise, connect with her on Twitter @Dianne_C_Bailey.
Karen Wilhelm Buckley
For over 34 years, two-time EMMY® Award winning composer and performer Dave Powers has been a vital part of the Columbus, Ohio music scene as a pianist, keyboardist, vocalist, entertainer and educator. Dave has traveled and performed nationally and internationally. Dave is a consultant and a frequent guest of the Public Television Show “The Piano Guy” and has taught a series of master classes with “Piano Guy” host Scott Houston. Dave is also an adjunct faculty member of The Ohio State University School of Music. Considered one of the most successful musicians in the Midwest, Dave manages to win over the hearts of all who hear him perform. From concerts to clubs and restaurants to corporate events and private parties, his vast repertoire is as diverse as the audience that he entertains. Dave has performed with noted performers such as Steve Allen, George Benson, Rusty Bryant, Buddy DeFranco, Mark Farner (of Grand Funk Railroad), Eric Gale, Terry Gibbs, Ernie Krivda, Wilbert Longmire, Johnny Lytle, ‘Blue’ Lou Marini (of the Blues Brothers), Joan Rivers, Arturo Sandoval, Grover Washington, Jr. and many others. In addition, Dave is associated with the Jazz Arts Group of Columbus, and performs with the Columbus Jazz Orchestra. Dave has been hosting a jazz concert series from his home, and now has been recently re-located at the Clintonville Woman’s Club called “The House Jazz Concert Series.” Dave’s performance schedule and CD’s are available online at 
