Our Team
Gigi Gaudet
My self-perception was always that of an athlete. I climbed Mount Whitney, the highest point in the contiguous United States, with my two young adult children. I ran 3 marathons, played tennis, I sailed, I skied, and I completed a Half-Ironman which entails swimming 1.2 miles (1.9k), cycling 56.7 miles (90.1k), and then running 13.1 miles (21.1k).
Then, in late April 2022, a 3" mass was discovered in my head, pressing on my brain, making tasks such as writing, running, and driving a challenge. I could not run for more than 60 seconds, could not write neatly due to tremors, and encountered multiple car accidents due to a lack of peripheral vision.
The mass was surgically removed on May 10, 2022. Thankfully, it was completely benign, and I was discharged after 18 days of being chained to the hospital bed and chair on May 28, 2022.
I had to learn how to walk and how to speak again!
I slowly learned to play tennis again and, on December 4, ran a ½ marathon.
May 14, 2023 qualified for the Boston Marathon, beat time from nine years earlier, ran 9:11 minutes per mile, WON age group, less than one year from hospital discharge.
Sports, such as running, marathons, and triathlons, taught me important life lessons:
- Believe in myself
- Work with the hand I am dealt
- Do not play the victim
- Set goals
- Stay energetic and positive
- Never give up
- Embrace challenges
I speak from personal experience; I am eager to share this story with others.
The mass in my head was not my fault. I did not ask for this; I accepted it and dealt with it.
When practicing my serve at 6:30 AM, people would walk by and comment: "I admire your determination, perseverance and tenacity."
The mass in my head could have been disastrous. I could have focused on negative thoughts, including, "I could die; anything can go wrong."
I did not say, "poor me" or "why me?"
I took the position: "How can I get better from this experience?" "How can I be better because of this experience?"
Lots of people get dealt a difficult hand to play.
Embrace challenges, whatever they are.
Here's my message: Like business, "Let's get on with it" is the correct approach. Don't let a bump in the road or even anything more than a bump keep us in a helpless state. Let's take these experiences and leverage them to create a new, exciting life.
Marcia O'Kane
Experienced Chief Executive Officer with a demonstrated history of working in the civic, finance, and social organization industries. Skilled in Nonprofit Organizations, Entrepreneurship, Event Management, Consulting, and Volunteer Management. Strong business development professional with an MBA in Business & Management from Boston University. Demonstrated ability to turn around organizations in all facets of operations, administration, public relations, marketing, and finance. Oversight and mentoring to over 500 diverse businesses. Creative input and originator of over thirty target-marketed programs and events yearly. Creator of the highly successful Women Who Matter luncheon series profiling inspiring and prominent women in business.
Denise Groothuis
Denise Groothuis , MS, RD, CFMP, CPT is passionate about holistic healing. She will speak and guide the young women on the importance of nutrition towards leading a healthy, successful lifestyle.
REGISTERED DIETITIAN, CERTIFIED FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE PRACTITIONER, CERTIFIED LEAP TECHNICIAN, PERSONAL TRAINER
I’m a progressive health practitioner that believes in an individual approach to health and weight loss. I use nutritional science and diet strategies to customize programs unique to you. I specialize in gut health and the gut-brain axis, especially IBS and SIBO and also treat weight loss, autism, anxiety, chronic disease, inflammation, diabetes, heart disease, and hormonal issues.
Additionally, Denise is a certified personal trainer. Health is a combination of both food and fitness, and optimal weight and well-being cannot be achieved without combining both together. She also is a part of Fit4All Abilities a fitness program that works with children of all abilities.
Denise has a BS from Cornell University and an MS in Applied Physiology and Nutrition from Teachers College, Columbia University. She completed her dietetic internship at Columbia, and she is a licensed RD (Registered Dietitian). She has been practicing in the nutrition field since the year 2000.
Denise became certified in functional medicine by Functional Medicine University and has taken courses at the BioIndividual Nutrition Institute. She is LEAP certified. She is certified by IFNA (Integrative and Functional Nutrition Academy.
I have been a dietitian for 20 years and started personal training a few years ago. Health is a combination of both food and fitness, and optimal weight and well-being cannot be achieved without combining both together.
I recently have become certified in functional medicine, and I believe in an individual approach to health and weight loss. People have different lifestyle and goals, and through nutrition and exercise changes, I hope that clients will be able to be more fit, functional and disease-free.
Jeanine Jackson,
Jeanine Careri Jackson has been a licensed Avatar Master and coach of personal development, belief management, and consciousness training since 2012. She holds a BA in Philosophy with a minor in general science and attended Medical School at the University of Florence in Italy. Ms. Jackson left medicine to pursue other interests, including wellness and fine art. She is the founder and President of The Connecticut Society of Portrait Artists, CT Ambassador for The Portrait Society of America, and serves on the advisory board of the Greenwich Arts Council.
Jeanine Jackson's inspiration continues to be fueled by her three passions: art, science, and spirit.
Sara Mathews Dixon
Sara Mathews Dixon, MSW, LCSW is an experienced psychotherapist providing treatment to young adults, individuals, couples and families. She has 20 years of experience in different sectors of the behavioral health field, giving her a rich and comprehensive understanding of the issues that people are faced with in today’s world. She will lead open discussions to address today’s challenges for young adult women including bullying, “cutting”, social media attacks, cliques and issues that lead to suicide.
Sara believes in helping people to find and capitalize on their own internal strengths as a way to assist them in dealing with all the challenges that come with living life. She places trust in her clients to create their own own goals and partner with her in making progress toward them.
Sara received her Bachelor’s degree at Central Connecticut State University and her Masters in Social Work from New York University. She is licensed in both Connecticut and New York and is a member of the National Association of Social Workers.
Kristen Jacks
Kristen Jacks is a financial educator and author of the book, Money in Your Twenties. Locally, Kristen runs the Investing Discussion Group at Greenwich Library. Kristen studied financial planning at Boston University’s Center for Professional Education. She started her career at Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine and later worked at Mutual Funds Magazine. Kristen is a graduate of Duke University.