About Us

Pirate Wellness Center is owned by Walt Drabinski and Jackie Squillets.

Walt and his wife Joanne live on Cudjoe Key and Jackie and her husband Jerry live on Big Pine Key.

The idea of developing a first class facility came about when Walt began construction of a new office building for his consulting firm. Local input caused the concept to grow from a small facility to one that is almost 5,000 square feet .

Since the building is located near Pirate Cove, and Walt and Jackie often feel like pirates who are living in the Keys a hundred years too late, the name was spawned.

In planning and developing this facility, we tried to think about all of the other pirates living among us. Hence, our mission is to provide a facility that meets the wellness needs of the “Pirates” living in the lower Keys. These Pirates, defined as those who love the lifestyle of the Keys, will be able to exercise, rehab, join in athletic activities, receive sound, professional advice on diet, exercise and lifestyle and socialize with their friends and neighbors in a well run, professional facility.

General Manager

We are pleased to announce that Stacey Stansel will join our team as General Manager, effective August 1st.  

Stacey recently relocated to Sugarloaf Key from Mays Landing, NJ and comes to us with extensive experience managing fitness and wellness related facilities.  Stacey was Executive Director for Tilton Fitness Health and Wellness Center and a member of the Medical Fitness Association.  She was actively involved in hospital based fitness programming and the implementation of health and wellness seminars.

Stacey’s responsibilities at Pirate Wellness Center will include managing all 30 employees and instructors, coordinating fitness classes and our senior wellness program, as well as community outreach and local fund raising programs.  We are excited to welcome Stacey on board and have no doubt that she will be an asset to our team and the community. 

 

Instructors

Sandy Kerr – AFAA Certified Personal Fitness Trainer and Group Exercise Professional. Originally from New Jersey, Sandy and her husband settled on Ramrod  Key 8 years ago. Most of you knew her when she was the Fitness Director of the Sugarloaf Sports and Leisure Club. She has taught a variety of classes for more than 20 years, including: Boxercise; Aqua Exercise; Intervals and Circuit Training; Body Sculpting; Gliding; Strength &

Conditioning; Resistance Training with Balls and Bands,  to mention

a few.

Her classes are geared to both men and women. Some of you may recognize Sandy from the Senior Exercise Classes she teaches at the Big Pine Methodist Church. An experienced Personal Fitness trainer, she has the knowledge and expertise to help you reach your physical goals.

Jane Basford, Certified Kripalu Yoga instructor, has been curious about the mind and body for as long as she can remember. Upon taking her first yoga class at the Kripalu Ashram in 1986, she knew it would be a lifelong passion.

 Jane has since studied with many renowned and respected teachers, from India, Europe, and the United States and completed the Kripalu certified Yoga teacher intensive teacher training in 1996.  Combined with her professional background in Occupational Therapy, Jane began teaching and leading workshops that same year at the request of professional Yoga teachers and practicing students alike.

 

She is a motivational teacher known for her warm, creative approach to helping students feel at home in their bodies.  Her approach is to bring the roots of Yoga alive for contemporary practitioners: people of all ages, shapes, sizes, and abilities!  She enjoys making Yoga accessible to beginners and inspiring the enthused and experienced.  Jane’s inspirational Yoga classes include asana (postures), pranayama (breathing techniques), and meditation practices (stilling the mind) combined with an “off-the-mat and into the world” philosophy.  Her approach to this “living Yoga”, emphasizing mindfulness, balance, and compassionate action, is influenced by the insight of her years of self-reflection, dharma practice and Yoga study.  Jane provides tools that help individuals access their inner wisdom, while cultivating inner and outer clarity, and find support for their ongoing process of physical health, and spiritual development.

 

KathieRockett, Group Exercise Instructor, Kathie has always believed that you are only as young as you feel. Exercise has been a big part of her life and the reason I feel youthful. Starting in high school with gymnastics continuing through her twenties, and then started up with weight training.  During the time she owned her own gym, Step was being discovered as a means of exercise. After becoming certified in 1989 they had their first step boxes for the gym built out of wood. They were so heavy that they used to get their upper body workout by lugging them around for class. 

Kathie has two sons, Storm age 16 and Steel age 11. "After working for many gyms in the area over the last 15 years, I was very excited when I found out that Walt and Joanne were opening up a new gym. There has been a great need for an exercise facility in the lower keys for many years." 

Kathie is certified from AFAA in both Fitness and Personal Training as well as Reebok Step.  Kathie has also taught Step Circuit, Step Interval, Double Step, L Step, Sculpture, Butts & Guts, Weights, Ball Sculpture, and Water Aerobics.

Vicki Gladwell is an AFAA Certified Personal Trainer, Weight Room instructor and Group exercies Leader.  She moved to the Keys in 1975

and exercise has alweays been part oif her life.  She used to own her own gym, The Body Joint, so many of you may recognize her from there.  She has taught many classes, including Step, Sports Conditioning, Stretch, Interval Training and a variety of Strength and Resistance Trainging classes, with most classes geared so that anyone, beginner or advanced, can come into a class and get a good work out.  Vicki says "I am very excited to be part of a gym again with group exercise classes.  I feel it helps keep everyone, including myself, motivated."

 

Adare Fritz was born and raised in South Bend, Indiana. 

He attended Indiana University's School of Business and was a 1985 graduate of the University of Minnesota's Executive program. 

Adare retired as a Senior Executive in the automotive business in 2001 and immediately relocated to Key West. 

Adare has been a competitive athlete and instructor in many ports and received his Personal Trainer Certification from AFAA and is now practising in the Lower Keys.

 

 

Deborah Jacobsen, a teacher of yoga for the past 10 years, gave up her

own studio's in Miami to marry and move back to the Keys.  Her first yoga experience was many years ago in New York City where she was studying dance.  The direction turned towards yoga with the realization of the similarities to dance with total mind and body connection, but more spritual. 

Deborah trained with Bikram Choudury and is a certified Bikram instructor.  She continued her studies with six months in India with Sri Patthabi Jois,

the founder of the Ashtanga style of yoga.  Deborah continues to train though workshops and keeping current with the latest information and passes this on to her students.

Joanie Agosti is an AFAA certified Group Fitness Instructor and Personal Fitness Trainer. She has been active in the fitness industry for over 25 years. In that time she has taught just about every type of fitness class, both in English and Spanish, in the US and in Europe.

At the present time her focus is core fitness, and it is evident in the Pilates classes she teaches and incorporates into the private training sessions she conducts. Joanie has studied Pilates for 6 years, and is in the midst of completing her Stott Pilates certification through Pilates South Beach.

 

 

 

Chiropractor

Dr. Paul Barrett is very excited about providing chiropractic care

to the Cudjoe Key area at The Pirate Wellness Center. Dr. Barrett

graduated from Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa

in 1985. Dr. Barrett has practiced chiropractic for twenty years, five years in N.J and fifteen in the Lower Keys. Dr. Paul has his private office on Big Coppitt Key. He resides on Big Pine Key with his wife, Susan, and daughter, Abi. Dr. Paul utilizes the Gonstead chiropractic technique, which is a "Hands-On", full body, good adjustment.  Chiropractic adjustments awaken the healer within, and combined with the others services at the center will be a fantastic way to get and remain well. Stay adjusted!