UW Fitness Day: Meet Your Coaches Part IV
The Whole U is excited to announce that our annual UW Fitness Day will be returning as an in-person event on May 23. Fitness Day is a one-of-a-kind, campus-wide workout to celebrate movement. This will be the Whole U’s first live event in over two years, and we are thrilled to offer the UW community an opportunity to reunite and explore various forms of exercise together again, safely. All participants will receive a free, performance tech t-shirt!
Meet Your Coaches
Each week leading up to May 23, we’re highlighting UW Fitness Day coaches so you can learn more about who you’ll see on Fitness Day.
Missed some of the coaches? Check out Meet Your Coaches Part I, Meet Your Coaches Part II, and Meet Your Coaches Part III
Bryan Hill is an American Ninja Warrior (ANW) and a post-transplant nurse at UWMC – Montlake.
Bryan is a Seattle native and UW alumnus (BSN, School of Nursing) who was always been pretty active. But a diagnosis at 31 of Early Onset Parkinson’s Disease prompted him to begin using exercise to improve his balance, coordination and dynamic movement ability as the disease began to progress. Now, exercise is a must in his life, and he spends 60-90 minutes each morning working on HIIT and upper body strength and agility as a competitor on ANW.
Role model: Jimmy Choi, American Ninja Warrior living with EOPD
Favorite food: sushi
Best vacation spots: Sitting on the lawn at the Gorge Ampitheater with friends, listening to live music, as the sun sets.
Best Seattle spot to hang out or work out: That’s easy- Alki Beach at 5:00 as the sun rises
Cats or dogs? Dogs! Mila is our old stinky hound dog.
Favorite pastime: Besides hanging out with my son I love finding great deals on Offer up and fixing them up . Being cheap is my super power. Recently I purchased a Boston whaler that I revamped. Looking forward to getting on the water this summer.
Follow Bryan’s journey on Instagram @Fox_ninja_C
People of UW profile: For nurse Bryan Hill, movement is medicine
Leah Lowe is an ICU nurse at Harborview Medical Center, where she has worked since 2013.
Leah has been practicing yoga for over a decade and this year completed her 200 hour yoga teacher training. She is passionate about creating an inclusive space for healing and health and teaches a practice for the mind, body, and spirit using movement, breath, and meditation.
Outside of nursing and yoga, Leah is an outdoor adventurer: she loves hiking, backpacking, biking, skiing, immersion in nature and finding beauty in small things. She initially majored in Art History and now finds yoga to be a blend of her art and science passions. Leah is a calm presence and a supportive instructor whose compassion extends into her practice.
Favorite vacation spot: I love traveling and outdoor adventurer, but so far, exploring Patagonia and backpacking the tour du Mont Blanc
Favorite past time: anything in nature, gardening/plants, art (currently watercoloring), craft projects
Favorite food: gosh I just love all fruits and veggies 🥦🫐
Leah is starting a business website soon to share her love of Yoga. Feel free to email Leah for more info! Leahfeld@uw.edu or Leahnfeldman@gmail.com. Follow Leah on Instagram @leahnfeldman.
Leah will be teaching yoga at 12:30 p.m. on Fitness Day outside at View Park, Harborview Medical Center.
Nicole Van Dyke is Head Coach of the UW Women’s Soccer team. She’ll be leading a cardio segment of quick feet at UW Fitness Day!
Nicole joined the Huskies for her first season as head coach in 2020. In her 15 years as a head coach at three different schools, Van Dyke has coached 42 all-league selections, as well as nine United Soccer Coaches All-Region honorees.
A native of Palm Desert, California, Van Dyke played college soccer at Cal State Bakersfield, where she also earned her undergraduate and master’s degrees. She holds the career record for points (88), is second all-time in goals (36), and fifth all-time in assists (16) for that program. Van Dyke has played professionally in Sweden for Mallbacken IF and played for the California Gold in the WPSL.
Favorite pastime: Spending time with her two boys, Riley (4) and Rory (6)
Favorite food: Fondue
Best vacation spots: Brazil and Hawaii
Best Seattle spot to hang out or work out: Carkeek Park
Dogs or cats? Cats! Calle is ours
Follow Coach Van Dyke on Twitter @coachvandykeuw and @UW_WSoccer
Take advantage of The Whole U discounts on UW Women’s soccer games, with tickets starting at just $3!
Adia Callahan is a wellness coach and Founder of See Me Wellness, as well as a motivator and advocate for Black women. She’ll be instructing squats at her fitness station on fitness day!
Wellness is important to me! I believe that it’s important to take time each day to focus on my wellness, specifically emotional. I am teaching myself to spend the first minutes of the morning (I am a morning person) to do me before I do anything else; no emails, no text messages, no to-do lists. And I don’t put hard expectations on what I do during that time except that I am focusing on myself and creating space being a healthy version of Adia Callahan.
Adia is a: Wife. Mom. Foodie.
Loves: long-distance running, bright colors, nature, ice cream.
Her crew: I am a wife to a gentle giant named Scott and I have one amazing daughter who loves ice cream just as much as I do.
Follow Adia’s wellness journey on Instagram @seemewellness or Facebook @seemewellness!
Team UW Bothell
Meet Julianna! Julianna is a group fitness instructor who teaches Yoga in the ARC Studio at UW Bothell.
How has fitness changed Julianna’s life for the better? Fitness “grounds me, connects my mind & body, and provides me with a great way to fully relax, de-stress, and appreciate each moment.”
Role model: Oprah
Favorite food/drink: Jajamyeon/chai
Best vacation spot: Sapporo, Japan!
Best Seattle spot(s) to hang out or work out: Green Lake!!! Ballard Locks. Golden Gardens. So many.
Cats or dogs? Who’s your fur baby? Both! I have a Jack Russell Terrier.
Favorite pastime (other than exercise): Plant collecting!
On UW Fitness Day, join Julianna for Slow Flow Yoga at 11 am and Yoga at 1 pm. Follow Julianna on Instagram @kapouanahi
Meet Indy, a group fitness instructor who teaches Full Body Strength in the ARC Studio.
How has fitness changed Indy’s life for the better? “Fitness has made me feel really confident in all parts of my life, not just in the gym, but how I interact with people!”
Role model: My mom <3
Favorite food/drink: Coffee and bagels
Best vacation spot: Maui
Best Seattle spot to hang out or work out: To workout I’d say LA Fitness. I’m still looking for fun hang out spots
Cats or dogs? Who’s your fur baby? Dogs! My dachshund’s name is Moose.
Favorite pastime (other than exercise): Listening to music while cooking
On UW Fitness Day, join Indy at 2 pm for a full body strength class. Follow Indy on Instagram and Snapchat @summer.irn
Benefitting Be The Match
This year, Fitness Day will benefit Be the Match, the nation’s largest marrow-donor registry. Our fundraising goal is $5,000 and 100 new registry members. Learn about Be the Match and, if you are able, make a $5 suggested donation through the UW Combined Fund Drive when you register for UW Fitness Day. Even if you cannot attend UW Fitness Day, you are invited to help us reach our fundraising goal.
Choose your location
Fitness Day at UW Seattle will be hosted at Husky Stadium on the field. Participants will gather together from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. and complete a circuit workout with 20 stations led by expert coaches from UW Athletics and community partners.
Fitness Day at Harborview Medical Center is hosted at View Park outdoors on the grass lawn. Participants will gather together from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. for an invigorating and restorative yoga class taught by ICU nurse Leah Lowe (see bio below).
Fitness Day at UW Bothell will be hosted by the ARC. Participants are invited to attend a variety of fitness classes throughout the afternoon including cycling, yoga, and strength. Classes begin at 11:00 a.m. and will continue throughout the afternoon until 2:45 p.m. We hope you will join us!
Fitness Day at UW Tacoma: This year Fitness Day at UW Tacoma will be hosted by the University Y. Participants are invited to attend a full-body fitness class at 12:30 p.m. All participants will receive a free, performance tech t-shirt. We hope you will join us!