The Roster

I’m an athlete. I always have been and always will be. I am a native of Syracuse, NY and I still bleed Orange! I grew up playing basketball, lacrosse and soccer and ended up specializing in soccer. I spent all of my evenings with my premiere soccer team Syracuse Blitz where only excellence was demanded and expected. Anything short of winning was a failure. I think the entire “strive to be the best or get off the field” mentality laid the foundation for my work ethic and my pursuit of perfection along with my passion of optimal performance. I believe athletes make the best therapists. 

I attended Daemen College in Buffalo, NY in an accelerated Doctor of Physical Therapy Program finishing at the top of my class in 2009 while playing 4 years at center midfield on the soccer team . After graduation, I had to GTFO of the northeast so I did some traveling therapy for 2 years to experience every aspect of the United States and immerse myself in every different culture I could. I settled back home in Syracuse, NY for 3 years working in high demand orthopaedics at Syracuse Orthopaedic Specialists working closely with the surgeons of Syracuse University athletics. This was awesome, but 6 months of snow sucks so I smartened up and moved down to Charlotte, NC and quickly became director of rehab and head therapist for Carolina Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Center. I also am a CF-L2 trainer and love helping people move well and safely. This is where Carolina Movement Doc was spawned. 

I’ve completed numerous half marathons, one full marathon (never again), IRONMAN 70.3 and more 5K’s than I can remember before diving into the Crossfit and functional fitness world. 

I love living in the south, but you can’t take the Yankee out of me. I speak and understand sarcasm fluently.  I’m brutally honest with all of my athletes and clients. I will tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. I refuse to hold your hand through the process but I’ll open every door necessary for you. If you need help, I’m your guy. Check your baggage and ego at the door and let’s get ahead and stay ahead of pain.

Dr. GRIFFIN LOVE

I’m a Charlotte, NC native (one of the few nowadays). Growing up, I played a variety of sports from soccer to competitive swimming, but baseball was always my bread and butter. After earning multiple All-State awards in highschool, I played centerfield and third base for four years in college. While I enjoyed the sports themselves, my true passion became training hard in the weight room, dabbling in Olympic weightlifting before ultimately leaning into bodybuilding in 2018.

Since finishing my college baseball career, I’ve continued my focus on bodybuilding and, thanks to my brother-in-law, developed a love of golf and traveling to play challenging courses. I’ve been active my whole life - I love the life that being fit and active enables me to live, and I want to help others do the same.

After earning my Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Limestone University in 2018, I worked for several years as an outpatient physical therapy technician and as a sports performance coach where I instructed group adult fitness classes, taught individual baseball lessons, and coached multiple youth baseball travel teams. These experiences motivated me to become a Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach (CSCS) and to pursue my Doctor of Physical Therapy degree at Wingate University, where I joined Carolina Movement Doc for my final clinical rotation.

After graduation, I started my PT career at a traditional outpatient clinic, but the quality of care and ability to build long-term relationships with clients drew me right back to CMD!

When not in the clinic or in the gym, you can find me playing golf, watching football, hanging out in Downtown Belmont with my wife, Lauren, or playing with our 2 dogs, Shep and Maple.

Mikey Black, LMT

I am from Wingate; North Carolina and I have been around the Charlotte area for my entire life. Growing up I was an avid skateboarder, spending most of my days on the streets or at the skatepark. In high school I discovered weight training and bodybuilding which quickly became lifelong passions. My newfound strength and abilities gave me the confidence to join my high school wrestling team as well as train in boxing and other martial arts.

I attended Wingate University where I became a personal trainer, group fitness instructor and assistant coordinator for the rec department. While my intention was to graduate with a degree in finance and accounting, I realized the corporate and business world was not for me and decided to leave university after my junior year.

Upon the recommendation of a friend also in the health and fitness space, I decided to go to massage school to build on my passions of weight training and athletic performance. I made it my mission to learn as much as possible about joints, muscles, movement, etc. I even had a sketch book full of anatomy I copied from textbooks to better understand what I would be working with and solidify it in my mind. In the fall of 2018, I graduated from Southeastern College as a Licensed Massage and Bodywork Therapist.

Having been active my entire life, I understand what it’s like to have a nagging injury that won’t seem to go away, or to be lacking proper flexibility and mobility to complete certain movements, exercises, or just day to day activities. During my treatment sessions I take my time with the body; understand how it moves or doesn’t move. Get an idea of what’s restricted and determine the best form of massage and bodywork treatment. In some cases, we discover that the issue could be due to certain weaknesses or imbalances of the body, which is why it’s always great to know a quality physical therapist!

Altogether I’m a very laid-back guy. I just want to have fun, pick up some heavy weights, go on great adventures and help others do the same!

Sarah Szejn, RD

I was born and raised in Gastonia, NC until I went to undergrad at Campbell University. I learned to swim before I could walk, and was part of the Gaston Gators Swim Team through junior high and high school, and eventually swam at Campbell where I was a co-captain my senior year. I majored in chemistry and biochemistry and used these degrees to travel to Perth, Western Australia where I was part of a research team studying liver cancer. It was there that I found Crossfit and learned about diseases of lifestyle, and how most of these were completely preventable through diet, exercise, stress management, and community. I moved back home after five lovely years in the land down under and started my pursuit of my Masters degree in dietetics from the University of Southern California while coaching and competing in Crossfit. I graduated in 2019 and started working as a clinical dietitian, working in hospitals where I witness preventable conditions multiple times a day.

Since this time, I met my wonderful husband and we now have two wonderful children. My experiences as a pregnant, and now post-partum, athlete were a wake up call that the kind of support and knowledge for nutrition and training I needed were lacking in this community. Realizing I could make more of a difference outside of the hospital than inside of it, I jumped at the opportunity to join the team at CMD. I have also just finished the Girls Gone Strong course for training pregnant and post partum women. 

 As a registered dietitian, I am committed to helping people make diet and lifestyle changes that are sustainable to meet their goals. Whether you are the fittest guy in the gym, the weekend warrior trying to be healthier, or a mom who just found out she is pregnant, I want to work with you. My goal is to teach you how to make nutrition and lifestyle choices to meet your goals, no matter where you are starting from.