Meet The Crew
Manya Wandersee
Everything Instructor, Owner
AA Fitness-Nutrition-Health, Certificate Fitness-Nutrition-Health, NASM-CPT, NASM-CES, AFPA-CNC, 500 HR YTT, Buti Yoga, Certified Spinning Instructor
My education journey in the health field began in 2012 where I spent my first year of college earning my Certificate in Fitness/Nutrition/Health. That first year fueled the fire within me so I decided to stay for another 2 years to earn my AA degree in Fitness/Nutrition/Health. Since then, I have spent every ounce of my free time studying all there is to know about exercise, nutrition, and health. For the last 6 years, I worked full time in the medical exercise field and part time teaching exercise classes, personal training, and nutrition consulting.
I have a passion for all things nature. My free time is spent hiking in the mountains, fishing, hunting, riding dirt bikes, and playing sports.
When it comes to my classes, I LOVE to mix things up. Yoga has helped me through some life trauma, and weight training calms my anxiety. If you've been to my classes before, you know I can be quirky at times (exercise is serious enough!). You can also be assured that you will leave with more knowledge on health then when you first walked through the doors.
Jana Riddel
Everything Instructor
RYT-200, AFAA Certified Group Fitness, LES MILLS BodyPump/BodyCombat, TRIBE TeamTraining
I am a recent military transplant from Virginia Beach and I can’t wait to explore every inch of Alaska! My favorite activities are camping and boating. I love nature and landscapes and would live outdoors if I could.
I have been designing and coaching a wide variety of fitness programs for over 20 years. My favorite class to teach is Spin because I love loud music and breaking a serious sweat. I am a strong believer in the F.I.T.T. principle- FREQUENCY, INTENSITY, TIME and TYPE. Although my style is typically a little more charged up and dynamic, what I move most about being an instructor is the ability to take any workout and either scale it down or bring it up a notch based on the participants. Almost every class is adaptable and I strive to ensure everyone gets a great work out. I leave each class with a sense of appreciation for everyone’s effort and personal abilities. In my spare time I love to cook, listen to music, travel and make memories with our 2 gorgeous and talented sons.
Anya Sokolova
Spin & Strength Instructor
Hi everyone! I recently relocated to Kodiak from Hawaii. Although I am new to fitness instructing, fitness has been a big part of my life for over twenty years. I graduated as a student-athlete in 2014 with a Neuroscience Degree, playing both women’s soccer and lacrosse. During that time, I developed a passion for weightlifting, which led to the creation of the Anya Sokolova '14 Power Player of the Year Award by my coaches. Fitness, for me, has always been about challenging or recentering myself and discovering the benefits of an active lifestyle for both body and mind. I think we all have experienced hardships in life where fitness has guided us through.
After college, I explored various fitness routines, but it was blending weightlifting with HIIT that truly transformed my workouts. My journey then led me to a 'not your average' Spin class at an unassuming gym on the West Coast. It pushed me both physically and mentally. Spin, plyometric cardio, and strength-building are now at the core of my fitness approach, and I love sharing that energy with others. Music is the last piece of the puzzle. With over a decade of experience in music event production and DJ/producer software, I infuse my classes with beats that help you get in the zone. You might not hear many radio hits, but you will feel the rhythm drive your workouts. When I'm not crafting new playlists or mixing songs, I'm hanging out with my husband and our son, or off island working as a traveling Medical Tech. I hope to see you in class where we will challenge our previous selves together!
Rita Slowinski
Boot Camp, HIIT & Spin Instructor
Certified Spinning Instructor
I moved to Kodiak in 2019. Before Kodiak I lived in Baltimore, which is where I was born and raised. In Baltimore, I taught occasionally at a Pure Barre studio. I have always found joy and massive mental health benefits from exercise. It began early on when my mom and I would run the NCR trail to get ice-cream.
I enjoy moving my body in any way that feels good, such as weightlifting, running, yoga, cycle, HIIT classes, hiking, etc. Group fitness is one of my favorite ways to move because of the community aspect as well as the accountability. When I moved to Kodiak 3 years ago, I began teaching group fitness classes. Those include Barre, strength training, TRX, stretch/core, and Tabata. I am currently certified to teach Spin and almost finished with my certification in Les Mills Body Pump (one of my favorite weightlifting classes!).
In my spare time, I am typically outside with my dog as well as others’ dogs walking, trail running, paddle boarding, camping, kayaking, hiking, etc. I work full-time for the school district teaching preschool special education. I am looking forward to learning and growing with the Sunrise crew!
Chelsea Rice
Yoga Instructor
Ashtanga Certified
My experience with yoga started over 20 years ago when I began practicing in Ketchikan, Alaska. Some friends’ mothers had gone to India together to live and learn yoga. They brought Hatha and Ashtanga style yoga to my little town, and as a pretty wild teenager, it became a wonderful tool both to calm my mind and challenge my body.
I continued practicing on and off through my teens and 20s (mostly Vinyasa) but a little of everything from Restorative to Yin to Bikram (26+2). In 2016, I attended a 200hr Ashtanga teacher training course in Southern Nicaragua. I taught free classes on the ships I worked on, coached friends and family, and occasionally subbed classes in Portland, Oregon.
I've been back in Alaska for almost four years now. My fiancée works as a contractor with the Navy. Regularly practicing Yoga has always helped me in some way; whether it is to rehab a snowboarding injury, gently get back in to shape, or to center my mind during a difficult phase in life. There always seems to be a style of yoga that fits what I need. I hope to provide that resource for others.
Currently, I spend most of my time caring for my 1-year-old son, hiking with him in a carrier, and fishing whenever I can. In the winter you'll usually find me up on Pyramid battling the ice, insisting that any day on skis or a snowboard in the mountains is a good one. I've done several ultra marathons and love trail running, though that's something I'm still working my way back to after pregnancy. I am passionate about outdoor sports of all kinds and have quite a bit of experience balancing aches and pains from them through yoga!
