HEALTH & WELLNESS AWARD
For helping others achieve and promote well-being in her career or through community involvement.
Award Presented By: Jenna Petker and Bonnie Frank, Greater K-W Chamber of Commerce
HEALTH & WELLNESS NOMINEES
Sarah Connors
Dr. Sarah Connors is an Indigenous naturopathic doctor, educator, and wellness advocate dedicated to supporting mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. She serves the University of Waterloo community as its Indigenous naturopathic doctor and is the founder of Seratauga Clinic, where she provides naturopathic care focused on preventative and integrative health. Through her work with patients, students, and the broader community, Dr. Connors encourages a balanced approach to wellbeing that recognizes the connection between people, culture, and environment. She is also the host of the podcast Two-Eyed Seeing: Bridging the Indigenous and Western Understanding of Health, Healing & Life.
Christy Consell
Christy Consell is the owner of 30 Minute Hit Kitchener, a women’s-only boxing and kickboxing fitness studio built around empowerment, community, and confidence. Known for her energy, encouragement, and hands-on coaching style, Christy has created a welcoming space where women of all ages and fitness levels feel supported and strong. With a passion for health, wellness, and community-building, she is committed to helping members challenge themselves physically and mentally while having fun along the way. Her leadership has helped establish 30 Minute Hit Kitchener as a positive and inspiring fitness community in the region.
Danina Kapetanovic
Danina Kapetanovic is a healthcare innovation leader and strategist advancing digital transformation across Ontario’s hospital systems. As the first joint senior leader in innovation at the Waterloo Regional Health Network (WRHN) and the University of Waterloo, Danina bridges academia, technology, policy, and frontline care to deliver meaningful system change. Known for her collaborative leadership and commitment to equitable healthcare innovation, Danina has played a key role in innovation initiatives that improve patient care, data access, and clinical efficiency. Her work strengthens healthcare delivery across Waterloo Region and positions the community as a leader in modern, connected care.
Lili Liu
Dr. Lili Liu is a professor and dean of the Faculty of Health at the University of Waterloo. Her background in Occupational Therapy has been fundamental in training students towards career paths in health, technology and aging. She has led initiatives and created opportunities for colleagues and trainees to advance novel research, technology and evidence-based practices that bring health innovation to the forefront within the Waterloo Region. Through collaborations with Faculties like Engineering, and community partners like the Waterloo Region Health Network, she has fostered a unique ecosystem to advance health and healthcare practices for students, clinicians, and community members.
Nadine Quehl
Nadine Quehl is a mindfulness and yoga practitioner, educator, and community volunteer based in Waterloo Region. Since 2018, she has used yoga, meditation, and mindful movement to support mental health and community well-being in diverse settings, including hospitals, correctional institutions, community centres, and the University of Waterloo. Nadine leads trauma-informed yoga and meditation sessions for youth in the Child and Adolescent Inpatient Program (CAIP) at Waterloo Regional Health Network (WRHN @Midtown) and volunteers regularly teaching yoga to incarcerated women at Grand Valley Institution for Women. Through her compassionate, inclusive approach, she creates accessible spaces for healing, connection, and resilience.
Amelia Yip
Amelia Yip is a dedicated adult cardiologist working in the Waterloo region for over the last decade. She is the Medical Lead of the Heart Function Clinic at St. Mary's General Hospital, specializing in advanced heart failure, transplantation, and mechanical circulatory support. Through the support of the hospital, she has initiated collaborations with the Mount Forest Family Health team as well as the Sanguen clinic to help those specific communities. In her own medical practice, she has started the Heart Failure Uptitration Clinic and the Lipid Clinic to serve patients across the Waterloo region and beyond. She is also an adjunct Clinical Professor at McMaster University.