Success Stories
Christy Swiatkowski, LMT – Graduate 2002
My earliest memories of massage come from when I was just a child. I was always the one who would rub the backs and necks of my hard working, elderly family members. Apparently I had “the touch” from way back then. It wasn’t until after experiencing much less fulfilling jobs that I decided to go to school and make a career of something I always enjoyed doing. I had reached a point where I knew, it was now or never.
I attended the New York Institute of Massage (NYIM) in 2001 and thoroughly enjoyed every moment of my time spent there. From the fabulous instructors to the lifelong friends I made, I knew instantly that it was where I was meant to be. It was also very clear to me that massage therapy was what I was meant to do with my life.
While attending school, I was given the unique opportunity to work on a few players from the Buffalo Bills. Because I was still a student, it was done on a voluntary basis. During this time, I developed a passion for working with athletes and knew that it would be the path that I would pursue once I was licensed.
Upon my graduation from NYIM in 2002, I was asked by a teacher from the school to work under her in her business, located inside the YMCA in Buffalo. I accepted the offer and I’m pleased to say that I still treat the clients that I worked on since my very first week as a Massage Therapist. During this time, I continued to work on a few football players but it was never at the level in which I wanted it to be.
I knew I possessed the type of qualities that a professional athlete would demand from their Massage Therapist. I knew that if I had gotten my hands on the right people, my skills would speak for itself. Eventually, with a combination of education, patience and persistence, my business has grown to be about 85% professional level athletes. For me, referrals and social media have been my greatest marketing tool. I never imagined that I would do exactly what I set out to do with my career but here I am, living everyday what I once thought was only a dream.