Meet the Team
NRP’s protocols were first uncovered by Paul Matthews, a natural born athlete who was competing at high levels from a very young age. Unfortunately, the competitive, physical work took a toll on his back, which led to multiple spinal cord surgeries. Along with a host of doctors, therapists, and other treatment professionals, those surgeries did little to relieve Paul’s daily bout with excruciating, debilitating pain.
As he learned physical therapy for his professional career, he began digging deep into how the nervous system played a part in movement and, ultimately, the pain. After years of research, he uncovered the ways of solving the pain often contradicted the existing protocols, many of which only treated the symptom rather than addressing the root cause.
Paul Matthews,
NRP Founder and CEO
“It takes one to know one” may best encapsulate Paul’s journey from living with chronic pain himself to becoming one of the region’s most prolific movement experts.
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After a series of injuries in high school football caused Paul to undergo two spinal surgeries, he was left with chronic neurological back and leg pain. His will undeterred, he began seeking solutions for ways to return to his optimum athletic performance by studying a series of movement and soft tissue-related disciplines. He heavily researched and experienced traditional western approaches to pain management and physical therapy along with alternative therapies like massage, myofascial release, acupuncture, cupping, cryotherapy and a number of others.
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Since graduating from the Rolf Institute of Structural Integration in 2010, Paul has spent the last 10 years as a strength coach and rehabilitation specialist, learning and applying numerous techniques based on his keen sensing of optimal neurological alignment. Here, NRP was born.
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From professional and Olympic athletes to business professionals or those recovering from injury, Paul taps into his personal experiences, his immense education and his technical expertise and dedication to achieve effective, lasting results for his wide array of clients.
Matt Gentle,
Vice President
Matt Gentle is a one-of-a-kind movement specialist and one of the most sought-after wellness gurus in the Chicagoland area and beyond.
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His extensive training in kinesiology, physiology, movement, functional rehabilitation, essential oils, sleep, neuro-feedback, bio-feedback, heart variability and many other disciplines gives him a unique, multi-faceted approach to achieve superior, effective results.
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In addition to his unparalleled skill set, Matt helps clients reach their fitness and life goals with his uplifting and encouraging approach. As his expertise and client-base continues to grow, he continues to remain educated and informed about the latest technologies and techniques – like NRP – that can take his clients to the next level of movement, exercise and training.
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Professional athletes looking to enhance their training, individuals recovering from injuries and future movers of tomorrow are among the wide array of clients that have benefited from Matt’s expert service and distinctive techniques. One meeting with Matt and you’ll soon discover his passion for his life’s work and devotion to helping you on your movement journey.
Danny Passeri,
Specialist and Trainer
Danny Passeri journey started with a stress fracture between L5 and S1 that sidelined him for his Junior high school football season and became a chronic issue. No longer thinking about playing beyond high school, he went back to his normal training. After seeing multiple physical therapists, chiropractors, and other bodyworkers, his pain was only temporarily lessened and would come back stronger.
For almost 4 years, his pain gradually increased until he came to see Paul Matthews. Within two one-hour sessions, his pain dramatically decreased, and he gained access to muscles and power he never felt before. Over the process of 6 months at NRP, his pain left altogether and he was moving better than he ever was.
From this experience, Danny gained immense knowledge and feel of the NRP system and went from a crippled patient to an extremely able-bodied trainer. Combined with his kinesiology background, his skillset allows for optimal individualized programming where he puts his clients in the best spot to succeed.
Danny’s further education will consist of massage therapy and TCM and is currently in the process of becoming a licensed NRP bodyworker.
Ray Neylon,
Specialist and Trainer
“You grow through, what you go through” is something Ray Neylon has adapted to throughout his career. Ray developed his passion and love for how the body works at a pretty early age. He comes from an athletic background, with football as his main sport, and that is where he suffered multiple knee injuries. A blessing in disguise in a way for Ray, as he has had 5 surgeries on his left knee but through those procedures is where he found his passion for exercise science. This passion developed a certain discipline that he acquired and applied to his everyday life through his training, nutrition, and mindset. With these attributes, he portrays a positive and uplifting attitude towards each and every person he works with.
As Ray made the choice to stop playing football another door opened up for him to help others achieve athletic prowess, as well as helping the general population attain their personal health and wellness goals. He has a Bachelor in Exercise Science from the University of Illinois Chicago. However, he has been a trainer/movement specialist since he was 19. He started out training grade school, high school, & college athletes of all sports in his first gym. Then he found his competitive spirit again through the sport of CrossFit and earning his Level 1 CrossFit Training certificate to coach/train and help another group of people achieve their fitness goals.
As one of the newest additions to the NRP team, Ray is learning and growing more as he always does and is eager to help any person who works with him. Achieving pain-free movement and helping others feel better in their bodies is one of the main things Ray strives for with his clients as he has gone through that himself. No matter where you are on your fitness journey, Ray is here to guide you to success. Movement is Medicine.
Clayton Petrasek,
Specialist and Trainer
Clayton’s journey started freshman year of high school when he joined the gymnastics team at Deerfield High School. Starting with no experience or knowledge, he ended up going to the state competition for the rings apparatus in his first year. By senior year, Clayton became a state champion on the rings apparatus and was named captain of the team, bringing the organization their first-ever team state championship. He then went on to compete for the University of Iowa Club team, where he got his bachelor’s degree in exercise science with a minor in nutrition.
Gymnastics has opened doors for him in the fitness world and has sparked his love and passion for movement of all sorts. Clayton is a NASM-certified personal trainer and he has been a gymnastics coach for 5 years working with athletes of all ages.
Having to fight through many tedious injuries from gymnastics, Clayton has developed a very disciplined and focused mindset regarding training smart in a very high injury rate sport. He hopes to bring this mindset to every person he works with, no matter what their goals are.
With his extensive background in coaching, calisthenics, flexibility, mobility, and gymnastics, Clayton is eager to learn and grow as much as possible with NRP, bringing the knowledge that he has learned from gymnastics to NRP and to all clients.