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Alpine County residents Russ and Joanie Kaczmar with children Andie with Zephyr and August. Photo special to The R-C
Alpine County residents Russ and Joanie Kaczmar with children Andie with Zephyr and August. Photo special to The R-C
By Lisa Gavon
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Opportunities arise and under just the right conditions, they can become your dreams. These aspirations slowly transform into thoughts, followed by ambitions, finally manifesting into action.
Joanie (Anderson) Kaczmar is made of equal parts talent, determination, and dedication. Her life has been filled with myriad of possibilities. When they present themselves, she has no problem grabbing hold of them, transforming each one into stepping stones on her own unique path.
Joanie had the best childhood, unschooled in a very new and non-traditional fashion for the time. The third oldest of eight children, she was named after her grandmother. Growing up, her classroom was built without walls, containing the wild woods and mountains surrounding Lake Tahoe.
Her father was a firefighter, and her mother studied education. Both felt that no one could appreciate, love, and instruct their children as well as they could. They gave them a firm foundation, always prioritizing their family. “We were a tight unit and loyal team.” says Joanie.
As they grew older they would catch the first bus to Sierra-at-Tahoe, snowboard all day, and then take the last bus down. Her siblings were, and still are, her best friends.
The local snowboard coach noticed Joanie’s athleticism and skill and asked her and her sister to join the competitive snowboard team. She started competing when she was just 11.
Joanie was invited to join the U.S. Junior National World Championship Team when she was 16. She won her first Junior World title in New Zealand in 2002, and then again in Germany in 2003.
Snowboarding is a very expensive sport, and in addition to seeking out sponsors, she spent a great deal of time writing proposals, applying for grants, and distributing her resume to donors and nonprofit groups in her hometown that supported her vision. “It always included follow—up thank you letters,” reports Joanie “and is a great example of real-life hands-on homeschooling.”
She competed in boardercross and halfpipe at her first X games when she was 17. Continuing for eight consecutive years, Joanie won a silver medal in 2006, a gold in 2007, and a bronze in 2010.
During a time trial run at the Olympic test event in Vancover, she dislocated her hip. It was at this point that she started a new chapter, moving out of the world of competition.
Her husband Russ Kaczmar was also raised in Tahoe, so it is no surprise that they met while snowboarding. When they started dating, Russ had been working as a snowboard photographer but was preparing to attend physical therapy school. Over this same time, in the traditional Tahoe fashion, Joanie worked in coffeeshops and as a nanny for local families.
They both have a heart for wanting to help people in a concrete, physical way. In 2014, they moved to San Diego where Joanie spent four years getting her master’s degree and then her doctorate at what is now called the Pacific College of Health and Science. Russ completed his doctorate in physical therapy at the University of Saint Augustine.
They found the most important thing was being together and were married at Sierra at Tahoe in the fall of 2018, moving “back home” first to Tahoe, then to the tiny community of Markleeville in Alpine County. Russ is just finishing his current studies at Truckee Meadows Community College to become a paramedic and firefighter. They are a great compliment to each other.
The principles and ideas she was raised with have served her well, and she and her husband are applying these same values to their own three children, Zephyr, August, and Andie. All three were born at home, as she herself was.
“There are sacrifices to be made in order to be able to homeschool your children.” says Joanie, “It requires a lot of hard work, consistency, and commitment.” Their faith continues to sustain them. They are ready to go the extra mile, and that applies to every aspect of their health and well-being.
Joanie takes the time to guarantee her family has excellent nutrition, even going so far as to make her own sourdough bread. She is a member of the community supported agriculture group Mountain Bounty Farm. She makes sure they all spend time outdoors learning about the natural world. Both yoga and running help bring her a strong sense of being grounded.
“And I love being an acupuncturist!” smiles Joanie. “It all makes such clear sense and is so simple and direct. The temperature, elements, how it all relates to the body keeps me constantly enthralled. I never get bored because there are so many schools of thought. The more I learn, the more I have to question and examine.”
“Acupuncture is so effective in so many different areas. It can alleviate stress, heal an injury, assist in coping with mental issues, pain, migraines, women’s health and fertility. It can help anyone, you don’t need a referral, and you don’t need to be rich.”
The concepts of body balance and equilibrium are central to Joanie’s philosophy and practice. According to traditional Chinese medicine, the body is governed by a vital force called Qi (pronounced “chee”). When it is balanced, it flows freely and the body enters a state of health and harmony.
She applies a full commitment to whatever she takes on in every area of her life. Her office in Tahoe is at 589 Tahoe Keys Blvd, E1, South Lake Tahoe. She is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays.
Medicine
