Meet Our Team!
Karey Fleming: Founder & Owner
Pedorthist and Retired Occupational Therapist
Health Walks staff affectionately call her ‘Boss Lady’. Her family calls her “Ruckus”. Karey says, “Just don’t call me late for dinner”! She is the founder and force behind this successful foot health clinic that has served the northern region of Nova Scotia for almost two decades. Joined by her husband Richard Fleming in the business in 2005, they have joined forces to expand into Truro, Nova Scotia in 2019.
The clinic has become the one-stop shop for everything foot-health related. Proudly a healing space that has come to be known as the place where you “Walk In and Dance Out”.
A trained occupational therapist and pedorthist, Karey has dedicated her career to helping others. Distinguished for her strong leadership and ability to address any situation with openness, honesty, and directness, the attributes that prompted the loving family nickname of “Ruckus” have served her well in growing Health Walks Inc. into what it is today. It is her unwavering approach to always learn and adapt to serve client needs.
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A trained occupational therapist and pedorthist, Karey has dedicated her career to helping others. Distinguished for her strong leadership and ability to address any situation with openness, honesty, and directness, the attributes that prompted the loving family nickname of “Ruckus” have served her well in growing Health Walks Inc. into what it is today. It is her unwavering approach to always learn and adapt to serve client needs.
The idea for Health Walks was born in Mount Pearl, Newfoundland. While there treating occupational therapy clients, Karey specialized in back injuries resulting from workplace and motor vehicle accidents. As she helped people return to work and get back to their lives she heard a pattern of feedback—over and over again she heard about issues with foot pain even though it was not part of the injury.
This trend got her interested in feet. Eventually she moved back home to New Glasgow and decided to specialize in this area. She recognized a pain point and built a wellness space addressing it. Over the years she has carefully created products and services to serve her patients.
Today, Karey has retired as an occupational therapist but keeps her pedorthist designation to provide expertise in both locations while running the business. Her focus is in custom orthotics and specialty footwear. Her occupational therapy training still drives her clinical care as she is educated in both physical medicine and psychiatry. Karey coaches her staff to examine the individual’s whole story—not just their symptoms and gets to the root of issues. Karey has a natural ability to recognize talent and recruits staff who share her passion, ethical standards and work as a team to address patient needs.
Health Walks is a family enterprise. Calling themselves Team Fleming, Richard looks after the financial side and their son Marcus now 14 has started to help out Mom and Dad. Marcus being of the social media generation even helps Karey with social media ideas!
Karey earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She went on to achieve her Pedorthic designation in 2004. Karey is also a DoTerra Wellness Advocate incorporating essential oils when beneficial to enhance treatment. In a rare moment away from running her company Karey tends to her perennial garden. Musically inclined, she plays the piano and guitar. In addition she loves to ride her motorcycle. Her ultimate favorite thing to do is to travel with her husband and son. Her primary goal in life is being the best Mom to Marcus.
Richard Fleming: Co-owner
General Manager, New Glasgow & Truro
The other half of team Fleming is Karey’s husband Richard who joined the company and officially made it a family business in 2005 when their son Marcus was born. His title is general manager however Richard also wears many other hats. He manages the financial side of the business and most of the administration work. He is a self-proclaimed self-taught technology guru—which comes in pretty handy!
He admits that one of his most important roles is acting as a sounding board for Karey’s latest adventures and ideas. He is still in awe of his wife as a gifted entrepreneur and how she has the ability to continually evolve to meet customer needs.
Richard loves to hear the personal stories of how HealthWalks has helped people. Once he was fitted with orthotics, he understood first-hand that good shoes and proper orthotics can help you live pain free and dramatically improve your quality of life. He is very proud of the introduction of podiatry services in both locations as it’s bringing immediate relief for some patients.
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Richard has a business degree from St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. His previous career was at Michelin in Pictou County. In 2018 he fulfilled a life long dream of travelling by motorcycle solo across Canada! He is also the treasurer and membership secretary of the East Coast Ducati Club, a motorcycle club for Ducati owners. In his spare time he enjoys learning about astronomy, dirt-biking and camping with his son.
Wendy Shaw
Certified Reflexology Therapist, New Glasgow
Wendy’s reason for becoming a reflexology therapist is deeply personal. Twenty years ago her daughter was suffering from a bowel condition. As a mother, it was hard to see her child in pain and tried every treatment to no avail. By chance, she stumbled upon a segment in the news about how reflexology treatment helps this very condition. It was a combination of reflexology and naturopathic medicine that ultimately helped her daughter.
Wendy has been practicing reflexology at the New Glasgow Health Walks clinic location for over 5 years. Her colleagues have become like family and appreciate how they have taken her under their wing.
She loves that Health Walks is a one-stop shop in foot care, from orthopedics, to proper shoe fitting to reflexology, she says that “everything about feet is in that one building!”
Wendy earned her certification in reflexology at Haelen School for the Creative & Healing Arts associated with Conestoga College (Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning) at the Waterloo, Ontario campus. She is also a DoTerra Wellness Advocate by incorporating essential oils into her practice and educating others on how they can use oils. A self-proclaimed Disney fanatic Wendy took her kids to Disney and now wants to take her grandchildren. In her downtime, she loves to crochet and is constantly expanding her knowledge by reading up on feet and health.
Tyler MacDonald, RN
Registered Foot Care Nurse, New Glasgow and Truro
The new kid on the block at Healthwalks Truro and New Glasgow. Tyler is a Registered Nurse with a background of wound care, home care and now foot care! Tyler studied for his Bachelor of Nursing at Memorial University in Newfoundland. Following school he spent about ten years providing nursing care to the wonderful people of the Avalon Peninsula, so please do not mind the accent.
Newly moved home to the New Glasgow area from Newfoundland, Tyler is eager to see all the changes and growth within the town and community. “There’s a Starbucks now!”
Tyler enjoys working with clients and patients to make sure that they receive the best care they can and most importantly feel better when they leave the clinic. Client comfort and contentment are his number one priorities when providing foot care.
In his spare time, Tyler is an animal lover and creative person at heart. His cat Pudge is his darling boy and he has all kinds of stories about his cat and Newfoundland, “If you’re looking for a bit of a yarn, just ask!”
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Sheila Green, Comfort Specialist, New Glasgow
Sheila has been with Team Health Walks the longest—over eight years and can answer any foot questions just as well as the therapists! She has dual responsibilities—a comfort specialist in the shoe store and on clinic days also works administration. She works hand-in-hand with the our podiatrist in order to custom fit clients with the best possible footwear.
Sheila is very knowledgeable about the variety of shoe products and understands first-hand the vital importance of taking care of our feet. She listens to clients carefully and provides optimal solutions. The staff are educated on an on-going basis regarding foot issues.
Sheila’s other passion is being an artist. She realized a dream and studied a three-year online program through the Watts Atelier of the Arts School based in southern California.
She currently serves as the Vice President of the Pictou County Artists Association. Sheila wakes up every morning at 5:30 a.m. to paint before reporting to work. Her love of New Glasgow is represented in her paintings in landscapes and seascapes. Her work was recently recognized in an 18-piece exhibit with displays rotating between the New Glasgow Library, Town Hall and Museum of Industry.
Carol Heighton
Comfort Specialist, New Glasgow
Patience galore—Carol will spend as much time with you as you need getting that perfect fit all while wearing the cutest smile! She has been a comfort specialist at the New Glasgow store and clinic location for the past three years on a part-time basis. Her role combines supporting clients with the proper footwear and administration work.
She admits that the last three years at Health Walks have been an education in feet and at this point would not be caught dead in any inappropriate shoes! Carol is proud to be part of the comprehensive approach provided to clients and loves to see them walking out the podiatrist’s office smiling.
Carol has a diploma in accounting and worked for 34 years in banking as a central teller. Committed to physical activity, she practices Hatha yoga and enjoys walking. She enjoys travelling, loves music and volunteers at the local music festival every year.
