How My Journey Began

Kristine "Kim" Phansaithong was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and raised in Queens, New York, where she embraced her Filipino heritage. She is married to her husband, who serves in the U.S. Air Force, and together they have three daughters.

Kim became a Registered Nurse at the age of 21, specializing in Pediatrics before working as a travel nurse. She later relocated to Honolulu, Hawaii, where she worked as a Neurology/Telemetry Registered Nurse. At age 45, she proudly became re-licensed as a Registered Nurse in Hawaii, further strengthening her commitment to serving others.

At the age of 31, while stationed in Maryland, Kim suffered a massive stroke and spent nearly five years in rehabilitation at Johns Hopkins. Refusing to become another statistic, she transformed her experience into a lifelong mission to help others discover their strength, resilience, and potential.

Today, Kim is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer, Certified TRX Coach, Autism Fitness Practitioner, and holds numerous certifications in health, fitness, and rehabilitation. She specializes in working with stroke survivors, individuals with neurological conditions, and the neurodiverse community through personalized one-on-one, small-group, virtual, and adaptive fitness training.

As the founder of Phoenix Waves, Kim is passionate about empowering stroke survivors, families, and caregivers. Her mission is simple: to help every individual build strength, confidence, and independence while proving that recovery is not the end of the story—it is the beginning of a stronger one.

Click here for her feature on Hawaii News Now with Jim Mendoza.