Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Sep 04/02) - Sophie Panayi did her homework before opening her massage therapy business in Yellowknife.

Office workers abound in the territorial capital.

"I was looking at teachers, nurses, professional sciences," says Panayi, a recent graduate from the Massage Therapy College of Manitoba. "That's basically what the statistics told me to aim for."

For $65 a session, Panayi will rub out those long, knot-inducing hours at the office. She began accepting clients last Monday, and has so far built her roster to seven -- all from her home-based studio.

"It's going excellent," says Panayi, who at age 24, is also a graduate of Yellowknife Aurora College's nursing program. "It's one thing to do massage therapy, but it's another thing when you're putting this whole operation together."

Graduating as valedictorian with 94 per cent average, Panayi probably could've set up shop anywhere, but she plans to call Yellowknife home -- she also lives here with her husband Chris -- at least for the next while, and see where business takes her.

Although she never lived in Yellowknife before attending Aurora College, she is joined by several family members. She spent her early years growing up in Iqaluit.

"My brother lives here, and my parents are coming back from France," says Panayi. My dad will be teaching at the high school (Sir John Franklin)."

Under the banner of Sophie's Therapeutic Massage, Panayi's mandate is to "optimise physical and mental well-being through the use of remedial massage therapy."

"Remedial massage is the big thing," says Panayi. "Car accidents and posture problems."

Listing off massaging methods such as "myofascial release" and "petrissage strokes," one may get the impression that they're trying out for a swim team after talking with her, but Panayi just likes to keep her clients informed.

"It's one of the fastest growing complimentary, not alternative, medicines growing in Canada," says Panayi. "That's a fact."