Meet Our Team

Kristi Overton Johnson, President and Founder Champion's Heart

Kristi is the founder of Champion's Heart and President on the Board of Directors. Kristi serves as the spiritual authority and leader of the ministry and uses the gifts Christ has given her to articulate the vision of Champion's Heart Ministries to the world.

Kristi is a former Pam American gold medalist and holder of over 80 professional water ski titles. She is an 8-time U.S. Masters Champion, 4-time US Open Champion and was the world record holder in women's slalom from 1992 to 2010. Kristi officially retired from the professional water skiing circuit in 2003. She now spends her time encouraging people to get off their spiritual docks and take to the waters of life with God at the helm through In His Wakes and the other divisions of Champion's Heart. Kristi attends Community Church in Keystone Heights, Fl. Kristi's most treasured accomplishments are her 18-year marriage to Tim Johnson and being a mother to her three children, Ty, Dalton, and Ivy.

Kristi is an advocate of adoption as her two youngest children were adopted from Russia in 2005. Kristi is in the midst of adopting a third child from Russia and is excited with yet another opportunity to share God's grace with another child.

Nate Miller, In His Wakes Co-Director and Ivy Miller, In His Wakes Co-Director

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Nate's life backgrounds include being a teacher for 18 years in Oregon. He has also coached numerous sports including track, basketball and football. His most recent positions included being a science teacher and an athletic director of Culver Middle School in Culver, Oregon. Nate has served as the coordinator of the In His Wakes' "A Day to Remember" program since April 2007 when he was called into the ministry full-time. Nathan works closely with his wife Ivy in scheduling event dates, locations, participants and volunteers. Nate is also the activities coordinator and event facilitator at each "A Day to Remember" event. He directs all aspects of the actual events including coordinating on-water activities and volunteer responsibilities. Nate is also a member of In His Wakes' Board of Directors.

Nate's life experiences have given him an incredible ability to lead children, keep their attention, build relationships and most importantly deliver a Gospel message understandable to children of all backgrounds and ages. Nate's energy is contagious as he provides children nationally and internationally with a day they will remember FOREVER!

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Ivy's background includes being a homemaker, home school teacher, and bank administrator. She has also volunteered extensively in her church by teaching Sunday school, Awanas, and leading women's ministries. Ivy feels In His Wakes is an incredible opportunity for her family to minister together and she looks forward to watching God continue to touch lives through the In His Wakes events. Ivy serves as the Program Director for In His Wakes' "A Day to Remember" and "On the Shores" events. Ivy organizes and schedules the events working very closely with each event host to ensure their planning process goes smoothly. Ivy also handles all on-site registration of all participants and volunteers.

Nate and Ivy reside in Bend, Oregon and are active members at Calvary Chapel. Nate and Ivy have been married for 27 years and have two children, Jake (who is married to Lucie) and Kayla. The entire family is very active in the ministries of In His Wakes.

Jake Miller, In His Wakes and Lucie Miller, In His Wakes

My name is Jacob Miller and I am truly blessed with two of the best relationships in the world! One of which is with my wonderful wife Lucie, to whom I have been married to for almost 3 years; the other is my Savior, Jesus, who has saved and redeemed me from everything I ever was in the past. I have traveled with In His Wakes for the last 4 years during the summer months and during school breaks. I have studied at four different colleges in Florida, Oregon, and even the Czech Republic, and still have yet to earn a degree. Last year I put college on hold as I felt God calling my wife and I to YWAM (Youth With A Mission) in Montana. It was there that God renewed our marriage and helped us shift our focus solely on Him. From my time there, my heart became directed towards serving and loving the people around me. I spent a year in the Czech Republic with my wife learning the Czech language so we could minister to her family. It was an amazing year! I have always enjoyed sports and am blessed to be able to use them to touch people for God. I've worked many different jobs, but nothing compares to the fulfillment I receive from loving others on the mission field.

Lucie Miller

I was born and raised in the Czech Republic. I grew up in a wonderful family with one brother and one sister. When I was 18 years old, I was an exchange student in Keystone Heights, Florida where I met my husband Jacob Miller. He and his family led me to the Lord. Right from the start, God grabbed a hold of my life and gave me a passion for Him. Right after our wedding in 2009, Jake and I traveled with In His Wakes ministries for 2 summers. The following summer we enrolled in a 5 month Discipleship Training School with Youth with a Mission (YWAM) where we developed an even deeper passion for Jesus. I am currently attending college and working on my counseling degree. I am very excited about having the opportunity to travel with In His Wakes once again this summer around the United States as well as returning to my home town in Czech Republic where we will hold four events.

Kayla Miller, In His Wakes

Kayla Miller is the daughter of In His Wakes' director, Nate and Ivy Miller and has helped with the ministry over the last five years. A 2010 graduate of Bend High School in Bend, Oregon, she has completed Youth With A Mission's (YWAM) Discipleship Training School in 2011, which included two months of missions outreach in Calcutta, India. She is currently attending YWAM's school of Biblical Studies in preparation for full time missions. Her future plans include staffing a DTS school and ministry to the nations. Her passion is to help other young girls and women realize just how our loving heavenly Father sees them and accepts them as beautiful daughters of the King.

Angie Sapp, Champion's Heart Life Center Resource Coordinator

I grew up in Melrose, Fl. where I still live today with my husband and daughter.  I was raised in church until my family went through a divorce. At that point, we stopped going to church except for major holidays such as Easter and Christmas.

Even as a child, I had a strong love for God. My mother says I used to go around preaching to everyone. I had a very difficult adolescence. At the age of 16, I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, OCD, insomnia, and I experienced a lot of fear and anxiety.

The doctors told me that I would be on medication for the rest of my life, but God had a different plan! He had a purpose for my life!

I rededicated my life to Jesus when I was 25 years old. Since that time, I have been experiencing an "accelerated destiny."  In 2008, God called me into ministry and led me to get my Bachelor of Arts degree in Theology.  I have served in several areas of ministry in the local church and community and continue to serve wherever there is a need.  I have a passion to teach and empower others to live in the complete healing, delivering, and restorative power of Jesus Christ. I am currently working at Champion's Heart in Keystone Heights, Fl. where I am blessed with the opportunity to carry out God's will in reaching others with His love.

Amy Zackowski, Graphic Design Artist, Victorious Living Magazine

Amy has been assisting Champion's Heart, specifically the ministry of In HIs Wakes, since 2004. Amy and her family also volunteer at various "A Day to Remember" events. Her ministry experience includes being a camp counselor, youth ministry leadership, and retreat planning. She has also traveled the United States and Puerto Rico with an International Christian reggae group as their road manager.

Amy pays the bills by running her graphic design business, Whispering Dog Design, Inc., which she founded in 1994. Although Amy enjoys her work, she prefers to be outside and on the water. For fun, she skis with a local ski show waterski team (a great source for many of our volunteers!).

Amy lives in Melrose, FL. with her husband, Jeremy, and son, Jacob, who has been diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome and Sensory Integration Disorders. Her life experiences with Jacob have given her an insight that helps her help children who are struggling with the mental and physical aspects of our Day To Remember events. She has also been trained by the organization UCanSki2 to get people with disabilities on the water through adaptive water skiing.

While being on the water is a huge passion of Amy's, her strongest desire is to empower hurting youth and convey the unfathomable depth and width and length of God's uncompromising love for them.

Plus our 500 volunteers across the United States, Czech Republic and Costa Rica!