I was born and raised in a small 9,000 population town in northern Wisconsin. My love of athletics began from a very young age as I grew up playing soccer, softball, running track, and eventually found my true passion volleyball, that I went on to play for 10 years and throughout my collegiate career.

Since as early as 14 years old I knew I wanted to work in the world of athletics and help people live healthier lives somehow. In the small town I grew up in we had one physical therapy clinic. That physical therapist was also an athletic trainer and provided coaching to various high school athletic teams as well.

I remember thinking “This encompasses everything I want in a career. I want to do that!” and I applied to join an athletic training program at my highschool that next semester. Volleyball continued to stay at the forefront of my passions and went on to compete at the NCAA DIII level at University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point which also has one of the highest rated Athletic Training programs in the country.

I was introduced to weight training in the off-season my first year and this grew my love for exercise and movement further. I knew I had to continue to grow my knowledge and share this passion with others as a Physical Therapist, undoubtedly.

Fast forward 8 years of undergrad and graduate school combined and I am now a practicing Doctor of Physical Therapy and certified Athletic Trainer. During one of my many clinical rotations I was based in Arizona. I was able to see a whole new world that wasn’t covered in snow and filled with gloomy -40° degree winter days. So, I decided to pack up my RAV4 and drive cross country solo to start my career and new adventure in sunny Arizona! Recently, I moved to the east valley and I’m excited to bring my extensive background in orthopedics and sports medicine to AZPI.

What does #ExpectBetter mean to you?

Going above and beyond and setting a higher bar for myself and the people around me to achieve more and always be 1% better every day. In regards to physical therapy, this means doing more than giving the same generic exercises to every person and moving on to the next patient.

It means creating relationships, critically thinking, and making it my mission to help patients achieve their biggest goals. When I hear Expect Better, I think of all the bad experiences prior patients or friends and family have had with physical therapy and I strive to show everyone what it can TRULY provide to others. And when provided correctly can truly change your life. I think physical therapy can be so fun. Not in a cheesy type of way, but in a way that makes people leave feeling happy, strong, capable, and empowered that they can do the hard stuff.

Why are you excited to join AZPI?

‍From the day I met the team and saw the facility I felt like these were my kind of people and I could really make a difference in patient’s lives here! Their values clearly aligned with mine and that meant providing me with an opportunity to provide meaningful and amazing 1:1 care for patients. I’m excited to make my mark at AZPI and join such a forward thinking company!

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I love spending time with my family and loved ones as much as possible. Some of my favorite things include going on morning runs with my goldendoodle Cody, lifting weights, snowboarding, golfing, and exploring new restaurants in the Valley.