One of the greatest aspects about my job is watching the joy in people’s faces when they achieve their goals. I have been working as a physical therapist for over 18 years, and it never gets old. I love the high-fives I get when a mom can finally run/jump/exercise/chase her kids around the yard without any urinary incontinence or the cards my pediatric patients create for me when they are finally able to poop without pain (we call it a “potty party” in case you were wondering). And the smile I get when someone tells me, “I didn’t believe this therapy would actually work, but you changed my life.” Priceless.

After I graduated from Ithaca College with a Master of Physical Therapy and SUNY Brockport with a second Bachelor of Science with a major in physical education and concentration in Athletic Training, I started my career in sports medicine/ orthopedics while in Boston, MA. I had the pleasure to work with everyone from the high school athletes to weekend warriors to professional players. I dabbled in triathlon training myself, and I’m proud to say I am an Ironman Finisher! Somewhere along the line I started to learn just how important the pelvic floor and “the core” was to … everyone. I dove into the world of pelvic health. I completed my pelvic and obstetric CAPP coursework. I took every pediatric pelvic health course I could find. I found some amazing mentors and helped mentee passionate PT students. Long story short, our profession has come A LONG WAY in terms of how we integrate our knowledge of body systems and biomechanics into every day life, but we still have a ways to go, and I am so grateful that I get to be a part of it.

As much as I love my career, I love my family more. I hope to teach my two girls how to be strong, brave, kind, and compassionate as they grow. I also hope that one day I will beat them in the game of Memory (but today is not that day). And I’m sure their hope for me is that one day I will stop asking them about their bowel movements.