Welcome to Soul Strength
Hi everyone! I want to give the warmest welcome to Soul Strength, a place where I hope to instill strength, resilience, and a sense of well-being for everyone who visits. For my first blog post, I wanted to share a little about myself and the journey that led to creating Soul Strength.
The trajectory of my life changed when I was 10 years old. I was playing in a soccer tournament when I broke my right femur. After two surgeries and six months of rehab, I made a full recovery with the support of my family and friends. I thought the hardest part was behind me.
But five years later, at 15, I started experiencing nagging pain in my right knee during soccer. A visit to the orthopedic doctor revealed something none of us expected: that prior break in my femur had actually fractured my growth plate, causing my bone to grow abnormally. I was devastated, but I didn’t know just how much this would shape my life.
We were referred to the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan, and my mom and I made the five-hour train ride to meet the surgeon. After reviewing my X-rays, he confirmed surgery was the only solution. As a 15-year-old, my thoughts immediately turned to soccer: “How am I going to do this? This is my big recruiting year for colleges…” But reality set in, and in May of 2011, I had the first of five more surgeries on my right leg. It was a lot for a teenager to endure. While most of my friends were focused on school, grades, and sports, I was navigating the physical pain and emotional exhaustion of my recovery. However, looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing.
Because those challenges taught me so much:
They made me stronger.
They taught me gratitude.
They gave me a heart for healing.
And today, those experiences allow me to connect deeply with the patients I treat as a physical therapist.
After my surgeries, I recovered fully and came back stronger than ever (just as my surgeon promised) and was able to play soccer in college while studying to become a physical therapist. Over the past five years, I’ve worked as a traveling physical therapist, meeting incredible people and helping diverse patient populations across the country.
Early in my career, I noticed something special about my connection with my post-surgical patients. Having walked a similar road, I could relate to their journey on a deeper level—the physical struggles, the mental challenges, and the emotional toll. Surgery isn’t just about the body; it changes your entire life. I’ve been there. I know how it feels to wonder how you’ll get through the long recovery process, to face the frustration and despair of relearning how to move again.
That connection and understanding have always been a foundation and passion of my work, but it also sparked a deeper question: What more can I do to support people during recovery? How can I address not just the physical healing, but also the emotional and mental resilience required to rebuild after surgery? These are the questions that give me a sense of determination that I aim to discover with each and every client.
Which is why I created Soul Strength. This isn’t just about helping people recover—it’s about empowering them to find their inner strength, to rebuild along the way with hope and determination, and to come out the other side stronger than ever.
To my past patients: thank you for inspiring me to build something I know will make a positive impact. To everyone who has believed in me and encouraged me along the way: I’m endlessly grateful.
Here’s to building resilience, strength, and healing—together.
