Be sure to check out the video below about Tessel, who spent many years walking with a cane. Through hard work and dedication working with a Triangle Ortho therapist and D1 coach, Tessel is now living a higher quality of life on a daily basis.

WNCN: News, Weather for Raleigh. Durham, Fayetteville

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Prior to Jacksons knee injury he being recruited by Eastern Kentucky, Furman, Appalachian State and UT-Chattanooga.  After the injury all the schools were still contacting Jackson; none were offering scholarships, but they all wanted him as a preferred walk-on.  Jackson chose to play for UT-Chattanooga, a Southern Conference Team.

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As soon as Taylor woke up from surgery he had questions for Dr. Rahill. “How long will the recovery be? When can I skate again? What can I do for strengthening?” He was instantly anxious to get back to where he was before. “I was white knuckling the bed because I wanted so badly to get out there and play again.”

Taylor is a 21 year-old UCCS student and a defenseman on the roller hockey team. He has not only played with his team for three years now, but is actually the president and founder of the club.  Taylor selected his team and created it all. The mountain lions are three time regional champs in their league, the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Roller Hockey Association.

We met Taylor in September of 2012  when he came into D1 on crutches after a meniscus repair. While playing hockey at a tournament in San Jose he got tied up with another player’s skates. His leg went in one direction and his body in another. “When I first got here I watched Scott undo my bandages. I couldn’t move my knee; I couldn’t do anything normal at all. It got me really down. I let the injury affect my mental state.” He’d also been through recent heartbreak, regarding which he was surprisingly candid. He had the humility to admit that the breakup was most likely due to his depleted morale in the wake of his injury. So as it turns out, he carried a lot of loss on his shoulders when he first walked in here.

It was around the end of October that Taylor was ready to do more intensive strength training and skating-specific exercise. “That was when I started working out significantly on my own time as well. I was going as hard as I could here at physical therapy, which encouraged me to work hard at the gym, which in turn helped me when I got back to skating. I almost felt like I was addicted to coming here and sweating it all out. I got a healthy mentality back, as well as hope that I could regain everything I’d lost, plus some.”

Before Taylor knew it, Erica (PTA) was working him so hard that he joked, “I couldn’t walk after the sessions with her.” He found the single leg TRX lunges to be particularly brutal. This was about the time that Scott (his evaluating PT) started him on puck-handling and stick drills. It was clear that he’d soon be ready to revisit the life he’d been missing so badly.

Taylor credits the breakup as his biggest source of motivation. “The lesson I took out of it was to get positive again and pick myself back up.” His dad, who is also his coach, was a big inspiration as well. “I wanted to play for him again. He was always the hockey dad when I was growing up. He was always there for me.”

“And then it was the people here who encouraged me. I’ve never been in an environment where people are so positive. It was thanks to Erica, Scott, and Sarah that I was able to get back in shape and get healthy. It was everything I could have hoped for in terms of recovery, and I was able to learn along the way. It completely turned my life around.”

We all loved Taylor as soon as we met him. He always looked you right in the eye and was quick to smile. If he was ever down we had no way of knowing. He never showed it. They say the right attitude has everything to do with a successful recovery. Taylor epitomized this. It was easy to admire his eagerness and thorough dedication.

Scott says, “His progression and compliance was greatly aided by D1’s ability to customize his rehabilitative exercises to benefit his hockey career.”

Erica says, “I trained him pretty hard in the end because I knew he could take it, and I knew it was the way to get him back in the game where he wanted to be.”

A few months after he graduated from his program with us, I called Taylor up to talk about his story. This is what he had to say. “I’m doing great! Our team was invited to compete at the 2013 nationals in Fort Myers, Florida. In the final game we defeated Northeastern University in overtime to take the national championship.”

There are some people in this world who actually get what they deserve. We were overjoyed to hear that Taylor is one of those people.

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“Life breaks all of us but some of us get stronger in the broken places.” –Ernest Hemingway
This quote hung on Amy’s wall long before she fell on ice while snowshoeing at Echo Lake in January of 2012. She suffered a left proximal humerus fracture and five days later went into surgery with Dr. Pak for an internal fixation. Dr. Pak predicted a minimum of one year to get to 160 degrees of flexion, but that she’d probably never match the right side again.
Soon began Amy’s eight month journey to rehabilitation, and to becoming the living example of that favorite quote. She began working with physical therapist Jennifer Schwomeyer in February. For eight months and fifty total visits she was part of the family here at D1. It interrupted her career as a software consultant, as she was out of work from January 9th until April 9th. “It was a long winter,” she remembers.
There were other factors working against Amy. At 35 she was diagnosed with osteopenia, a condition defined by diminished bone density. On top of this her body wasn’t yet finished recovering from back surgery. She’d recently had part of her L5 vertebra removed in November of 2011. Jennifer evaluated both her back and her arm fracture, but didn’t spend much time on the back other than to build a home exercise program. The break was more pressing.
The goals she set for herself in the beginning of her program with us were as follows: Swim the backstroke. Practice yoga. Snowshoe with poles. Bike more than 7 ½ miles without shoulder stiffness.
Amy’s personality is striking in many ways, like her uncanny retention for numbers, dates, and statistics. She’s like a database of local events. We sought her informant skills to spice up our social calendars. When she first came to us there was no secret she’d been through trying times, and often used wit and sarcasm to express this. As time went on her spirits improved and her energy moved into a place of aggressive dedication. It was clear to all of us that we were finally getting to see the real Amy.
“I had my breakdowns, especially when they told me I had to go back under.” A manipulation was risky because of her osteopena. Dr. Pak and she decided to go through with it anyway because she just wasn’t making progress with her range of motion. Amy underwent her manipulation and screw removal in June of 2012. In the aftermath, she at last felt like she was starting to turn a corner. The first time she did a plank and realized she could hold herself she says, “I almost cried.”
Of Amy, Jennifer says,“She’s a go-getter. Even when I was stretching her shoulder and she was in tons of pain she’d always tell me to keep pushing.”
Scott, who also helped Amy through a substantial part of her recovery, says, “She’s a driven, goal oriented person. She had the tenacity to continue with her struggle and return to high level athletic pursuits.”
“This experience has given me perspective. We’re all in here trying to get our wings back. Literally, I had a wing that didn’t work. Going into it I knew there would be some degree of successful recovery because mine was not a life or death situation. But still it’s a journey and it requires focused effort. I knew I could get back to doing the things I love, but the question was how long it would take, and how well I’d be able to do them,” says Amy.
Today we measured her flexion with no warmup at 160 degrees. She recently snowshoed four weekends in a row. She completed the Snowshoe Grind at Grouse Mountain in Vancouver in December. It’s considered the hardest snowshoe ascent in north America. On Thanksgiving day she went on a 19 ½ mile bike ride in New Mexico. And on the one year anniversary of her fall, she went back to Echo Lake and snowshoed it by herself for peace of mind. She has certainly epidomized Hemingway’s wisdom. Through breaking, she’s found strength and courage that she perhaps never knew she had.
“What’s my story? What do I have to say to other people struggling through physical therapy? You have to get yourself in here. You have to commit to your recovery and you have to be willing to work with the people who are here to help you. Otherwise the model doesn’t work.”

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Marilyn Nickle undergoes therapy at  D1 Therapy  Colorado Springs

Marilyn finished her therapy session and sat up on the plinth.

“Are you ready to tell me your story?” I asked.

“Yes but first, do you have any chocolate?” She laughed.

“Yes! With fortunes on the wrappers!” I gave her one. “What does yours say?”

“Be the first to hit the dance floor! That’s one of my goals- How perfect!”

Marilyn had other goals for herself as well. Along with dancing she wanted to walk around the lake again, and ride a bike. Marilyn’s gleeful and appreciative personality is striking. Very rarely did we see frustration or sadness linger for long. As soon as we met her we knew there was something different about her. Her laugh is childlike; almost like it doesn’t matter if no one else knows what’s funny.

Marilyn had been living with chronic hip pain for many years. She tried every shoe on the market. She tried to exercise and stretch more. It only got worse. In 2008 she stopped working because of the pain. She had been a teacher; it was a career she adored. “The best way to describe it was that my life just got smaller and smaller.” She lost the ability to do things like walk around the block and stand up to cook. As she illustrated this time of her life her voice got quiet and the weight of the memory was visible in her eyes.

In the fall of 2012 life dished out a heaping scoop of adversity, as it often tends to do at inconvenient times. In September Marilyn underwent a double mastectomy. Her cancer doctor was concerned that the cancer was also in her hip and wanted a tissue test. That was the final push toward the surgery she’d needed for so long. Her total hip replacement was scheduled for November of 2012.

Marilyn told Dr. Rahill she wanted to strengthen her upper body so she could lift herself during recovery. Living alone there was much she’d have to manage on her own. So Dr. Rahill prescribed some pre-operative therapy to address these concerns. She first came to us in a wheelchair, as she was not cleared to walk because of the extensive necrosis in her hip. She did her pre-hab therapy for six weeks. Soon after surgery she was on her feet with a walker, then with a cane, and today she walks free of support. Marilyn is now a true believer in pre-operative rehabilitation. It increased her strength and aided in her successful recovery. “Immediately following surgery there was no more of that horrible hip joint pain that I’d had since the 90s.” On top of that, the tests showed there was no cancer in her hip tissue.  There’s nothing like the gift of great news. “Now I can hardly contain the pure delight of being able to walk freely again.”

“The lake in Nancy Lewis Park used to look huge to me but I walked all the way around it the other day. I did a happy dance and I didn’t care who saw.” Marilyn hasn’t tried riding her bike outside yet but here in the clinic she’s been working up to it by spending time on the upright stationary bike. And as for dancing she just taught me how to do a basic waltz step here in the clinic before her interview. “I’m practicing on anybody I can!” she laughed.

Jennifer Schwomeyer, PT, says of Marilyn, “She always stays positive and cheerful considering everything she’s been through.” And Erica, PTA, adds, “She’s always laughing.”

On Marilyn’s experience with D1 Physical Therapy, she says, “My world was so small when I came in. I really thought that was how it was going to be forever, but just coming here and being with you guys made me feel better. I was able to walk with more ease even before surgery. It blew me away. Jennifer really gave me a vision to believe in. She gave me hope that I could get my old self back. This is an exceptional place and you all have so much knowledge. If sharing my story will encourage even one person then it’s worth it.”

It’s bound to touch way more than one person. Faith and hope of that magnitude are hard to ignore. We can’t wait to see you hit that dance floor Marilyn!

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January 29, 2013 – When Paul came to D1 for his initial evaluation with clinic director Sarah Sacks in February of 2012, his goal was to pitch an 85mph fastball again. “When I walked in here for the first time I couldn’t get my arm higher than my chest. I knew Sarah had her work cut out for her,” he told us. A month before he’d had a rotator cuff and biceps tendon repair on his left shoulder. The injury was most likely encouraged by wear and tear from years of playing ball and then aggravated by a slip on the ice. In his prime at 35 Paul could whip those fastballs, but the recent years had proved to be both physically and spiritually challenging.

Playing ball has been a longtime love of Paul’s. He coaches baseball at Palmer Ridge High School in Monument. He has two kids, Jake, 15, and Jessie, 10. Shortly before Paul came to us for physical therapy, he’d undergone chemotherapy. He has two years of remission before he’s finally declared cancer free. “My kids are the whole reason I’m alive right now.” He says this is because of their unyielding optimism. It was a gift better than any he could have asked for.

When the question of shoulder surgery arose so soon after his cancer trials, Paul was reluctant. His surgeon Dr. Rahill painted a realistic picture for him, predicting it’d take about six months to get back to 70 or 80 percent. Paul did not fancy the idea of another long and looming recovery. “I figured I’d just live with the pain.”

But then he was moved by the wisdom of his fourteen year old son. “Dad, why are you worried about shoulder surgery when you survived cancer?” And so Paul moved from one battle right into the next.

Paul is one of those guys who you feel like you’ve always known. He’s got that warm familiarity of one of your neighborhood buddies from childhood. His smile is beaming and sincere, and he has only kind words for everyone. Sarah says of Paul, “He came to us with a lot of pain and could barely tolerate a full session. The outcome was uncertain, but we watched his enthusiasm and attitude soar as he surpassed all his personal goals. Being a part of this kind of success story is why I love my job.”

There is no question now that he did the right thing by going through with surgery. After eight weeks of therapy with D1 his quality of life has improved in countless ways. “The greatest thing is not being awakened in the middle of the night because of shoulder pain,” Paul reports.

Most importantly of course, he recently threw a 78mph fastball. “I’m just seven short. And I’m fine with that.”

Of D1 Physical Therapy Paul says, “This is the place to go. The atmosphere in here is great. Due to the hard work and dedication by Sarah and her staff to my specific situation, my strength and range of motion is back in my shoulder to a capacity that I truly thought I’d never reach.” Here he waves his arms around to demonstrate, his face bright with the thrill of success. “I saw this place grow from two therapists to a full staff, while never missing a beat. I’ll advocate for you guys until the end.” The feeling is mutual. Paul is a beloved and irreplaceable part of who we are.

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First Day of Physical Therapy.
@D1sports is amazing

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We first treated Richard for post-operative rehabilitation after his right total hip arthroplasty. For the next five months we helped him through that recovery as well as both pre-operative and post-operative rehab for his left hip surgery. Of the cumulative experience Richard commented, “I didn’t realize at the time how important pre-hab was. I became a believer when my surgeon told me afterwards how much easier it had made his job. I think other people going through the same thing should know that.” By the time we were through with him, he had two new hips, and was ready to tackle his most precious goal. In the end of July he got his surgeon’s permission to return to the ice.

Richard is a native of the east coast and still has family back in Pennsylvania, including a grandson who’s about to turn one. The family already has the little guy swinging a hockey stick. Richard plays here in Colorado Springs recreationally, with a group of seniors who call themselves Team Geezer. When he showed up for this interview he had just gotten off the ice. He’s now playing hockey four times a week. “I’ve got no pain, and I’m flying around out there. I took a wicked fall today right onto the hip, and it was nothing. I can play golf now too, and I don’t have to quit after three holes.”

He travelled a full circle to success, and we dare not take all the credit for this. Richard’s attitude was of a special breed. We believe Richard’s deep devotion to his passion, stellar fitness, and patient spirit are worthy of more than just acknowledgement from us. He should stand out as a shining bit of inspiration to anyone else who has met with a daunting physical obstacle. He’s got much wisdom to impart about how you only get what you deserve once you’ve put a lot of your heart, gut, and hope into it. We are so happy to have shared in his journey back to the ice. Have fun tearing it up out there Richard.

“D1 has been a major factor in my return to the sport I love.”  -Richard Inhoffer, January 2013

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MADISON – City leaders have approved the first phase of a mammoth 110-acre sports
complex here that will include a state-of-the-art sports training and therapy center.

The project, located just north of Madison on 400 acres owned by St. Dominic’s, will be known as The Esplanade.
The complex will feature more than a dozen baseball and softball fields, several soccer fields and a number of other amenities.

The Madison Mayor and Board of Aldermen on Tuesday approved a site plan and building permit for the first phase of the project, which will include a sports training and therapy center known as D1 outsourced to a Nashville firm and three initial practice fields.

St. Dominic’s is currently appealing the state’s decision to reject a proposed $121 million hospital to the east of the site.

Madison Mayor Mary Hawkins-Butler said the decision was the beginning of something very special for Madison.

“Thank you for working with us,” she told St. Dominic’s officials. “This is something new and something we can all be proud of.”

The inclusion of the D1 facility is part of a St. Dominic’s vision, according to Executive Vice President Lester Diamond.

“This is a project we’ve been working on for the last several years,” Diamond said. “We look at this as an extension of St. Dominic’s mission. How do we keep our community healthy? You start a program in the city with athletic fields that are badly needed in the community.”

Architect Tad Shultz showed aldermen the master plan of the complex saying it would be a first in the United States.

Along with a wealth of baseball, softball and soccer fields, St. Dominic’s would play an active role.

“It’s a sports complex backed by a health service system,” Shultz said. “It will also serve as an economic engine and a resource for the community to use.”

Once completely built out the complex will include:

• 1 full sized signature baseball field

• 1 full sized signature soccer field

• 4 full sized baseball fields

• 8 little league baseball & softball fields

• 6 full sized soccer fields

• 4 junior sized soccer fields

• Wellness Center

• Playground

• Amphitheater

• Hotel and Conference Facility

The first phase will include the D1 facility, a Nashville-based company that specializes in training high school and college-level athletes.

Founded in 2002, the company now has 13 different locations in seven states, including two in Alabama, one in Arkansas and three in Tennessee. This will be the first D1 facility in Mississippi.

Shultz said the proposed D1 building design is unique and features a 4-foot steel arch on the front and back with large glass windows and doors dominating the facade.

The back of the building is designed to mimic the front and faces three planned practice fields that can be converted for soccer, football or baseball use.

Shultz said these fields would be standard grass practice fields, but the future phases of the project would bring fields with artificial turf and state-of-the-art drainage systems.

Developers hope to begin construction immediately with Diamond reporting the D1 facility plans on opening sometime next May to take advantage of the summer months when athletes are preparing for the upcoming school year.

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