Judy (center) on Pacaya Volcano during a recent service trip to Guatamala.
It has been 10 years since I first came to Case Western, crazy how time flies! I graduated from Case in 2003 with a degree in Sociology and a minor in Sports Medicine.
Now, I am a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) and I am on faculty at Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine, in the program in Physical Therapy. I treat adults who have neurologic conditions that affect their feet or their walking, such as Peripheral Neuropathy, Cerebral Palsy, Parkinson’s Disease, and Multiple Sclerosis. I also have a special interest in treating foot and ankle pain – and I have decided that soccer footwear technology has been focused on the part of the shoe that touches the ball or the turf and secretly am hoping that someday Nike will contact me to work on the part of the shoe that touches the foot!
To me, being a collegiate athlete at a high caliber university is a unique and rewarding opportunity. Definitely life changing. You become comfortable with setting your standards high and working towards your goals, both on and off the field. You learn how to be more efficient in your work, so that you can fit everything in. You learn about being part of a team, about motivating yourself and pushing yourself and each other.
Soccer is still a part of my life; during graduate school I was fortunate to be a part of the coaching team for WashU women’s soccer (when I came they jokingly told me that I saw the light, I jokingly replied that I went to the dark side…) and I still do a little youth soccer coaching. I play on a women’s outdoor team and a co-ed indoor team in my spare time, although I have to admit that they can’t fully replace collegiate soccer. For those of you who are current players, look for me when you come to WashU - I’m the one with the dog who is sitting on your half of the stands!
Now, I am a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) and I am on faculty at Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine, in the program in Physical Therapy. I treat adults who have neurologic conditions that affect their feet or their walking, such as Peripheral Neuropathy, Cerebral Palsy, Parkinson’s Disease, and Multiple Sclerosis. I also have a special interest in treating foot and ankle pain – and I have decided that soccer footwear technology has been focused on the part of the shoe that touches the ball or the turf and secretly am hoping that someday Nike will contact me to work on the part of the shoe that touches the foot!
To me, being a collegiate athlete at a high caliber university is a unique and rewarding opportunity. Definitely life changing. You become comfortable with setting your standards high and working towards your goals, both on and off the field. You learn how to be more efficient in your work, so that you can fit everything in. You learn about being part of a team, about motivating yourself and pushing yourself and each other.
Soccer is still a part of my life; during graduate school I was fortunate to be a part of the coaching team for WashU women’s soccer (when I came they jokingly told me that I saw the light, I jokingly replied that I went to the dark side…) and I still do a little youth soccer coaching. I play on a women’s outdoor team and a co-ed indoor team in my spare time, although I have to admit that they can’t fully replace collegiate soccer. For those of you who are current players, look for me when you come to WashU - I’m the one with the dog who is sitting on your half of the stands!
Judy (left) on a home visit during her service trip to Guatamala.