We’re honored to have Dr. Theresa Larson, author of Warrior: A Memoir, Physical Therapist at Movement Rx, Podcast host, and former Marine Corps Engineer and Combat Veteran, on episode 261 of Wellness Force Radio!
We’re talking about strength and how it shows up in so many different ways, Dr. T’s struggles with an eating disorder stemming from the loss of her mother, boundaries, and practices that help her stay healthy, balanced, and centered.
Topics we cover on this episode:
Why a true warrior is someone who is open to being vulnerable, asking for help, and taking ownership for yourself.
How her bulimia began and how she transitioned out for it when she finally asked for help and received the outside support she needed.
Her childhood and the story she told herself after her mother’s death that to be loved, she had to achieve.
The words of advice and love from her mother that have made a lasting impact on her own life and wellness journey.
Why there’s always a way out if you’re struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts.
The need she had to win and be noticed by everybody as a young athlete which then led to her struggling to take care of herself.
Why the more pressure people face, the more it exasperates undealt demons.
Why eating disorders aren’t about food but an addiction that begins in the soul and the lack of belief in oneself.
The judgment she felt from other people when she went on medical leave during her deployment in Iraq.
The various tools of distraction we face today in modern society and how they affect our health, relationships, and wellness journey.
Steps she takes to set up healthy boundaries to stay true to her purpose, take care of her health, and be there for her family.
What skills we can focus on obtaining to learn how to live in and embrace the present moment.
Why multitasking is taking away from your self-care practice and attention to life.
The toll that invisible wounds like eating disorders can take on people and why you should never compare your issues to other people’s.
Chappie Hunter is a veteran Police Officer of the San Diego Police Department and he is the owner of the Alpine Ranch Crossfit. Chappie is an adaptive athlete who trains for triathlon and he also trains other adaptive athletes.
Chappie lost his leg through a horrific accident where a student driver suddenly turned his way and crashing into the car. Fellow officers who were near the crash site immediately went to save him and he went home four days after the accident. Chappie went full swing with training after a year.
Listen to Chappie as he shares his feelings about losing his leg and some of these topics:
Chappie’s experience as a Police Officer
How Chappie faced the challenges of losing his leg
Dave Newman is the creator of Rx Smart Gear jump ropes that enable good posture and proper mechanics of the body as you exercise. These jump ropes are custom sized for your height and athletic needs. Not only for functional athletes, Rx Smart Gear also helps adaptive athletes with their equipment needs.
Prior to Rx Smart Gear, Dave Newman is a long time gymnastics coach and a CrossFit practitioner that enabled him to assess the jump ropes and other equipment that both functional and adaptive athletes use.
On this episode, we talked about some of these topics:
How Dave developed training equipment for adaptive athletes
What are the struggles Dave encountered when using conventional jump ropes
Difference between conventional jump ropes and the RX Smart Gear jump ropes
Helping people to have a great experience in achieving their goals
Dave’s experience in working with adaptive athletes and the stories of those he helped
Contact
To Contact Dave Newman, email him at newman@rxsmartgear.com and visit RXSmartGear.com
Please welcome Dr. Theresa Larson BACK to the PT Entrepreneur Podcast! She’s my first repeat guest and I have to give her and her husband, Per, huge credit. Early on, they were able to give my wife and I such support and information on building our business and were a huge part in our success.
Dr. T has been able to start a successful Physical Therapy business, have a child, move into corporate wellness and online programs, and now still have the ability to take a step back from her practitioner work as much as she needs to.
For her, that stemmed from hitting a major burnout from working one-on-one with patients and all that came with that. She then brought her husband on board, who is e very methodical and intentional business man. He took over the systems side of thing, but through that, she learned that she wanted to help people, but not just work one-on-one with patients 8 hours a day.
From that moment, she began to explore ideas of how she could build her company to reach more people, but also take a step back from her patient load. And was able to detach her self-worth from how many patients she was seeing a day.
Dr. T began to find her confidence in board rooms and the corporate environment, speaking to people about corporate wellness programs and everyday health.
And that’s barely scratching the surface!
In this episode we’re talking about:
Removing yourself from the day to day of the clinic in order to avoid burn out and expand
The process of moving from the clinic to the corporate stage
Getting in the federal biz op game
How to get into the corporate wellness game
The trials, tribulations and victories of being a mom and PT Entrepreneur
Listen to the podcast below, or on your favorite platform!
Darius Jones is a former US Navy logistics specialist who was used to an active lifestyle but everything changed after an unfortunate motorcycle accident. The accident left his lower body paralyzed making him unable to walk. Realizing how serious his injury was, he started getting depressed but the support of his family and his faith in God gave him the push to recover.
Darius’ road to recovery involved getting into sports, getting fit, and getting into a new tribe that can provide emotional support.
Darius is from Memphis, Tennessee and he is now an athlete who plays wheelchair basketball and trains in CrossFit. On this episode, we talked about these topics:
Challenges of having a kid while recovering with his injury
What Darius felt when he knew he’s paralyzed
How faith in God has given him the strength to face challenges
How many surgeries he underwent through recovery
Dealing with depression and seeing a psychiatrist
Contact
To Contact Darius Jones, you can email him at jonesdarius@hotmail.com
Trigger Warning: This episode contains conversation about eating disorders.
Welcome to The Sisu Way, Episode 32, Finding Strength in Struggle! Today I’m welcoming Dr. Theresa Larson, DPT (Dr. T) who is a mom, wife, sister, friend, and TEDx Speaker who happens to be a former Marine Corps Engineer Officer, combat veteran, and professional softball player.
Dr. T and I are breaking down the war zone that is our mind. And answering questions like: What happens after an injury, loss, or major change? How do you adapt to this new normal state? How do you find strength in the face of adversity? How do you accept this new change without always wishing to be like before?
While Dr. T’s resume sounds like that of someone who knows no fear and oozes strength, she credits moments outside of her career performance to building true strength. Moments such as losing her mother as a child, losing her father in adulthood, and suffering with the internal war of an eating disorder while serving during an actual war.
In those moments, Dr. T found her calling to serve and help others. Not only that, she developed true strength, figured out how to adapt in the toughest of circumstances, and learned the importance of speaking up.
When she spoke up and asked for help, in a moment some might view as weakness, she found her greatest strength. The circumstances following that moment were anything but easy, but the path was the one that Dr. T was meant to forge.
In this episode we’re talking about her journey and her passion for helping those who need it. From the adaptive community, to people who are suffering silently, to those who have gone through a loss or a trauma. Dr. T may be a Physical Therapist, but her mission doesn’t end at movement.
