Getting Personal: Why I Do What I Do as a Physical Therapist (Part 1)

There’s a lot that goes into how I practice physical therapy, but most of it isn’t something you’ll see on my resume.

This series is a a behind-the-scenes look at what matters to me: staying active, staying honest, and helping people return to the things that make them feel like themselves again. I tell stories about my life as an athlete, a provider, and a patient that shaped the way I think, how I treat, and why I work the way I do.

You’ll hear about how I got into CrossFit and triathlon, how I ended up specializing in pelvic floor physical therapy, and the turning points that led me to build a practice that’s different from the traditional physical therapy model.

If you’ve ever felt frustrated with healthcare, misunderstood as an athlete, or just curious about what physical therapy can actually be—I hope something in these stories resonates with you.

Let’s start from the beginning.

Dr. Kelsey competing at a local CrossFit competition

Question 1.

You’ve been doing CrossFit for a long time and just started getting into triathlons—what got you into both, and what keeps it fun for you?

I actually started CrossFit back in college, mainly to get stronger for Air Force ROTC. The detachment I was going to had this reputation that if you weren’t getting a 100 on your fitness test, you were basically failing. So that was a big motivator.

At the same time, I was going through a rough patch mentally. My self-confidence was at an all-time low. I remember reading this blog by someone who had used CrossFit to help with their mental health, and that really stuck with me. So I figured, why not give it a shot?

What kept me coming back was how amazing it made me feel. Before, I would go to the school's fitness center and only spend 20 minutes there. I didn't know what I was doing and would quickly get bored with whatever I had planned. With CrossFit, you show up, the workout’s already planned, there’s someone there to guide you, and the classes have this built-in community. That part was huge for me. I started at CrossFit Irvine, which sadly isn’t around anymore, but all the early gyms I went to had great people and a really welcoming vibe.

A few years ago, though, I started to feel a little burnt out. The gym I was at had gone through a lot of changes after the pandemic. The owner seemed to be shifting away from CrossFit, and it showed in the workouts and the way the classes were structured. I didn’t realize it at the time, but the environment just wasn’t as motivating or fun anymore, for both training and coaching. I was craving something new.

That’s when a coworker convinced me to sign up for my first sprint distance triathlon. I’d swum in high school and done a bit of running from my time in the Air Force, so it felt doable. I ended up loving it. Just like CrossFit, there’s variety, there’s always something new to work on, and it keeps training interesting.

I like to joke that I’d rather be mediocre at multiple things than be really good at just one. But really, it’s the challenge, the variety, and the sense of progress that keeps it fun. And I find the endurance aspect of triathlon and strength portion of CrossFit complement each other well.

Next up: how I discovered pelvic floor physical therapy before I ever had kids, and why I’m so passionate about making it less taboo.