ANNOUNCING THE WOMAN OF THE MONTH

Meet February’s Fort Worth Woman! Lindsay Luker is originally from East Texas. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Kinesiology and went on to complete her Doctorate in Physical Therapy all before she turned the age of 25. Her initial doctoral rotation was in Jos, Nigeria. There she practiced in a hospital without electricity and had minimal running water to work with but she also simultaneously describes the experience as the “epitome of service”. The rest of her remaining rotations were completed here stateside in DFW in 2009 where she was captivated by the magic of Fort Worth, Texas and has remained here ever since. Lindsay is a combination of two very giving worlds: she is a devoted mom to her son Mayes and the owner of Rise Physical Therapy and Performance Enhancement. In 2017, while practicing in outpatient pediatric physical therapy, her son Mayes was diagnosed with a medical disorder that required her to take a professional step back so that she could focus her attention on his healing. During that time she describes that she saw the medical world “from the other side” and felt compelled to begin her own practice in an effort to improve the access to care and quality of treatment. Alongside her heart-driven mission, Lindsey was very intentional in the naming of her business –Rise Physical Therapy and Performance Enhancement. “This (business) is more importantly about serving the heart and body of my community” she states. In her mind, there are many defining moments in life where people are literally ‘rising’. “Developmentally, we rise from crawling to walking, walking to running and jumping. Later in life, we often have to rise from setbacks of injuries, disease, lifestyle choices or unforeseen circumstances. In the final years of life, we must focus on maintaining our ability to rise for our daily activities and embrace those days with fullness as we prepare for our final rising from this life to the next.” We all continually rise and Lindsay is there for each step along the way. Regardless of life stage, Lindsay feels a deep commitment and honor in meeting her clients. She recognizes daily that her job allows her to walk alongside people in order to restore their physical functioning, which simultaneously allows her a front row seat to the improvement of their emotional state and overall quality of life. She humbly states, “restoring people to their purpose ultimately benefits our community as a whole.” Lindsay typically enters someone’s home to assist with their physical therapy in a time of need. Not only does she respect this humble beginning, but she is the absolute perfect personality for anyone who feels less than their best. She is honest, relatable, and is the kind of person that will “sit in the mess” alongside you with a plan to get back up stronger than before. Lindsay speaks of her job as the greatest and most distinctive honor by saying, “I am welcomed in to the lives and homes of my patients and this often allows me to form a unique bond with them through the process of healing and restoration. I have stories of new life, in between life, and end of life – each of these are the absolute embodiment of perspective and purpose”. While building her new practice Lindsay has continued to work at Cook Children’s Hospital two days a week as she runs their state-of-the-art 3D Motion Analysis Lab. This additional work load allows her to pursue her passion of pediatric movement disorders and research. Lindsay has and is the epitome of the ‘best of both worlds’: access to the latest research/methodology while also perfecting the art of extremely personalized care. What Lindsay loves about our city is that “Fort Worth feels like home yet constantly opens my eyes to the diversity of life’s’ opportunities and experiences.” She continues, “I have met every kind of person here and I adore our city for that. I always tell those unfamiliar with our city that you can find just about anything here – delicious food, a rich social and cultural scene, a true ‘Texas’ experience, and an active community.” Fort Worth has provided her the ideal place to build a home, raise her son, and create a physical therapy practice she can be proud of. When asked to describe her impact as a businesswoman, Lindsay immediately jumps to the word “personal”. “Not only do my patients receive the benefit of one-on-one care wherever best suits them, but they also benefit from my expert, hands on, individual services.” With her career, Lindsay encounters patients in an array of different experiences and her intentions are to personally identify and purposefully pursue the goals for their therapy. She states, “Furthermore, I try to make myself an accessible professional, available for communication and collaboration as needed by my patients. In the end, I want my patients to walk away from their experience with me feeling confident in their ability to manage their bodies, but also confident in their unique experience and deeply established relationship with a provider who will champion them.” And you better believe Lindsay will champion for you as well. Whether you are an adult or elderly patient, an athlete, or someone looking for overall wellness to maintain optimal function, Lindsay will provide cutting edge care via her reputable practice. To reach out to Lindsay personally at Rise Physical Therapy and Performance Enhancement, you can call her at 817-349-7116 or e-mail  lindsay.luker@riseptandpe.com