Meet Caitlin Alexander | Doctor of Physical Therapy & Biomechanics Specialist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Caitlin Alexander and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Caitlin, how do you think about risk?
The reason why I am where I am today is because of the risks I’ve taken. From moving to New York City after college with no job, to making a complete career change in my mid-20s, to qualifying for my professional card in triathlon, the risks I’ve taken have shaped who I am today. But they haven’t been without a lot of hard work and heartache. I’ve held jobs that I’ve hated. And I quit them to find something more fulfilling. Notoriously, I’ve chosen the most difficult paths, the ones that require the most work. I don’t know what it is about it, but challenges are incredibly motivating for me. Great things have never come from comfort zones. I thrive outside of my comfort zone. I think that’s why I gravitate towards Ironman-distance triathlons.

When I decided to make a complete career change a few years out of college to be a physical therapist, it was a big risk, perhaps even a bit impulsive. I didn’t wait until all of my ducks were in a row and I was safe. I just went for it. I didn’t have much financial support. And I had to start from the beginning. But I had a vision, and that guided me.

After I graduated from PT school, I landed my dream job at a sports performance and biomechanics lab. And then the COVID-19 pandemic hit and the world shut down. To say the next year was difficult would be a big understatement. As new grad with no clientele base, working in a cash pay clinic, I struggled to get my name out there and network while everyone was afraid to leave their homes. It would have been so easy to quit and get a job working at a traditional in-network clinic where I didn’t have to do any work for patients to land on my schedule. But considering the fact that I’ve never taken the easy way out, I didn’t give up. Again, I had a vision of the kind of clinician I wanted to be, and the kind of environment I wanted to work in.

I’m a big believer in the law of attraction. You attract in your life what you focus on (positive or negative). Think about your goals. What do you want? Visualize it and believe that it can happen. And then work hard – that’s the key. Do you think the best athletes in the world just walk out on to the field having no idea what they are going to do? No. They visualize and practice plays and strategies over and over again. Internalize what you want to manifest on the outside. Our physical world is a manifestation of our internal world.

Of course I’ve had failures. The journey has been anything but a straight road. But I’ve always kept in the back of my mind my long term goals. I’ve always had a vision, even if I didn’t know exactly how everything was going to work out to get there.

For the most part, I’ve always believed in myself. I’ve always had a vision that I could be successful and do great things. Don’t fake it ’til you make it. Believe it until you become it.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I work as a sports physical therapist and biomechanics specialist at BUILD Sports Performance Lab and Physical Therapy outside of Boulder, Colorado. I am a professional bike fitter and running gait analyst and specialize in treating endurance athletes. As an endurance athlete myself, it is literally my dream to be doing what I’m doing. But Colorado is a competitive place to work in my profession, and it’s not exactly easy to build a business and the trust in this community.

I had the option to work in a traditional in-network PT clinic after I graduated. I interviewed at a lot of clinics but I just couldn’t envision myself working at any of them. It didn’t excite me. The beautiful thing about BUILD is that I get to spend quality time with my patients and I have total autonomy over the quality of care I want to provide. It’s a beautiful place to work, but it takes a lot of work.

I envisioned a lot of different scenarios in my head after PT school graduation, but I never predicted starting my career as a sports physical therapist right as the world shut down and all races were cancelled. If PT school was challenging, 2020 was so much harder, working in a cash-based practice with lay-offs, furloughs, and the economy so uncertain. The hustle has been non-stop. Day in and day out were spent brainstorming how to grow my practice when everyone was scared to leave home, or how to grow my network as a new PT without any notoriety or reputation. No one knew who I was. There were so many days where I thought, maybe this isn’t for me, maybe I’m not good enough, maybe I’ll just move to a standard clinic where I don’t have to work as hard to get patients on my schedule. But I couldn’t give up the fact that I LOVE what I do and I believe in wholeheartedly in our philosophy and unique approach to care. I wouldn’t be able to do this anywhere else. So while it all started off so rough for me, I ended the year with a full schedule and a full heart. I feel so blessed and grateful for all of my amazing patients and clients who chose me and trusted me. How do you grow and flourish amidst a global pandemic? You work your tail off every day. You change. You adapt. You get creative. You don’t stop.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
When friends or family visit Boulder, outdoors activities are a necessity and the possibilities for exploration are endless. I would probably take my friend into the mountains for a quick getaway, or down south to the Great Sand Dunes National Park. The vastness of the Colorado terrain is enough to make you feel small and humble. The front range has a copious amount of small, craft microbreweries we would probably explore as well. In terms of exploring what Boulder has to offer – a run on Bobo Link trail, a hike at NCAR, a stroll down Pearl Street and a stop for coffee, and a drive up Boulder Canyon to Nederland would all be on the itinerary.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The biggest shoutout goes to my parents, for never forcing me to take a particular career path. Growing up, I was exposed to a variety of different sports and potential career options. But instead of trying to influence my decisions, they let me do whatever my heart desired. Even if I had to take a few different turns and had a couple hiccups to end up where I am today, I wouldn’t go back and change anything about my journey, for it has influenced everything that I am today.

My second shoutout goes to my current boss Larry, who believed that a new PT grad could survive and even thrive in a competitive environment like BUILD. He took me under his wing and selflessly mentored me to be the physical therapist I’ve always envisioned being.

Website: https://buildyou.co/

Instagram: @caitalexander

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlin-alexander-b7112135/

Twitter: @caitalexander

Image Credits
Matt Roy, Brian Llamas