Editor's note: This column is part of a series by Lakeshore residents about their experiences living through the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a former college athlete, sports have molded who I am today. While the health and fitness benefits of athletics are evident, it’s the intangible elements that make it so special for so many people. For me, sports have provided a field for me to push myself, release stress, and have been the beginning of some of my most treasured relationships.
Rebekah VanZegeren at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado.

My love for sports also served as a catalyst for my career as a physical therapist. I've witnessed the true power of competition firsthand in my experience working alongside Olympians at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado and the Association of Volleyball Professionals players in Chicago. Sports have the rare ability to transcend political and cultural divides, pivot the course of lives and provide entire communities, regions, and countries with hope. 

As West Michigan continues to navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic, hope will guide us to brighter days ahead.  

Essential service

Amid the COVID-19 outbreak in March, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security deemed physical therapy as an essential part of people’s health and wellness. Throughout the pandemic, we continue to help our patients get stronger and back to their daily activities.  

During our continued service, The Center for Physical Rehabilitation has been honored to treat front-line medical staff, helping them get back to their job of saving lives. Of course, safety remains our top priority. With the help of telehealth video technology, our patients can access their full physical therapy appointments from the safety of their homes. 

For patients who require in-person physical therapy sessions, we are careful to provide a safe environment. We screen everyone for symptoms before they enter the clinic, have reduced staff levels, require all team members and patients to wear necessary personal protection equipment and keep treatment tables spaced beyond the 6-foot social distancing restriction. 
Physical therapist Rebekah VanZegeren treats a patient.

Opportunities to help

As people are returning to pre-COVID-19 routines, including fitness and sports, we are expanding our services with the recent opening of our ninth location in Jenison, at 1865 Georgetown Center Drive, Suite B. We provide outpatient physical therapy services, including specialties in orthopedic and sports medicine care, plus a dedicated pediatric area. As the manager of our new clinic, I am eager to start working with the Georgetown Township community.

I am grateful for every opportunity to help restore a patient’s health and hope. Regaining strength takes time, sweat, and sometimes tears, but I love seeing a patient go from surgery to confidently walking to playing on the soccer field again. 

I look forward to using my experience working with world-class athletes to help local competitors and non-athletes alike achieve their goals and get back to a life without limits.

Rebekah VanZegeren is the director of sports physical therapy at The Center for Physical Rehabilitation and the manager of its Jenison office. 

This article is part of The Lakeshore, a new featured section of Rapid Growth focused on West Michigan's Lakeshore region. Over the coming months, Rapid Growth will be expanding to cover the complex challenges in this community by focusing on the organizations, projects, programs, and individuals working to improve conditions and solve problems for their region. As the coverage continues, look for The Lakeshore publication, coming in 2020.