I have been fortunate enough to get to know Brian Finch, MSPT, CSCS (@AlpineAthlete) over the past year or two through social media. Brian is the Physical Therapy Clinical Manager for Rutland Regional Medical Center in Rutland, Vermont. He is an avid runner and skier with a passion for building community. I asked Brian to talk about how he has been instrumental in building community through Wellness activities in his town. Brain shared the following: I’m incredibly fortunate to live in a New England community that values cultural and educational richness. Our residents are so concerned about this, it’s not uncommon to hear the terms duty or role associated with community events. It’s quite understood that during the summer, the right thing to do is to buy your fruits and vegetables from the farmers’ market. It is also not uncommon for individuals to say things like, “It’s my responsibility to go spend $30.00 or $40.00 at the annual Art in the Park event.” Our community understands how participation is vital if we expect to have a robust cultural and educational environment. Many of my fellow friends and peers are actively mentoring our local high school students much in the same way that we take high school students & DPT students on a regular basis in my workplace. A few years ago, several therapists began to think about community fitness and wellness in much the same light. We decided that it was really our responsibility to start attending events and talking up opportunities to our friends and families. Our local Parks and Recreation Department had a small series of trail runs and road races that would occasionally draw a couple dozen people. If you are not from New England, you may not know that running is the unifying force of […]
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