Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimberly Melvan.
Hi Kimberly, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was the oldest of three kids growing up in suburban Kansas. While I enjoyed playing a variety of sports as a child, basketball was my earliest passion. Pursuing this passion, took me to Massachusetts, to play college basketball, and study biology at Clark University. As a college athlete, albeit at a Division III level, we often worked closely with athletic trainers, strength coaches, and physical therapists.
As my biology education focus developed, so did my interest in physical therapy. I moved back home to Kansas to pursue a doctorate in physical therapy. Over the three-year program, I developed lifelong friendships, absorbed all that I could about physiology and medicine, and began to explore who I was as an individual without basketball. Running became my new passion; no longer a punishment on the court, but a liberating stress relief during busy times. While my running journey started slow, it continued to build, and I completed my first half marathon before finishing school.
Following graduation, I found my dream job as an outpatient sports medicine physical therapist in New Orleans. This was a period of great personal and professional growth for me. Professionally, I continued attaining advanced education, obtaining my strength and conditioning certification as well as formal training in Kinesio taping. I continued running and entered more and more races. Half marathons became more comfortable until I ultimately stepped up to do my first full marathon in 2012.
Running has provided me with many wonderful opportunities, one of them was meeting my now husband at the finish line of a half marathon. Although we moved to Atlanta together in 2011 for my husband’s medical training, I found a fantastic opportunity also work for Emory University. Within a year of joining Emory, I was promoted to manager of one of their outpatient physical therapy clinics. I am proud to say that I was the youngest and first female manager in that system. Still pursuing advanced education, I achieved board certification as a “Sports Physical Therapist” in 2016, acting as my gateway into on-field training and rehab.
I started volunteering with resource-limited, Atlanta high school football teams and helped initiate a running program at a local women’s shelter. Focusing on community outreach, I started the first running clinic at Emory University. Under this umbrella, we brought together runners of all skill levels to learn about running technique, injury prevention, strength training, and more. My family moved to South Florida in 2019. Our second son was born shortly after, during the COVID pandemic. During this time, I found it challenging to return to professional practice but continued to grow, becoming certified as a run coach through the Road Runners Club of America in 2021.
It was the bridge that I needed to blend my two passions of running and physical therapy. So in 2022, RunCoachPT was born. Starting this company, focused on providing runners with both coaching and physical therapy services, has provided me an avenue to help others pursue their own running goals. Since joining this South Florida running community, I have met so many, like-minded individuals passionate about running. I feel that running clinics, similar to what I started in Atlanta, are fantastic environments to bring these individuals together, in a tangible way to have a strong impact on our community.
I want all runners, no matter their level, to run pain and injury-free, enjoying the sport as much as I do. I joke that “running is my church”, but I can honestly say that running has helped me through a lot of challenging times. Running allows me to clear my head, refocus myself, and put life events into perspective. Through my business and involvement in the community, I hope that anyone thinking about starting running or pursuing specific running goals can find what they need with RunCoachPT.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
This is an interesting question because I think every “challenge” or roadblock has provided me with a new opportunity. You could say that moving cities early in my career was a challenge, to being able to engage in the community because I had to “start over” in each place. Making a name for myself and feeling the need to “prove” myself has been challenging. On the other hand, I have learned so much in each city we have lived. I’ve met countless people that have had a profound impact on my career so I wouldn’t change a thing.
Starting my own business was certainly a learning experience because I don’t have a business background. I read up on how to start a small business, reached out to others who had done the same, and used my family as a sounding board. This is a “learn as you go” experience but I surrounded myself with those that are willing to help and that step up for me when I need it. I have found a unique way to blend my passion with my skill set and I am thankful every day that I get to share that with my clients.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
RunCoachPT, LLC is a full-service, sports medicine business for today’s runners. Our platform encompasses physical therapy, run coaching, gait training, strength training, and education for all levels of runners. Whether someone is overcoming a recent injury, wants to improve on their race times, increase strength, perfect running form, or seeks to develop a training plan for their next big race, we cover it all!
As a board-certified, sports medicine physical therapist, credentialed in strength and conditioning, AND as a certified running coach, we critically evaluate and optimize each runner. We tease out weaknesses, develop plans to increase strength/mobility to avoid injury and partner with you to achieve your running goals safely and efficiently. Our services are tailored to the individual, no matter the injury or challenges that stand between you and your running goals.
We are active members of this growing and dynamic South Florida running community! We have begun bringing you running workshops and clinics with some of our community partners. Our goal is to grow and sophisticate this community engagement in the years to come. As a community, we can each learn from each other and support all runners to achieve great results!
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
My family deserves a lot of credit! My husband is constantly my sounding board and cheerleader. Without him, I would not have had the courage to start my business. My parents have always been supportive and instilled in me the confidence I have today.
My supervisors in Atlanta were a big inspiration for me as a young female in the profession and set an example for how I wanted to practice medicine. They gave me the courage and support to move forward in my career. I will always be thankful for my time at Emory because those individuals provided an environment in which I could grow professionally.
Pricing:
- PT evaluation $165/hr
- PT visit $110/hr
- Gait assessment $110
- Training plans range from $165-$275/mo
Contact Info:
- Website: www.runcoachpt.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runcoachpt/
