My Physical Therapy Guru

This summer I am going to meet my physical therapy guru and how it all came about? --I'm still amazed.

When I was in Anchorage several weeks ago, I received an e-mail from Elizabeth Noble. 99.999% of blog readers aren't physical therapists, so let me explain who she is. As it says concisely on the back of her book, "Elizabeth Noble is the mother of two children and a graduate in physical therapy, philosopy and anthropology from Australia. She moved to the United States in 1973 and founded the Women's Health Section of the American Physical Therapy Association. The author of eight books including Having Twins, CHildbirth with Insight, and The Joy of BEing a Boy, she has trained over 2000 instructors in prenatal and postpartum exercise."
The work she has done is so far reaching.

She also wrote, "Essential Exercises for the Childbearing Year", a groundbreaking book on fitness and physical therapy for women prentally, perinatally and post-partum. This book was my BIBLE on starting with womens health when I graduated from college in 1999. I read it cover to cover multiple times and used so many of the techniques in the potions of birthing classes I taught. Her written work inspired me to pursue childbirth education as a physical therapist. She has trained and taught all over the world in her career and helped start a large women's health continuing education training program (the one I came back from last weekend in Seattle).

The e-mail read something along the lines of, "Dear Zoya-I am coming to Kodiak this summer in July and would be interested in doing a community presentation or training in Kodiak. It is great you are teaching childbirth classes." I was in disbelief. THE Elizabeth Noble had e-mailed me and was coming to Kodiak! She is touring Alaska and loves islands. I started crying tears of joy. I had to hide behind a pillar in the airport to compose myself before calling a few girlfriends and squealing with delight. It is a once in a lifetime moment, to have a celebrated author, professional to make contact for a visit. A dream come true in so many ways.

Since that time, Elizabeth and I have been in contact sarranging her trip here (she has a lovely Australian accent!). She has never caught a salmon before, but loves to eat salmon and seemed very enthusiastic about going salmon fishing. It will be so neat to spend time with a woman who has made such incredible change for women in our country and all around the world with health. How the work of one person can cause such a ripple effect to a small town therapist as myself who felt inspired by her work to pursue womens' health topics.

Excited for the summer and to meet Elizabeth!

Zoya