Lori Thein Brody, PT, PhD, SCS, ATC, an adjunct professor in the Doctor of Philosophy in Health Science and the Master of Science in Health Science programs at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions (RMUoHP), is being awarded the Turner A. Blackburn Hall of Fame/Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Academy of Sports Physical Therapy (AASPT). Aside from her work in academia, Brody is a physical therapist and athletic trainer at the University of Wisconsin Hospital Sports Medicine and Spine Center in Madison, Wisconsin.
The Turner A. Blackburn Hall of Fame/Lifetime Achievement Award is an incredible achievement for any physical therapist as it honors an AASPT member whose contributions to the specialty of sports physical therapy through leadership, influence, and achievements have been demonstrated by frequent and sustained efforts for a period of at least 25 years.
Brody will be recognized as the award recipient during the AASPT awards program on Thursday, February 18, in conjunction with the American Physical Therapy Association’s Combined Sections Meeting, to honor the work and years of dedication she has contributed to sports physical therapy.
While Brody’s professional work and dedication have been recognized in the past–she was the 2016 AASPT Ron Peyton Award recipient, Brody counts one of her major successes as writing the textbook Therapeutic Exercise: Moving Toward Function, which is now in its fourth edition. She remarked, “Mostly because I always have something to say and I was able to say much of what I wanted in that text.” “
Brody has also had the opportunity to lecture quite extensively across the United States on matters such as management of orthopaedic and sports related injuries, aquatic physical therapy, arthritis and other connective tissue problems, and musculoskeletal primary care. These lectures have given her more room to share her knowledge with others as well as allow her to continue in her passion of teaching.
Brody’s achievement’s also extend into the academic sphere. In 2019, she was the recipient of the RMUoHP Hargraves Award for Excellence in Teaching. For Brody, one of her great passions is teaching. “I really love teaching these students,” said Brody referring to RMUoHP’s students. “I love when students push me into areas outside my comfort zone.”
She added, “My big goal with every student in every class is to move them from wherever they are to the next level along the way to their own goals.” Brody hopes to provide each of her students with the ability to develop lifelong skills rather than just preparing them to pass a test. One of the most important skills Brody wants students to walk away from RMUoHP with is metacognition. By learning this skill, students will be aware of “their incoming biases and priors that might need to be updated in order to be open to new thoughts,” said Brody
Teaching, according to Brody, is not just for her students. “I also love teaching my patients. I love seeing when they smile because they understand something about their condition and how to manage it because of that understanding” said Brody.
For Brody, one of the biggest rewards of working in healthcare is the “Gratitude from patients, and feeling like I am serving people who need my skills, services, and advice.”
It’s that dedication to serving others within and outside of her career that makes Brody worthy of the prestigious Turner A. Blackburn Hall of Fame/Lifetime Achievement Award. And while she is grateful for the recognition, the opportunities she’s had have meant just as much. “I am grateful to be recognized…However, to be perfectly honest, I genuinely feel that I have gained as much from the activities I participated in as I have given. That’s how I feel about teaching…I feel like I get a lot back, which is what makes it so much fun!”
— Jennifer Fletcher, RMUoHP Content Writer & Editor
