(she/her/hers)
Quote: “If you want what you’ve never had you must do what you’ve never done”
Personal Story
Cat always knew she wanted to work in the medical field and for a long time wanted to be a pediatrician. She never heard of physical therapy growing up until she needed it! Cat played sports her whole life (including winter track, she’s all too familiar with long high school Armory meets!) and landed in PT with a couple of injuries: a subluxed patella and later a tibial stress fracture. Ironically, the tibial stress fracture resulted from horrific running mechanics and her parents had the wherewithal to send her somewhere to fix that. Cat loved the idea of a health profession where you could develop relationships with patients and be a regular part of their recovery.
Cat went to Ithaca College for their accelerated PT program and played field hockey there. During her graduate years, she didn’t have organized sports in her life for the first time and felt like something was missing, so she naturally fell into distance running. Cat started off her PT career at a general outpatient orthopedic clinic, but always had a huge interest in biomechanics and working with runners. She would host injury screenings at a local New York running company shoe store on the east side to build a running clientele, but it just wasn’t the right environment for runners. She still remembers the day in May of 2015 when she saw an ad for this new start-up running clinic called New York Custom Physical Therapy. Cat knew it was exactly where she was meant to be.
The rest is history! Cat has been at Custom ever since and has continued with her personal running despite all the injuries that have popped up. Cat prefers the half marathon, but cycled through the marathon bug like a lot of us do! She ran the NYC Marathon for the first time in 2018. Cat had knee surgery at the end of 2019 and ran her first post surgery and postpartum marathon in 2024. These experiences have provided her with a deep empathy for all of her clients and a commitment to ensure they experience the feeling of having made it through.
Treatment Style
- Being a PT is a part of a small group of health professions that allow you to work with patients regularly. You get to know people: understand what’s important to them, what they’ve overcome, what they enjoy, and why movement is important to them. Cat will work with anyone, but her favorite cases are the “tough” ones… The ones where someone has seen three or four other PTs, been told to stop running, or only has the smallest shred of hope that their pain will ever go away.
- Cat uses many different treatment styles, including various manual techniques. These range from soft tissue work to joint mobilizations and manipulations. She is incredibly detailed and prescriptive in running, exercise routines and lifestyle changes to avoid decision fatigue on the client’s end. Generally someone walking in our doors is going to be very good about doing what Cat asks outside of the clinic, so we’re going to take advantage of that to make the most progress as quickly as possible.
“Custom Performance has truly changed my life. For two years, I struggled with a chronic knee injury (unrelated to running) that made even simple activities like walking down stairs painful. I’ve seen countless doctors and physical therapists who weren’t able to fully treat me, leaving me feeling hopeless and frustrated. After just six months in Cat’s care, I can now do everything I used to do before my injury, fully pain-free. Cat’s expertise and dedication have been remarkable, and I can’t thank Custom Performance enough for giving me back my mobility and joy in life. You don’t have to be a runner to benefit from their expertise—they’re able to help with anything. I’m eternally grateful for their care, they’re truly amazing.”
Certifications
Professional Training & Highlights
Education
Email Cat: Cat@nycustompt.com