Live Your Life Physical Therapy, LLC

Bios

• Dr. Eva Norman

  Owner, President & Founder - Doctor Of Physical Therapy - Certified Exercise Expert For Aging Adults

  Dr. Eva Norman has been practicing physical therapy for more than 19 years. Her passion and commitment continues to be to bring the benefits of physical therapy to the residents of her community and to those in need of it in the surrounding counties. She received her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Physical Therapy in 1996 and her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree in 2009, from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA. Through the years, Dr. Norman has practiced in different practice settings with patients of all ages with various diagnoses. Early on in her career she developed a strong interest in geriatric rehabilitation. To expand her skill set over the years she has taken numerous continuing education courses and also worked in the areas of neurology, orthopedics and cardiopulmonary rehabilitation. In April 2013, she became a Certified Exercise Expert for the Aging Adult. Dr. Norman, an active member of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) since 1994, is currently for the state of Minnesota, the APTA Federal Affairs Liaison/Federal Government Affairs Committee Chair, serving in this capacity since October 2007. She also serves both as a MN Delegate and PT PAC Trustee since 2013. In September of 2009, Eva founded Live Your Life Physical Therapy, LLC in response to her passionate desire to offer to her clients, patients, and the public, services (both in home and the community) that could help them to experience health, wellness, and a more active lifestyle throughout their life spans, through the creative applications of preventative and rehabilitative physical therapy. Eva enjoys running, swimming, biking, playing tennis, training for marathons and triathlons, social planning for family and friends, gardening, and shopping. She and her husband of 17 years, Dan, love to travel during those rare periods of down time. Eva has always considered the human body to be a means to facilitate the accomplishment of goals, rather than an obstacle that interferes with them. This mentality developed early on in Dr. Normans’ life, when she suffered a severe lower-leg injury at the age of 13 from a roller-skating accident while preparing for Nationals in swimming. Rather than let that injury hold her back from staying active and doing the things she wanted, she committed herself to intense physical therapy for the next twelve months, and was eventually able to regain full function of her leg. This initial exposure introduced Eva to the potential of physical therapy, and she’s carried this passion with her on her path through the physical therapy world and to her current position as the founder and president of Live Your Life Physical Therapy. Because of her rehabilitation experiences, Eva volunteered over a 1,000 hours of her time assisting physical therapy departments in her local Pennsylvania town, and in the process solidified her desire to make a career in physical therapy. Eva spent the next few years practicing in eastern Pennsylvania and northern Connecticut in a variety of settings, including acute, sub-acute and outpatient physical therapy, and in a skilled nursing facility, before relocating to Minnesota in 2000. Along the way, she developed a keen interest in geriatric physical therapy, which would come to serve as a major focal point in her future. Over the years, Eva also experienced a number of sport-related injuries herself, and the process of her own rehab, piqued her interest to further her education in sports injury and prevention rehabilitation. Many of these new endeavors helped to form her base of interest, but it wasn’t until she first started practicing home care that Dr. Norman was certain she had found her calling. Dr. Norman felt there was no better platform on which to provide care than by doing so in a private home setting, where a patient could feel comfortable and safe. Patients could perform their sessions surrounded by loved ones and without any unexpected interruptions. Working one-on-one with a patient in 60 minute sessions; she felt she could improve safety, promote compliance of exercises, provide meaningful education and effectively assist patients to meet their goals, all in a more intimate environment, and personable manner. Once she received her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree in 2009, Eva committed herself to fusing the areas of physical therapy that she was most passionate about – health, wellness, preventative and rehabilitative physical therapy for patients and clients throughout a life span – and created Live Your Life Physical Therapy in September of 2009.

  Certifications:

  Link: Dr. Eva Norman

• Dr. Kristen Reed

  Doctor of Physical Therapy

  Dr. Kristen Reed, DPT, GRS, CLT graduated in 2011 from University of Minnesota-Twin Cities with a B.S. in Kinesiology degree. She went on to graduate with a Doctorate of Physical Therapy from St. Catherine University (2015) and completed the Geriatric Clinical Residency program from the University of Minnesota- Twin Cities in 2016. She has spent her career working with primarily geriatrics in the Transitional Care/ Memory Care/ Long Term Care settings. Dr, Reed loves working with geriatrics and is passionate about helping them improve their quality of life. She loves being a therapist and watching her clients reach their goals. She is kept busy with her husband and young daughter. She enjoys spending time with friends and family as much as possible. Her favorite activities are hiking in the summer and downhill skiing in the winter.

  Link: Dr. Kristen Reed

• Dr. Sarah Petrich

  Doctor of Physical Therapy - Postural Restoration Certified - PMA Certified - Pilates Instructor

  Dr. Sarah Petrich’s first interest in movement and the human body was through dance. She's been dancing for over 25 years and taught dance for over 10 years. Her fascination with movement propelled her to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science, as well as a Masters of Physical Therapy in 2005 from St Catherine University. She continued her education to receive a Doctorate of Physical Therapy in 2006. Inspired by Ron Hruska’s approach to therapy and biomechanics, Sarah received her Postural Restoration Certification (PRC) in 2011. In 2013, she completed her Pilates rehabilitation training with Polestar Pilates and is Pilates Method Alliance Certified. She combines these two specialties to correct musculoskeletal imbalances and asymmetries, decrease pain and increase ease and efficiency of movement so clients become a stronger, balanced and relaxed self. Sarah continues to be active in dance through dance medicine. She has presented on various topics for Minnesota Dance Medicine Foundation, Postural Restoration Institute’s PRC Conference, Fairview’s MN SportsMedicine Conference, TRIA Orthopaedics, and local dance schools. She is a member of the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS) and Minnesota Dance Medicine Foundation (MDMF) where she volunteers to manage and treat at their non-profit clinic for under-insured dancers and promotes dance health through research and community education.

  Link: Dr. Sarah Petrich

• Alana Howey

  PT, MS, OCS

  Alana Howey, PT, MS, OCS graduated from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN in 1985 with a B.A. biology degree. She went on to study at Texas Woman’s University and graduated with a MS in physical therapy in 1987. She has over 25 years of practice in Minnesota. The bulk of her career she has been practicing in outpatient orthopedic physical therapy, treating a wide range of client ages and challenges. She developed a specialty in treating temporomandibular dysfunction, headaches and cervical dysfunction. She also applies a more holistic approach to rebalancing the entire body system with postural restoration for complex, multi-joint challenges. She received a board certification as a clinical specialist in orthopedics in 1999 and was recertified in 2009. Alana loves guiding clients to reach their goals and aspire to higher potential! She is excited to meet people in their homes to make a specialized program work for them. When not working, Alana is kept busy with her husband and two daughters. She loves to garden, bike, travel, and take long hikes with her dog.

  Link: Alana Howey

• Kate Hawkins

  Speech Language Pathologist

  Kate Hawkins, MBA, MA, CCC-SLP, graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2014 with a Master of Arts degree in Speech-Language Pathology and currently holds a Certificate of Clinical Competency from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. In 2019 she received her MBA with a Healthcare Emphasis from the University of St. Thomas. She has experience in providing speech therapy across the life-span, with expertise in swallowing disorders and cognitive rehabilitation. Kate is passionate about being a life-long learner and enjoys helping others achieve their goals. She enjoys collaborative and holistic care, with a focus on functional treatment plans to maximize patient outcomes. Kate lives in Arden Hills with her husband and young daughter. In her free time she enjoys baking, gardening, scrapbooking, playing tennis, and doing Pilates.

  Link: Kate Hawkins

• Andrew Rapacz

  Personal Trainer, Exercise Physiologist

  Andrew holds a B.S. in Kinesiology from the University of Minnesota (2009) and a Master of Organizational Leadership Certificate from St. Catherine University (2016). He is accredited through the American College of Sports Medicine as a Certified Exercise Physiologist (2011). Andrew has worked in the adaptive fitness world of neurological rehabilitation since 2009. He helped foster program growth and expansion of adaptive fitness opportunities for individuals with Spinal Cord Injury and other neurological diagnosis through Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute’s Activity Based Locomotor Exercise (ABLE) program, part of Allina Health, establishing Minnesota’s first and only Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation’s NeuroRecovery Network Community Fitness and Wellness Facility. He also works as a contract installer of FES products for Restorative Therapies, Inc. providing installation, education, and training for FES home users throughout the Upper Midwest. Additionally, Andrew serves as a Board Member of Get Up Stand Up to Cure Paralysis Foundation (gusu2cure.org) a nonprofit organization in Minnesota working to unite, educate and support those dealing with Spinal Cord Injuries and to advocate for research and the restoration of function. GUSU’s initiatives include advocating for SCI Research; community involvement through peer group and one-on-one peer mentoring; and promoting adaptive fitness. He enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters living an active and healthy lifestyle, enjoying the outdoors through cycling, running, hiking, and gardening. When he’s not outside Andy enjoys following University of Minnesota athletics, Vikings, Twins, MNUFC, Wild, Timberwolves, and Liverpool FC; listening to music; and reading.

  Link: Andrew Rapacz

• Hillary Rotunda

  Personal Trainer

  Hillary grew up being active her whole life. After playing many sports, she settled on volleyball and softball, which she played through college at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota. While at Concordia, she earned a double major in exercise science and nutrition. After she moved to the MN twin cities area after college, she earned her certified personal trainer certification from the National Academy of Sports Medicine along with a certified strength and conditioning coach through USA weightlifting. She found passion in motivating people to reach their goals by finding a personalized nutrition and exercise plan that worked best for them. She has worked with clients 1-on-1, as well as small group classes. She looks forward to continuing to grow her knowledge base and help people achieve their health and wellness goals through Live Your Life! In her spare time, Hillary can usually be found at the gym, playing volleyball, or coaching softball. During the summer, she participates in many sand volleyball leagues and tournaments. She enjoys Minnesota summer activities, such as rollerblading, kayaking, paddle boarding and swimming. She loves playing board games with her friends and family and trying any new recipe she can find.

  Link: Hillary Rotunda

• Bethany Ranney

  Acupuncturist

  Bethany Ranney, L.Ac. discovered acupuncture after she had an injury that resulted in severe back pain and leg weakness. Before treatment, she was afraid to even walk up a flight of stairs, let along resume exercise and other activities she loved. After recovering, Bethany decided that she wanted to bring this type of healing to others, so she began her acupuncture study at Northwestern Health Sciences University. She graduated magna cum laude in 2012 with her Master's Degree in Acupuncture. Bethany has worked in a variety of settings, providing care both one on one and in group settings. She cares deeply about her patients and wants to help them to achieve the amazing results that she knows are possible with the use of acupuncture.

  Link: Bethany Ranney

• Sarah Johnson

  Registered Dietitian

  Sarah Johnson MS, RD is a Registered Dietitian with a strong passion for helping people discover the healing power of food. Today’s world offers more nutrition information at our fingertips than ever before. However, when it comes to nutrition, there is no one size fits all solution leading many to feel exhausted by years of “trial & error”. Sarah’s mission is to help people weed through the noise and to educate and empower them on simple ways food can help them regain their energy for life. She believes your body was designed to work well; you simply need the tools to get it back on track. Sarah graduated from the College of St. Benedict with a B.A. in Dietetics and went on to receive an M.S. in Human Nutritional Science from the University of Wisconsin Stout where she focused on using nutrition to help those living with multiple sclerosis and other inflammatory diseases. Sarah lives in Mahtomedi with her husband and 3 children and loves the access to nature Minnesota living provides all year round.

  Link: Sarah Johnson

• Andrew Wallner

  Administrative Assistant

  Andy Wallner, SPT, is originally from Wisconsin and attended the University of Wisconsin – Madison where he obtained a B.S. in Kinesiology. He moved to the Twin Cities in 2021 to pursue his Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Concordia St. Paul University. Andy found a natural gravitation toward physical therapy as he has always been interested in sports, rehabilitation, and overall health. In addition to his coursework, Andy takes great pride in advocating for the physical therapy profession, as well as the interests of patients. Once graduated, Andy hopes to work with neuro, orthopedics, and/or pediatric patient populations. Aside from his professional interests, Andy also enjoys many activities that support overall health and wellness. In his free time, Andy enjoys fishing, playing soccer, or just doing anything outdoors.

  Link: Andrew Wallner

• Angie Swanson

  Administrative Assistant

  Angie Swanson graduated with a degree in Biokinetics from Bethel University in 2021. She is currently working toward her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Angie sparked interest in physical therapy from growing up as a dancer for nearly 15 years. Now, she enjoys maintaining a healthy lifestyle through running with her dog, hiking, yoga, and traveling to national parks. Angie is interested in working with a variety of populations in the future, and dreams of opening an interdisciplinary health and wellness clinic of her own someday. Angie is excited for the opportunity to work with Live Your Life, and learn more about the field through Dr. Norman.

  Link: Angie Swanson

• Ariel Ruper

  Administrative Assistant

  Ariel Ruper graduated with a degree in Exercise Science at the University of Minnesota Duluth in 2020 and she is currently working toward her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Ariel is open to working with all populations as a future DPT, but is very interested in working with the geriatric population. She enjoys hiking, reading, baking, and is currently training for her first half marathon. Ariel is very excited to work with Live Your Life and learn more about the field from Dr. Eva Norman outside of the standard class setting.

  Link: Ariel Ruper

• Kasey Kroiss

  Administrative Assistant

  Kasey Kroiss graduated with a degree in Biology and a certificate in Global Health at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is currently working toward her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Kasey hopes to work with the neurological population as a future physical therapist based past volunteering and working experiences. She enjoys cooking new recipes, reading, and working out. In the future, Kasey hopes to open her own physical therapy practice and is thrilled to learn more from Dr. Norman.

  Link: Kasey Kroiss

• Meghan Hennessy

  Administrative Assistant

  Meghan Hennessy earned her degree in Kinesiology Exercise Movement Science from the University of Wisconsin Madison and is currently working toward her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. In my time off between college and graduate school, she lived in southern Thailand and taught English to 4-6-year-old children and had the opportunity to travel to many neighboring countries. She enjoys yoga, running and fitness classes, as well as walking outside when the weather is nice. In the future, she hopes to work in health and wellness, and is excited to have the opportunity to learn more about the field from Dr. Eva Norman.

  Link: Meghan Hennessy