Mary Gelder (She/her)
I was born and raised in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of Upstate NY. My first exposure to the physical therapy profession was actually as a patient when I tore my ACLs. Growing up playing competitive soccer, this was initially heartbreaking. My silver lining was discovering the profession that I now get to passionately practice every day. My PTs not only helped me through the physical rehab, but the mental ups and downs that come with recovering from injury. I told myself from then on, “This is what I want to do and this is how I want to help people.”
I completed my BA in Biology/Pre-Physical Therapy in 2008 at Houghton College, then went on to complete my Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT) at Nazareth College of Rochester in 2011. I started my career as a traveling physical therapist, working and playing in the great outdoors by way of the Sierra Mountains, the PNW, and the Adirondacks. Traveling gave me exposure to not only various practice settings, but I also got to meet many people of many walks of life. My journey has provided me the opportunity to work with anyone from the “weekend warrior” to the professional athlete. I consistently seek to remain adaptable and well-rounded both as a person and as a provider. My early experiences as both a patient and a PT helped foster this in me and shape the opportunities I seek out to give my clients the best care.
Ultimately, I landed here in Tacoma, WA where I now live with my wife and partner-in-adventure Leslie and our sweet pups Bishop and Wilbur.
Curious about working together?
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“Mary is absolutely amazing! She's talked me off the ledge when I thought my running days were behind me. She's motivated me to push harder when I felt weak. I'm a stronger person all around because of my physical therapist. I love my PT!”
- Codi S
clinical Specialties
Female-bodied athletes
Runners & detailed running gait analysis
Outdoor adventurers
Injuries of the spine, shoulders, hips, knees, foot/ankle, and TMJ dysfunction
Chronic pain management
Lymphatic drainage therapy