Valley Medical Center Clients Give Advice To Olympic Athlete, Aspiring Physical Therapist

It’s not an everyday occurrence for an Olympic athlete to solicit advice from a group of teens.

But former 2006 Olympic figure skater and World Champion Kimmie Meissner did just that recently at the Valley Medical Center Children’s Therapy office in Renton.

Meissner, now 22, is studying at the University of Delaware for her second career as a physical therapist. In addition to touring the facility and meeting a roomful of clients, she wanted to know what makes a good physical therapist.

“You have to be mean and sweet,” said Gloria Lundgren, 14, adding that she loves her physical therapist even when the 45-minute sessions are tough.

Meissner also shared her experiences working with physical therapists to recover from skating-related injuries, including a dislocated kneecap and tendonitis.

For the last two years she’s worked at a physical therapist clinic, although mostly with older patients.

Although Meissner knows the field she’d like to work in, she’s not entirely sure which direction to choose. She’s thought about working with athletes, maybe the Olympic committee, but is currently involved in pediatric care.

Andrew Conklin, 16, also had a few questions for Kimmie. In fact, Conklin had an entire list prepared, including questions about her medals, what she’s studying and how she trains.

Meissner was in town as part of a tour to promote the upcoming Pandora Unforgettable Moments of Love On Ice, which will have one live performance on January 26, 7 p.m. at the ShoWare Center in Kent.

The show is part of the Pandora NBC Skating Series and is locally presented by The Joint Center at Valley Medical Center.

The evening will feature an array of top athletes from the world of figure skating choreographed to live musical performances by Gladys Knight and Kenny G.

The event will be filmed for broadcast on NBC TV nationally on Saturday, Feb. 4. The broadcast will also air locally on KING 5.

Unforgettable Moments of Love On Ice
ShoWare Center, 625 W James St. in Kent
Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 7 p.m.
Ticket prices: Starting at $39