As practice manager at Therapeutic Associates Sunriver Physical Therapy, Chris Glover appreciates the opportunity to work with a wide variety of people and takes pride in knowing he often plays a meaningful part in helping his patients reach their goals and improve their quality of life. An avid outdoorsman, he often takes advantage of the endless adventures that Central Oregon is known for. Depending on the season you may find him climbing up and skiing down one of Central Oregon’s snow-covered volcanos, biking one of the area’s road or trails, or hiking and camping with his family.
Q&A with Chris Glover
Q: What inspired you to become a physical therapist?
Yeah, so I got interested in being a physical therapist from actually going through the physical therapy process as a patient. I think I was maybe 15 years old, and I had a lower back injury from playing soccer. It’s one of those things where I’d rest it, it would start feeling better, and as soon as I’s start trying to play again, it would just flare right back up. So went to the doctor, sent me to PT, and during that whole process, I was like, ‘Oh wow, this is kind of cool. I might see myself wanting to do this someday.’ Yeah, I thought it was pretty interesting how things that I had no idea would impact my back, how they were influencing things and the whole process was pretty interesting.
Q: So, you were a high school soccer player, do you still play or are there other sports that make the favorites list?
I still play a fair amount of indoor soccer, which goes nearly year-round. But when it comes to my favorite sport that’s a really tough question. I guess it’s very seasonal.
So, in the winter do a lot of skiing. In the summertime, do a lot of biking, both mountain and road cycling. But then yeah, just like hike and camp and just do all that fun stuff we get to do here in Central Oregon.
Q: You’re an adventure seeker! Does that play into how you spend your days off?
My typical day off can be pretty variable actually. It might just be hanging out at home with my wife, our toddler daughter and our dog, or it could be some epic adventure like climbing and skiing one of the volcanoes here in the Cascades … or anything in between. My favorite day off probably combines a little bit of everything. Maybe it’s getting up early to go skiing or go for a bike ride, but then coming home, hanging out with the family and just enjoying Central Oregon.
Q: What about a bucket-list item – is there a big adventure in your future?
Yeah, probably the number one item on my bucket list would be a heli-skiing trip in Alaska. I almost got to check it off, but then COVID had other plans there, so hopefully we’ll reschedule that one for the not-too-distant future. The whole experience of being dropped off on the top of a mountain by helicopter just seems pretty crazy to me. So yeah, that’s been a dream for a while.
Q: Movement is a big part of your life, so being a PT seems fitting. What do you love about your career?
I love being a PT because it really gives me the opportunity to make an impact in people’s lives. I also like the vast variety of different people I get to interact with throughout the day. Also, I think the profession is just amazing in the way that we optimize movement and the body’s own capacity for healing, not only for recovery from injury, but to maximize health and wellness.
Q: What would you say is your most important personal attribute as a PT?
I think I tend to be pretty laid back, generally speaking, pretty calm. I mean, I think going through an injury can be a pretty stressful event for people and I kind of help balance that out. Try to help give people perspective and try to keep a positive mindset when it comes to the rehab process.
Q: Have you ever gotten sucked into a TV series and wound up binge watching?
So probably my favorite TV show that I’ve binged watch is 24, which is a little older. But thinking back, I think my wife and I have actually watched that whole series a number of different times. One of our dog’s middle names was actually ‘Bower’ after the lead character on that show, so I’d say that’s probably the number one.
Q: What's the most used mobile app on your phone?
The most used mobile app on my phone? It’s probably a weather app. The weather around here is just, it’s going to dictate what our day looks like — whether it’s the drive to work or whether it’s what we’re doing on the weekend. So yeah, I am constantly checking the weather.
Your Healthcare Partner
At Therapeutic Associates Sunriver Physical Therapy we are here to help you achieve your goals quickly and safely. We treat the full spectrum of patients from young children to high school and college athletes to weekend warriors and adults who are simply dealing with the aches and pains of their 9-5. We also greatly value the opportunity to work with older adults as they navigate the pains and conditions that often come with aging.
