For Mary Kate Sullivan of Cromwell, soccer isn’t just a game - it’s been her passion since she was three.
Now an offensive player for Indiana University’s Division I soccer team, the 19-year-old athlete has faced her fair share of injuries throughout her career. But thanks to Brian Reis and Stephanie Belanger, physical therapists at Gaylord Physical Therapy in Cromwell, she’s come back stronger every time.
“I’ve been coming to Gaylord since late 2020,” she says. “Now, whenever I’m home on break, I go back because I always have something to work on,” she laughs.
Mary Kate first turned to Gaylord Physical Therapy as a high school junior after spraining her ankle while playing for the Oakwood Soccer Club. Despite her disappointment in being sidelined during her team’s long-anticipated national tournament, she was determined to return stronger the next season.
That summer, she worked closely with Brian and Stephanie and was immediately impressed by their approach to treating high-level athletes.
“They were awesome,” she recalls. “I’ve been to other physical therapists before, but Gaylord’s strength training and rehab got me back on the field quicker and with more confidence in my recovery.”
Mary Kate says that what sets Brian and Stephanie apart from other therapists is their personal experience as high-level athletes (Brian is a football coach, Stephanie is a former college softball player). Their firsthand knowledge of an athlete’s mindset, she says, was exactly what she needed during her recovery.
More than Physical Recovery
For high-level athletes like Mary Kate, explains Brian Reis, rehab isn’t about learning how to move – it’s about fine-tuning performance.
“Our job is to help them fill in the gaps, guide them through the difficult parts, and ramp them back up to peak performance.”
But Brian says that for many elite athletes, rehab is more than just a physical process – it can be a mental one, too.
“When you work with athletes, they bring a different level of commitment and drive to their recovery. That energy is motivating for me as a physical therapist. I have to match that same intensity and help guide them back to where they expect themselves to be.”
He acknowledges that an injury can almost feel like an identity crisis for competitive athletes.
“When you take their sport away, you’re taking a piece of who they are,” he explains. “A big part of what we do is coaching them to be patient, trust the process, and gradually ramp back up to the level they’re used to performing at.”
Mary Kate agrees.
“It is really helpful to have therapists that understand what goes into being an athlete and how hard it can be to not play the sport you love because of an injury.”
This past summer, she returned to Gaylord for physical therapy and for dry needling – a therapeutic technique to relieve pain and improve muscle function – to help manage discomfort stemming from a lifelong calf condition that had left her unable to play for months.
“They helped me understand that it was okay not to feel 100% yet, but that I’d get there. And I did.”
Looking Ahead
Mary Kate has big dreams for the future. She hopes to play professionally overseas and is also considering a career in sports media. She’s already gaining experience in sideline reporting through a sports broadcasting class.
With the help of Gaylord’s sports medicine team, she’s been able to stay strong, recover faster, and keep chasing her dreams.
“Gaylord helped me get back on the field with confidence and come back stronger than before.”