You probably have a pretty busy schedule, right? Work or school, family time, household tasks - it all adds up and seems to never stop. Learning to balance it all is one of the most remarkable feats you can achieve, but it is also one of the most difficult things most of us attempt to do. Some days, you can manage it all pretty well, but on others, it feels like you’re hanging by a thread, and one more unexpected work meeting will send you over the edge.
Meet Carrie Heidrich, one of our Homewood physical therapists who loves Disney, dogs, and running. Carrie’s career is an excellent example of how lessons from sports can intersect with balancing life, work, and relationships, and I got to sit down with her to hear her story. Now you can, too, as I cover what inspired Carrie to be both a triathlon athlete and a physical therapist and the lessons she has learned, including how she seemingly does it all.
Carrie’s story
Carrie, Iron Man qualifier
Carrie credits her interest in sports to her mom, who she watched run triathlons ever since she was a child. Her mom was also a swim coach, and Carrie cannot remember a time in her childhood when she was not in or near the water. Because of her exposure to sports and her hyperactive personality, it’s no surprise that she did her first swim meet around age 5, her first running race at age 6, and her first triathlon at age 8. In high school, she swam, played basketball, and ran track.
“Ultimately, while it seemingly sounds like a lot of stuff, it really set the forefront to be able to master things moving forward in life, like time management, prioritizing, all of that stuff, those are big adult things that if you learn early will set you up to be more successful.”
Carrie finally reached burnout while running in college, so she decided to join the triathlon club at Auburn University, and the rest is history. Her races just got longer and bigger, and today, she has raced in eight world Iron Man championships. She loves the opportunities her sport has given her to travel and see amazing things, and she will never stop looking for her next adventure or pushing herself out of her comfort zone.
“Growth and really amazing things don’t happen inside your comfort zone - they happen way outside. If you’re not willing to go and take those steps, you’re subjecting yourself to a life of mediocrity when you can literally have the world.”
Carrie Heidrich, doctor of physical therapy
When Carrie was 12, she fractured her ankle during a cross-country park run. With a race looming that she had wanted to run for a while, she had yet to determine if she would get better in time. Enter her physical therapist, who did indeed help her get back to the race on time and in good condition to run. Carrie saw firsthand how physical therapy can help you return to your favorite activities, and a budding physical therapist was born.
Carrie received her bachelor of science in exercise science from Auburn University and then graduated with her doctorate from UAB in 2007. She was initially torn between doing pediatrics or orthopedics, but after a particularly eye-opening clinical rotation with a school system, she decided the orthopedics route was best for her. After working for a few different orthopedic outpatient physicians and rehab centers and finding her passion for working with athletes, Carrie landed here at EW Motion Therapy in 2022.
Endurance athlete + physical therapist: how do they mix?
You would be right if you thought being an Iron Man-level athlete and a full-time physical therapist was hard. Carrie has to balance a schedule that most of us would balk at and not take on voluntarily. But over the years, she has adopted the same rigorous scheduling practices it takes to train for her athletic events in her career, and for her, it works, most of the time.
“Balance is this word that gets thrown out quite frequently, and I think that what people see on social media is this perfect balance of these perfect families, and that is absolutely nonexistent. Balance is the teeter-totter going all kinds of directions, and sometimes you’re hanging on for dear life, but you didn’t fall off, and therefore you won.”
Even if she only keeps her head above water for some weeks, that is ok because life ebbs and flows. Balance is usually chaotic, and ultimately, we all have to figure out what works for us individually, just like Carrie has been able to balance her training schedule with treating her patients. She does credit the leadership at EW for helping her balance her workload with her training schedule while still making time for her family, even though the time devoted to each facet of her life has to be adjusted constantly.
Another lesson that applies to being an endurance athlete and a physical therapist is one that Carrie often tells her patients: you have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Just like a great athlete continuously pushes themselves a little bit farther, physical therapy is about pushing your physical limitations to heal and grow. Carrie can always encourage her patients to keep going just a little farther because, as an endurance athlete, she understands firsthand the discomfort that can often accompany growth.
“That’s where all the good stuff happens, in that grey area outside of your comfort zone when you’re exploring what your limitations are.”
Carrie also emphasized the importance of a support system. She would not be able to do what she does without her husband, whom she calls her better half and her biggest fan, and the team at EW has been nothing but supportive as she pursues her passion. A support system is also essential in rehab - your physical therapist should be an encourager, as should your friends and family doing life with you. Whether you are training for an Iron Man or healing from shoulder surgery, the people you surround yourself with can make all the difference.
Life lessons to remember
So, what can we learn from Carrie’s career? First, for any aspiring endurance athlete, Carrie suggests starting small and growing with it. Try to find a local sprint and get involved with a triathlon community in your area - they can provide insight and moral support as you get started.
“You can find an entire community to belong to, and you get more information and more help from that than just about anything, because they live in your community and can help you with all kinds of things.”
For those of us who would rather cheer on our friends running triathlons, and really for anyone, Carrie gives one of her favorite quotes: “Go in pursuit of the things that set your heart on fire.” Whether you love walking, swimming, running, or Zumba classes, do whatever brings you joy - there is no one path to personal fitness and health. Consistency, showing up every day to put in the work, is ultimately the key to success, a lesson that any sport teaches from a young age.
“Sport is the best precursor to life that there is. You get out what you put into it - you can work and work, and that doesn’t guarantee that you’ll have the perfect day. But I can guarantee if you don’t put in the work, you’re not going to have the day.”
Finding joy in all you do, pursuing your passions, and putting in the work: these are the keys to a successful athletic career, a successful physical therapy career, and a happy, healthy, fulfilling life. At EW Motion Therapy, supporting our patients’ goals and helping them live healthy lives are why we do what we do through our physical therapy and wellness programs. If you’re curious about what else physical therapy can do for your health journey, click the button below to download our answers to 20 frequently asked questions.
