We are excited to introduce pre run mobility warmups led by physical therapist, Dr. Neil Guintu (he/him) of Ascent PT .

Join us at our group runs on Sunday, May 15th and Friday, May 20th to participate.

Neil has been a PPTC member for the past year and has enjoyed volunteering and taking part in the pub runs. He has a lot of great ideas to work with club runners, including live run analyses in the park, sideline care at team races and meets, and running injury prevention and running performance workshops. Neil looks forward to community events and helping PPTC runners get back to running!

Get to know Neil:

How did you get into running?

Aside from running to catch the bus, I mostly got into running being inspired by all the runners who I’ve worked with in physical therapy. Listening to each runner’s goals, motivations, and the joys they find from running eventually influenced me to sign up for a 5k, 10k, and eventually a couple half marathons. Not only was I experiencing the same joys from completing runs but I was able to understand patient’s better in terms of where they were coming from and the demands and culture of running.

What distance do you most enjoy running/racing?

Back in my high school, gym class in freshman year was notorious for the “freshman mile.” Every freshman had to run 1 mile by the end of the semester and I hated running anything close to it. After completing my first 5k, I chuckle every time I think about gym class in freshman year. Nowadays I enjoy running 5ks as it's long enough to break a sweat but short enough to seem doable for any day.

Do you have any specific upcoming running goals?

One of my goals would be to hit the trails as I’ve always enjoyed getting outdoors and hiking. Another goal would be to complete a marathon, then to complete it in New York, Chicago, Berlin, London and Tokyo.

What is your favorite running memory?

One of my favorite running memories would be the NYC half as it was my fiancé’s first half marathon and I got the chance to run side by side with her, share the dread of running up the FDR, but mostly having her eat my dust! (She gave me permission to share that last part)

Tell us about your journey to becoming and as a physical therapist. What do you enjoy about your job?

I became a physical therapist because I grew up playing sports and wanted to find a way to blend in sports and healthcare. I really enjoy getting to know each person I work with, from learning their unique story, taking part in supporting them through the process of returning to sport and activity, and ultimately being a witness to them reaching their potential.

What do you find most challenging?

Returning to sport is a process that often requires time and diligence. As much as I wish a quick return for everyone I work with, sometimes you just need to slow down, take smaller steps, and eventually return to previous form, if not better.

Tell us about your work at Ascent Physical Therapy

At Ascent Physical Therapy, I get the chance to work with movers of all kinds. With the one-on-one attention I’m able to take the time to fully get to know each client, take them through a comprehensive clinical and movement analysis, pinpoint factors that have led to their injury and ultimately determine a plan to return to running and potentially breaking PRs. The plan of care also isn’t limited to within the clinic as I also work closely with your trainer, coach, masseuse, acupuncturist, and/or any other support personnel to collaborate as a sports medicine team around you.

Tell us more about your experience working with the Olympic and Paralympic teams? What was it like? How was it similar or different from your day to day work?
Neil recently worked with Team USA athletes at the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee

It was an awesome experience working with some of the top notch athletes but also top notch clinicians in sports medicine. I spent two weeks living and working at the USOPC training center in Colorado Springs, where I worked with athletes in clinic, during practices, and during competition. It was reassuring to know that the level of clinical care I brought with me from Ascent Physical Therapy blended in seamlessly with the sport medicine staff at the USOPC. The main difference was that each Olympic and Paralympic athlete had immediate access to other interdisciplinary care (physicians, chiropractors, athletic trainers, sport psychologists, and strength and conditioning coaches to name a few) as they were all housed within one location. Even though Ascent doesn’t house these providers, we make it a priority to collaborate with each of our clients’ physicians, coaches, trainers etc to bring the same “sports medicine team'' aspect each client deserves.

As a PT, what recommendation or message do you have for runners who are looking to prevent injury?

Focus on the lowest hanging fruit such as proper sleep, nutrition, and stress management (both physically and mentally). Lastly, you don’t have to be injured to consult a physical therapist as plenty of people utilize physical therapists now to simply move better, gain an advantage in sporting competitions, and overall gain a better understanding of their bodies.

Tell us a little about your life outside of running and working as a PT. What do you like to do when not running or working?

Outside of running and working as a PT, I like to watch my pup run and chase other dogs at the dog park. Otherwise, I’d be playing or watching other sports such as basketball. You can also easily find me at your local ice cream shop.

Anything else that you’d like to share?

I’m always open to chat about anything from injuries, to running, to ice cream! Feel free to email me at neil@ascentptnyc.com or contact me at @dr.neilguintu on instagram.

The clinic at Ascent Physical Therapy in Gowanus. They specialize in Manual Therapy, Therapeutic (corrective) exercise, Running Analysis, and Bike Fitting. Appointment time slots are limited to one patient at a time, so that you can receive the undivided attention of your physical therapist–either Neil or founder Andrew Eisen (he/him) who is also a PPTC Member. (See Andrew’s Member Spotlight here: Member Spotlight: Andrew Eisen.)

Interviewee: Dr. Neil Guintu
Interviewer: Jana Trenk (she/her)
Introductory Text: Jana Trenk
Produced by: Linda S. Chan (she/her)
Photos care of: Dr. Neil Guintu and Ascent Physical Therapy

PPTC is a diverse and supportive team. We want to celebrate the diversity of our club and membership. We welcome and encourage everyone to share their stories with us.

Member Spotlight: Dr. Neil Guintu