Skhye

Fighting your way back is never easy, especially when progress is not linear. Skhye has lived that reality, and her journey is what makes her story so powerful.

A high school track and field athlete at Winslow, Skhye has been working with Dr. Alyssa McMinn at our West Berlin clinic for the past year to overcome knee pain that has limited her ability to compete. What began as knee pain evolved into a more complex challenge, impacting both knees, her hip, and her back. As a high-level athlete, she pushed through setbacks and even underwent a tendon procedure to address inflammation and scar tissue in her patellar tendon.

Last spring, her pain reached a point where she could not finish the track season, struggling just to complete warm-ups. It was a difficult pause, but a necessary step toward long-term recovery. Since then, Skhye has committed herself fully to getting back on the track. Rehab has pushed her physically and mentally, from relearning movement patterns to building strength and control. From A skips to box jumps and jump rope, every session brings progress. And if you spend any time in the clinic, you will hear it: “Alyssaaaaaa.” Her way of saying the challenge is exactly right.

What sets Skhye apart is everything she does beyond her sessions. She stays consistent with her home program, prioritizes warm ups, trains with a personal trainer, works with a coach outside of practice, and shows up ready to improve every day. That consistency is what drives her forward.

Through every setback, Skhye has remained positive, determined, and fully committed to the sport she loves. Now, she is getting back into the swing of track season and ready to chase personal records.

For Skhye, having her sights set on returning to the track motivated her to stay consistent and push through every step of rehab:

1. Tell us about what brought you to physical therapy and how this has affected your life.

2. Tell us a little about your recovery process. What has been the hardest part of your therapy? What was your favorite part of physical therapy?

My recovery process has been going really well overall. I’m slowly but surely getting stronger and better. The hardest part of therapy was definitely the pain, because there were things I couldn’t do at first. But Alyssa and the team have helped a lot by modifying exercises so I could still improve without making things worse. My favorite part of physical therapy was honestly seeing progress and getting closer to feeling like myself again. And the people. The patients and the therapist are very welcoming and I look forward to going to physical therapy!

3. What advice would you give to other people going through the same situation?

My advice to other people going through something similar would be to be patient and take care of your body. Don’t rush the process. I’d also say go to PT and actually stick with it, because it really helps. Taking breaks when needed is important, too.

4. Share a fun fact, bucket list item, or goal you want to reach!

One of my biggest goals right now is to run a 53–54 in the open 400 this year, without any knee pain, and really push through.

Take a look at Skhye in action at our West Berlin Clinic!

Skhye is back on track! She has put in work to rebuild her strength, sharpen her movement, and grow her confidence step by step. What stands out most is the way she continues to bet on herself and her goals, no matter the obstacles in front of her. We are so excited to see her back where she belongs, chasing it on the track! 💙

Physical therapy can help you reach your goals too! Click HERE to make an appointment with a 3DPT physical therapist!