Nick Willis, two-time Olympic medalist in the 1500-meter running event, came to ATI for treatment from our running guru.

When Nick Willis moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan as a student-athlete from New Zealand, he wanted to bring his skills and abilities to the next level.

Nick was introduced to Pete, a physical therapist who specialized in training competitive runners. Pete was considered the “Running Guru,” and would train those he felt who could run at the international level. Nick was able to prove that he had what it took to become an elite runner, and from there Pete and Nick began their friendship and training relationship together.

Injured or healthy, Nick would stop into the ATI Physical Therapy clinic in Ann Arbor West to receive treatment from Pete. Whether it was stretching, manual therapy, or strength exercises, Nick received one-on-one care from Pete to help him take it to the next level. When Nick suffered an injury while competing in Shanghai, Pete reaffirmed to him that he could help him get his range of motion back. Nick would lie on the treatment table as Pete would stretch out his hamstring. Nick also was able to take advantage of the ‘Alt-G’, which was a specialized treadmill that helped reduce the weight of someone running. While a runner is injured, running in the ‘Alt-G’ relieves the pressure from their joints and helps them to continue to build their endurance.

The help that Nick was able to receive from Pete propelled Nick to qualify for the Olympic games. Nick competed in the 1500m run in the 2008 Beijing, 2012 London, and 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Nick won the silver medal for his home country of New Zealand in the 2008 Beijing Games and the bronze medal in the 2016 Rio Games.