Olympic Runner Gets Head Start
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 Kitto, 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, from there Pete and Nick began their friendship and training relationship together. Whether Nick was injured or healthy, he 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 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 and 2012 London Olympic Games. Nick won the silver medal for his home country of New Zealand in the 2008 Beijing Games.
Transcript
I'm Nick Willis, I'm a 1500 meter runner, and I live in Ann Arbor, I've been here for eleven years now. Well, I came to Michigan as a wide eyed nineteen-year-old, the land of opportunity, from New Zealand to America. A word going around the track team that if you were at a certain level, if you were at the international level, then you might be able to get treatment from this 'running guru/physical therapist.' I got to meet Pete Kitto, and our friendship blossomed from there.
'Square, and move your arms while doing it. Nice and slow' So we've become very close friends. There's a psychology of being a winner, I don't know exactly what it is, but he has it.
I run a sport where we don't have a team, I'm not a part of the Detroit Tigers or the Detroit Lions, we don't have the support network and all of that. Here I do have a support team and network, at ATI I get to show up whenever I need to, whether I'm injured or healthy, just to give me the vocal, the physical, and the emotional support.
We roll together, and that's why I think Nick and I have worked out well for so many years, we both work as a team, we both listen to each other.
Very thankful to be healthy after a frustrating injury that I received in Shanghai earlier this year, I tripped up in the race and strained the back of my leg. It was a slow and frustrating rehab, but with the support of everyone at ATI I trusted the process, rather than rushing back into it. Thankfully Pete Kitto came along side and said, "We can do this. All you have to do is lie down on the table, and we'll slowly get your range of motion back." Just lots of little range of motion movements, just to keep the blood flowing, making sure no scar tissue is building up.
His muscle lengths are of a professional calibur, so I check to make sure they're all set, with where they should be. Most of this is just maintenance, you kind of take the Ferrari in the garage, you change the oil, you tweak it up, and you make sure everything is okay. If you see a little clink in Nick, you have to work on it.
Slowly, steadily I got back on my feet... started taking baby steps. Got onto the Alter-G, some anti-gravity assistance to take some weight off of my joints. Bob's your uncle, here I am, running as fast as I ever have before. When I was going to the Beijing Olympic games, I hoped I might be able to possibly make the final, and see what I can do. We walked out into the amazing stadium, the birds nest, 80,000 people in there. As that race went, I just felt completely free to run at the best of my abilities. All of the years, all of the work we've done, somehow I managed to hold my form and dive across that finish line, and secure that allusive medal for New Zealand, for myself, and most of all, the people who have supported me, ATI among them.