07/01/2024
HUGE congratulations and welcome to the newest member of The Charlotte Athlete, Dr. Andrew Zabala! Or as we call him, Dr. Z!
Dr. Z was born in Queens, NY & raised in Long Island, NY where he competed in football, wrestling, and track & field. He was an All Long Island Triple Jumper, competing at the New Balance Nationals & earning county all-county status in Long Jump & High Jump. He continued his sports career at Mansfield University where he competed in Division II Football and Track & Field. Andrew was pursuing his career in Criminal Justice and decided to completely change his career direction and pursue his passion in sports rehabilitation. He chose to leave collegiate sports behind and achieve his B.S in Health & Wellness at Farmingdale State College in 2019.
After attaining his bachelor’s degree, Andrew would continue his studies at Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, SC. During his time in South Carolina, Andrew would pursue his Doctor of Physical Therapy and work as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist on his free time; working with high school & collegiate athletes.
Although Andrew loves treating athletes of all sports, he has a strong passion for combat sports and has many years of Muay Thai, No Gi Jiu Jitsu, and Wrestling under his belt. Andrew wanted to combine his passion for combat sports with his knowledge in PT to better serve the martial arts population. As a result, Andrew would complete a physical therapy internship at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas, where he gained clinical experience treating professional fighters and other professional athletes in WNBA & NFL.
Although sports PT is his true passion, Andrew likes to spend his free time training mixed martial arts, weightlifting, drawing, playing instruments (drums & guitar), and spending time with his family. He also loves to explore new places and LOVES trying different food spots!
