Proformance Physical Therapy

04/07/2026

AIDE SPOTLIGHT: McKinsey Long

McKinsey is from Hastings, Nebraska, where she attended Hastings Senior High School. During her time there, she was actively involved in softball, basketball, and soccer, while also participating in Student Council and the National Honor Society. McKinsey is currently a senior at the University of Nebraska, majoring in Nutrition, Exercise, and Health Sciences.

She enjoys staying active and spending time with the people she cares about most. When she is not with friends or family, McKinsey can usually be found working out, most often running, or lifting weights. She also likes to mix things up by attending yoga classes, cycling classes, or playing pickleball with friends. Her favorite outdoor activities include skiing and white-water rafting.

McKinsey plans to attend the Medical University of South Carolina later this year!

03/24/2026

AIDE SPOTLIGHT: Rhett Werner

Rhett is from Omaha, Nebraska, and graduated from Skutt Catholic High School, where he played both hockey and baseball throughout his four years. He is currently pursuing a degree in Exercise Science and Nutrition at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and is an active member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity.

In his free time, Rhett enjoys staying active through weightlifting, hiking, skiing, and spending time with friends. At UNL, he has also participated in intramural sports such as broomball and softball, which have given him the opportunity to stay competitive while connecting with new people. A fun fact about Rhett is that he once had the chance to meet one of his favorite musicians, Zach Bryan.

Rhett plans to pursue a career in physical therapy. His ultimate goal is to become a Physical Therapist, helping individuals recover, improve their health, and reach their full physical potential. Beyond his career aspirations, he also hopes to travel the world and experience new cultures.

03/11/2026

AIDE SPOTLIGHT: Jackie Schelkopf

Jackie is from Geneva, Nebraska, where she graduated from Fillmore Central High School. During high school, she participated in softball, basketball, and track, and was also a member of the National Honor Society. She recently graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a bachelor’s degree in Microbiology.

In her free time, Jackie enjoys traveling, watching sports of any kind, and spending time with friends and family. She also loves being outdoors and staying active. Jackie is currently enjoying a gap year and making the most of the opportunities it provides.

In the future, Jackie plans to become a physical therapist and hopes to return to a rural community similar to the one she grew up in. She will begin physical therapy school in the fall at UNMC in Kearney and is excited to continue pursuing her career goals!

03/05/2026

Coaches of female athletes would be well served to consider the Sportsmetrics program to decrease the risk of ACL injuries in their female athletes. It doesn’t take much time at all.

Today's girls have a one in six chance of tearing their ACL and a one in three chance of re-tearing it if they are injured. Can we prevent this?

02/18/2026

AIDE SPOTLIGHT: Timmy Johnson

Timmy was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, where he would go on to attend Creighton Prep for high school. During his high school years, he played hockey and was involved in the National Honors Society.

Timmy is currently attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he is studying Nutrition, Health, and Exercise science. He is involved in the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and the letters of love club.

During Timmy’s free time he enjoys all things, health, and fitness. His favorite activities are snow skiing, working out and anything outdoors!

In the future, Timmy plans to attend PT school and become a licensed Physical Therapist.

01/27/2026

AIDE SPOTLIGHT: Madi Ruhga
Madi is originally from Omaha, NE where she graduated from Millard West High School. Up until Madi’s sophomore year of high school she was a competitive gymnast. She would later become a varsity cheerleader for her high school! Madi recently graduated from UNL with a bachelor’s degree in Nutrition, Exercise, and Health Science!

During her free time, you may find her golfing, participating in a Pilates class, hiking, traveling, or spending time with her friends and family! You may even find her with a thriller or romance novel in hand.

Did you know one of Madi’s dogs back home works for the Omaha fire department?

In the future Madi hopes to head back home to Omaha and attend UNMC or the College of Saint Mary to become a physical therapist. After she graduates, she would like to work in either pediatrics or sports rehab here in Nebraska!

01/06/2026

AIDE SPOTLIGHT: Ryan Bauer
Ryan is from Hastings, Nebraska. He attended Hastings High School and played football, Basketball, and Track. He was on the student council, a member of the National Honors Society, and the welcoming committee. Ryan is currently a senior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln majoring in exercise science

Ryan enjoys spending time with friends and family and doing things like hunting, going to the lake, skiing, and watching sports. He spends his free time weightlifting and going for runs or hikes in new places. During his time at UNL, he became a member of the Physical Therapy Club, a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity, and plays various intramural sports including football and basketball.

Ryan's goal is to become a physical therapist and continue to help people through his profession. He plans to attend physical therapy school after he graduates from UNL and wants to work in Nebraska near his family.

09/21/2022

AIDE SPOTLIGHT: Audrey Linzell

Audrey is from Lincoln, NE where she graduated from Lincoln East High School. She was on drum line, played soccer, and was an athletic trainer during her high school years. She is currently a junior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, majoring in Nutrition, Exercise, and Health Science with minors in Chemistry and Psychology. She is also on the Pre-Physical Therapy track.
On campus, she is involved in Young Life, LAUNCH leadership, Chi Omega sorority, Pre-PT Club, and is part of the UNL honors program. Audrey is also a suite host during the Husker football games.
Audrey’s goal for the future is to go to PT school. In her free time, she enjoys being with friends and family, taking cycling classes, and cooking!

07/14/2022

AIDE SPOTLIGHT: NOAH THOMPSON

Noah is from Lincoln, NE where he attended school at Northeast High School. He graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan University with a major in exercise science and a minor in psychology. During his time at NWU, he played basketball for a year.

When Noah has free time, he enjoys going to the gym and lifting weights. He has a passion for watching and playing basketball, as well as hanging out with friends and family.

Noah’s goal is to attend physical therapy school at UNMC. Once graduated, he would like to work for a sports team or become a therapist that works specifically with athletes.

06/01/2022

We're hiring! Spread the news!

05/12/2022

We all know the benefits of physical activity to our musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems but a recent systematic review and meta-analysis, which included 191,130 participants, shows how beneficial it is for our mental health, as well. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2790780

Depression and physical activity have an inverse curvilinear relationship, meaning the more active you are the lower your risk of depression. Even low levels of physical activity, public health recommends 2.5 hours/week, show significant mental health benefits.

The take away, start or be more physically active to decrease your chances of depression/mental health issues, at least 2.5 hours/week. Please contact Proformance Physical Therapy with any questions or how to start/progress a program.

This systematic review and meta-analysis examines data from published prospective studies of adults to gauge the dose-response association between physical activity and incident depression.

05/04/2022

The importance of sleep can not be overstated, as we've presented here before. But a recent study showed adolescents had improved sleep quality, quantity and reduction in sleep disturbances when participating in a strength training program.

The strength training consisted of 3x/week, 55 minute sessions, performing 3 sets of 10-12 reps with 1 minute rest between sets and exercises. This was compared to a control group that did not participate in strength training.

Here's the link to the abstract: https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Abstract/2022/05000/Effects_of_Strength_Training_on_Sleep_Parameters.8.aspx

Please contact Proformance Physical Therapy with any questions or if you need help setting up a strength training program.

ed to examine the effects of 12 weeks of strength training (ST) on sleep quality and daytime sleepiness in adolescents with sleep complaints. Thirty adolescents were randomly assigned to 2 groups: ST group (ST, n = 18) and control group (CG, n = 12). Anthropometric, body composition, one-repetition....