Who or what is a RE-Fit Co.?? Keep reading and you’ll find out! We wanted to take a second to introduce ourselves and share what RE-Fit Co. is about! If you have been on our site you have probably seen the about us page. We will cover some similar things that we do on that page, but we will also go a little deeper in this article. We want to share our heart behind starting RE-Fit Co. and who we are.
First off my name is Andrew Patton. I’m a physical therapist strength and conditioning specialist. I work in Owensboro, Kentucky at
Rehabilitation Performance Institute (RPI). We are a small privately owned outpatient orthopedic clinic. I went to PT school at the University of Evansville and then completed a residency at RPI specializing in orthopedics. Residency is not required in physical therapy, but it is an opportunity to learn more and hone your skills to improve yourself. I really enjoy working with people who are motivated to take care of their bodies. That is kind of a general statement, but I truly do enjoy a wide variety of things in the clinic. I find myself most at home working with people trying to return to fitness or some kind of sport activity, but as mentioned, I like a lot of different things like TMJ, concussion, or vestibular dysfunction. I love working with fellow pickleballers and musicians as well. Ask any of my coworkers, if I end up working with another guitar player all bets are off on how much work we actually get done! Don’t worry, I still do my job, but you best believe I love to talk about guitars and music!
My wife is the lovely Kendra Patton. She is the real brains of the website and social media side of RE-Fit Co. It is sort of hilarious imagining me starting a website or running a social media page as I am the only therapist in my office who does not have instagram, and I’m not exactly the most tech savvy person. I am still rocking an iPhone with a home button if that says anything. But, thankfully I have a wife who works in marketing and has a degree in graphic design. Kendra is the marketing manager for ERA First Advantage Realty in Newburgh, Indiana and also coaches a competitive gymnastics team in the evenings and on the weekends. She competed all the way up through college at Southeast Missouri State University where we met. She is a lot cooler than me because ain’t no way I was doing any collegiate sports. Although, I did fill in on my roommates floor hockey intramural team one time, and I definitely delivered. But, nonetheless, my wife is pretty awesome.
We both love the great outdoors and being physically active. We have had the chance to go on some pretty cool hiking trips and hope some day to expand our travels out west to see some real mountains! We both enjoy working out in different ways. Kendra enjoys running and likes to do strength and conditioning moves that she did in college for gymnastics. I have always loved strength training and have done several different forms of barbell training over the years. Nowadays I do what I call good ole fashioned strength and conditioning. I love barbell and kettlebell training and am slowly getting back to where I don’t completely hate myself while running!
I had been thinking about offering some online coaching and programming for a while and wrestled back and forth with it for quite some time. One big obstacle was the time constraint because PT school and residency are no joke. Once I got out of residency and passed my orthopedic clinical specialist exam, the idea started to come back around. Eventually after talking with Kendra several times about it, I decided it was time to try it out - leading to the birth of RE-Fit Co. As mentioned previously, I am not the most social person online so this is fairly out of my wheelhouse. It is always intimidating creating something and putting it out in the world. Ultimately, I came to the decision that if this is something I am passionate about, and God has allowed me to have the learning opportunities I have had, then it is worth pursuing. The Lord has been so gracious to us the last 4 years of our marriage and has met our needs at every corner, even when things were not looking so hot. It is my desire to take my career and use it to help others learn how to take care of their bodies, and share the gospel while doing so. Scripture says our bodies are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27, Ephesians 2:10, Colossians 3:10), and I believe it is a form of worship to him to steward well all that he has given us. This includes our physical bodies.
Our hope is that RE-Fit Co. is not only a way to help people take better care of their bodies, but to also hear the gospel. Everything Kendra and I have is because of Christ, and we would be nothing without him. He has changed our lives and we want others to know him. As we are starting this new adventure unsure if it will be a success or end up fizzling out over time, I find myself feeling like the boy in John 6 with the fishes and loaves. Although I have the worldly qualifications to treat people and help them with their health and fitness goals, I can do nothing without Christ for it is him who truly changes lives. I do not have much to offer in that arena, but I am willing to do what I can. We hope RE-Fit Co. helps you live a physically healthier life, but more importantly points you to Christ regardless of your relationship with him, your past, or your current beliefs.
