Meet Dr. Chris Van Thiel of Odyssey Performance in Arvada

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Chris Van Thiel.

Dr. Van Thiel, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I have been a Doctor of Physical Therapy since 2015. I worked in traditional Physical Therapy Clinics before realizing that due to the way the Healthcare System was constructed, I was unable to give the level of care that people deserved. Each clinic was slowly restricting the time that I would personally have with my patients assuming that them just in the clinic doing supervised exercise was “Physical Therapy”. While this mentality can be appropriate for plenty of folks, I had a very hard time believing that it was the most effective way to give care to Athlete’s or anyone who wants to do more than just sit still without pain.

I decided to start Odyssey Performance as a way to truly help people along their journey to fully return to the activities that the love and not be constrained by time or administration telling me that I need to see more people in less time so they could make their bottom dollar. People who want to stay active and be at their highest level deserve the level of care that matches that. With my background as a Soccer player and a Physical Therapist, amongst other sports, I knew that I could create something that is able to fill that need.

Has it been a smooth road?
Absolutely not. I learned nothing about owning or starting a business in school. Not to mention, when you are trying to do something against the traditional path, people have a hard time believing it will work. Creating a Physical Therapy Experience that is completely in line with whatever activity people want, and specifically Soccer athletes has been a long road. It is terrifying when you do something different, and it is tough convincing people that things CAN be different, versus what they have been accustomed to.

We’d love to hear more about your work.
I am a Doctor of Physical Therapy. I help people return to their favorite things in life by breaking down the needs of that activity, finding where their weak spot is, and making them more resilient so that they are able to meet all demands of that activity. My clinic specializes in sports rehab, more specifically Soccer, but we see all types of Athletes. I am most proud of the fact of the Healthcare Experience that I provide for my clients. They have full access to me, no hoops to jump through, no hidden costs, no bills 8 months later, no confusing phone menu’s. I get to be a part of my clients’ journey to recovery and watch their faces light up as they return stronger, faster, more resilient to something they were fearful would always be different for them. There is no better feeling than that for me.

I listen. I have time to listen. I am not cramming people in so that I can hit numbers for reimbursement. I get to spend real time with each of my clients’ so that I make sure that I can design the perfect program for their life.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I feel like Denver is a great place for a business like this. It is full of active people who take their lives outside of work extremely seriously. This is not a city where people work for a living. This is a city where people work to afford what their life truly consists of. It is a tough city to start in, with a lot of transplants, but I would recommend them starting here because everyone is so open and friendly.

Contact Info:

• Address: 5450 Wadsworth Bypass, Unit B
• Website: www.odysseyperformancept.com
• Phone: 303-241-0314
• Email: info@odysseyperformancept.com
• Instagram: @Odysseyperformancept
• Facebook: Facebook.com/Odysseyperformancept

Image Credit:
Picture of me- Synergy Videography

Suggest a story: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.