Meet Braden Swanson, Physical Therapist at OPTI

“I knew that I wanted to be a physical therapist so I could be a part of a community where I could help people recover from various injuries, diseases, surgeries, and health events in their life.”

Braden Swanson has been a great addition to the team at Omaha Physical Therapy Institute (OPTI)!  He is one of the five physical therapists that work at OPTI and brings enthusiasm, intelligence, friendliness, and fun to the OPTI culture.  Find out more about this cool guy below!

What sparked your interest in physical therapy?

My brother was in the hospital with a blood clot and a physical therapist saw him after his surgery to help him get back up and moving. I thought it was a unique job where you could help people recover and improve their ability to move. From this experience with my brother, I decided to shadow an awesome physical therapist in my home town of Aurora, Nebraska, who showed me what being a physical therapist and health professional was all about. After this exposure to the profession, I knew that I wanted to be a physical therapist so I could be a part of a community where I could help people recover from various injuries, diseases, surgeries, and health events in their life.

What do you love most about your role as a physical therapist? 

I love meeting and getting to know so many people while assisting them with their injuries and allowing them to enjoy life fully!

What are your hobbies/things you enjoy outside of PT? 

Hanging with my wife! I enjoy a good movie, especially LOTR and Star Wars. Whenever I get the chance, I love to go fishing at lakes and rivers, go hunting back where I grew up, and go snowboarding and hiking in the mountains. I also enjoy wood working and refurbishing furniture.

What’s something interesting about you that not many people know about?

I grew up on a farm in central Nebraska where we grew a variety of crops including popcorn, of which a portion went to Orville Redenbacher.

What’s the most exciting thing you have ever done? 

I had the opportunity to rapel down an 80 foot waterfall in the mountains of the Dominican Republic while I was doing a physical therapy rotation there!

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?

New Zealand

Favorite TV show? 

Seinfeld

Your favorite tune or “jam” right now?

Steve Moakler – “Suitcase”

Favorite childhood toy? 

My favorite childhood toy is a toss up between toy tractors that my brothers and I “farmed” with and my bike I rode all over the farm with jumping off ramps, pedaling through puddles, etc..

For more information on the team at Omaha Physical Therapy Institute, check out the OPTI Team page on our website! 

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