{"id":44342,"date":"2013-09-19T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2013-09-19T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2013\/09\/19\/from-water-skis-to-physical-therapy-not-a-big-leap-for-student\/"},"modified":"2022-09-02T20:28:07","modified_gmt":"2022-09-03T01:28:07","slug":"from-water-skis-to-physical-therapy-not-a-big-leap-for-student","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2013\/09\/19\/from-water-skis-to-physical-therapy-not-a-big-leap-for-student\/","title":{"rendered":"From water skis to physical therapy not a big leap for student"},"content":{"rendered":"

Maggie Tierney, a third-year physical therapy student, has seen it in their demeanor. She’s seen it in their eyes.<\/p>\n

Adults. Kids. Paraplegics. Quadriplegics. Wounded veterans, home from the war. On the water, they all come alive.<\/p>\n

“It’s a blast,” Tierney said.<\/p>\n

Tierney is a water-skier. She has been on water skis since she could walk, if not before. Her dad is a former professional water-skier. (“There’s not a lot of money in it,” she said.)<\/p>\n


\n
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\n\"picture
\n<\/TD>
\n<\/TR>
\n

\nMaggie Tierney, working on a physical therapy education project, studies the movements of the kids at the UNMC Child Development Center<\/span>
\n<\/TD>
\n<\/TR>
\n<\/TABLE>She’s involved with something called UCanSki2. It’s adaptive waterskiing for people with various disabilities.<\/p>\n

“We find that our program provides a therapeutic recreation that reduces depression and anxiety while improving well-being and quality of life,” its website says.<\/p>\n

Tierney said, “Some have struggled with not being involved in anything anymore.”<\/p>\n

Then they get out on the water, and look out. <\/p>\n

“It’s just huge for some of these people.”<\/p>\n

She skis alongside, holding the tow rope with one hand; with the other, she keeps the “basket” balanced, keeping it from turning over into the wake.<\/p>\n

“It’s exhausting,” she said.<\/p>\n

Riders are strapped into what looks like “a chair mounted on a big sled.” Most can’t swim, and besides, they’re strapped in. If they tip over into the water, it’s not good. <\/p>\n

They have to trust their escorts, like Maggie, to help keep them steady. <\/p>\n

“It’s scary,” she said. <\/p>\n

It takes courage for someone to take this thrill ride. <\/p>\n

No wonder they’re exhilarated.<\/p>\n

At the end of the ride, Tierney is thrilled, too. That feeling is what pointed her toward her career. Toward UNMC. <\/p>\n

She liked working with people. Tierney loved seeing the effect therapy could have. She decided she wanted a career doing stuff like this.<\/p>\n

Tierney competed on Iowa State’s club waterskiing team (now she’s helping the Huskers start one, too). She’s too humble to mention she’s a former college club Division 2 national champion in women’s jump, with a distance of 81 feet.
\nInstead, she’d rather talk about other things:<\/p>\n

She’s in her last year of PT school.<\/p>\n

It’s been her best jump.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Volunteering in an adaptive waterskiing program led Maggie Tierney to a career helping 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