Hidden Gems: Meet Kristi Hammerle
Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristi Hammerle.
Hi Kristi, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
It makes perfect sense that I ended up as a pediatric physical therapist. I’ve always been comfortable around children. Both of my parents were teachers, and every job I’ve had leading up to PT involved working with children. I’ve been a nanny, elementary school tutor, daycare teacher, camp counselor, and pediatric therapy technician. Growing up, I was always drawn to the medical field and felt I needed to be in a career where I could nurture/care for others. If you’ve met other pediatric therapists, you know this is a quality many of us possess.
After looking into various medical professions, it was decided. I enrolled in an undergraduate pre-physical therapy program and went on to complete a doctoral degree in physical therapy. Along the way, each pediatric internship I completed reinforced my decision to specialize in this area of PT.
When I began my career, I worked with the full spectrum of children from 0-21 years old, but I quickly found myself drawn to working with babies. One of the reasons I love working with babies is because there is a potential to make so much change and prevent or minimize future problems if a solid developmental foundation is built from day 1. The first year of life is a critical time for growth, where each developmental skill builds on one another. Babies start learning how to move in utero and are born into a world where every experience is a new learning opportunity.
So, do I love working with babies? Of course. However, there’s another reason I love working with this population. It’s something that fills my cup and brings me the most joy in my job. It’s working with the parents. I get to show and teach parents new things their baby can do, and the excitement that parents’ have when their baby learns a new skill never gets old. Therapy in this setting is truly about working with the whole family.
I developed a passion for working with families in the first year of life and started Year One Wellness, a business that provides therapy and wellness services to families for infants from birth to walking. It feels like my story is just getting started…
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Opening a business has come with all the emotions you can think of. Personally, starting Year One Wellness was what I felt I needed to do to create the life that best suits me. Aside from working with my preferred population, it’s about creating a healthy work-life balance that allows me to take care of myself, so I can show up in the best way for my clients.
The business side of things was all new to me. This was (and continues to be) a huge learning curve that I’m figuring out along the way. I feel lucky to have a great support team full of family, friends, and mentors that have shown me love and support throughout this process. Additionally, I didn’t expect to meet so many new people in my community so quickly. The outreach of both parents and professionals has been amazing. I feel like I‘ve gained a whole new set of friends, and I’m grateful for each new opportunity this business venture has brought to me.
