The first thing I would have to say about Erika is that she is tough. Very tough. I walk out of sessions with her sore, sweating, and exhausted. However, as she has pushed me to my limits, she has been nothing shy of extremely precise, reassuringly intelligent, and wonderfully encouraging. She has not only been a healer, but also someone I trust completely. Erika began treating me about 6 weeks after I had surgery to repair a completely ruptured Achilles tendon. I was not in good shape when I met her for the first time. I had lost 10 pounds of leg muscle, and my calf had deteriorated to practically nothing. I remember biting into my arm as she started working into my calf the first day because of the pain. In those crucial first weeks, Erika told me exactly where I was progress-wise, what I was lacking, and what I needed to do to move forward. She replaced the uncertainty I previously had about the healing process with a concrete series of steps that would maximize my chances of a complete recovery. Rigorous and detailed, Erika gave me quantifiable results I could see: when I followed her instructions, they improved, and when I did not, I saw the regression. While I was diligent at first, that was the catalyst I needed to put in a completely committed effort to ensure a thorough recovery. I bought into her plan. Over the next few months, we began developing the working relationship I now cherish. As mobility and strength came back to my leg, I started walking, lifting weights, running, sprinting, cutting, and, finally, jumping. Erika focused not only on the Achilles, but on my body as a whole; I worked on core strengtheners and stabilizers, did preventive work on my knee ligaments, and grew stronger and more aware of my body. She imparted on me an enormous amount of knowledge so I understood my body and could listen to it, knowledge that will help me stay healthy in the future. Eleven months after my surgery, I had not only put back on the 10 pounds I had lost, but I had gained an additional 10, added 2 inches to my vertical leap from before the surgery, and squatted over 25 pounds better than my previous max even before returning to regular lifting. Moreover, I found that when cutting and changing direction, I was more stable, in control, and faster than ever. I celebrated with my first full-scale test of the repaired leg, an 18 mile hike over two days in Idaho up and down Table Rock. I still go to Erika for regular sessions, and every time, the exercises become more challenging. I cannot accurately summarize the debt I owe her for her guidance during my recovery, for the knowledge to keep myself healthy, and for the new and innovative ways she gives me to challenge myself and grow stronger each day.