“My contribution to the community is that of hope,” says Robert Collewijn, a physical therapist who owns a private practice in Clearwater. “People don’t always find good care and real benefits to undo the physical barriers posed upon their lives.” With his private physical therapy practice, Free Motion Physical Therapy (FMPT), “people can find true help and guidance to restore and enhance their physical body as necessary to live a productive life and reach their goals.”
Collewijn founded FMPT in 2014, simultaneously developing the Scale of Function, a philosophy that delineates the different operating states of the body and how to bring it up the scale to its full potential, gaining FMPT a reputation for high-quality therapy and service.
Collewijn helps the community by “providing opportunities for students in the community interested in the physical therapy field to work alongside us and learn proper applications that will directly influence how they can make positive changes for patients and themselves.”
Collewijn likes “the diversity of people” in Clearwater the most. He emigrated from the Netherlands to the U.S. in 1987 and has lived in Clearwater for 21 years. “I have made friends with people from different ethnicities, countries and cultures, and it’s fascinating that we can find common ground. We have such a huge sense of aliveness, friendship and desire to improve our lives and those of each other and create a safe place for many people to live and get along great.”
