With the earlier stages of her schooling taking place in Evansville, Indiana, Jenny Thurner hasn’t always called the Region her home. An outsider no more, she now resides in Valparaiso. After making the move to the area for good, she works as a pediatric physical therapist, loving every bit of it.
It wasn’t Thurner’s move to the area that compelled her to get into pediatric physical therapy. The story starts with her attending Southern Indiana University, going to school to study exercise science and running track on the side. During the time after her graduation, she worked with kids for about three years, and then she had a sudden epiphany that pushed her to go back to school to become a physical therapist (PT).
Thurner’s father suffered from multiple sclerosis (MS), a degenerative disease, and she had to watch him struggle through it. It moved her enough to make crucial decisions that have made all the difference since. Even though her background was once in sports medicine, she’s understood that she truly loves working with kids, being a self-identified big one herself. A few more steps were necessary before she decided to finally take a leap into the world of physical therapy, however.
“I watched a movie about my dad’s disease, and then his diagnosis came out - that was the reason I filled out the application for PT school. I submitted it to a few colleges, got into one, and that's really the whole turning point. It all plays out well, and I’m always inspired to come back to work each day because I know every day is going to be different, that it’s not going to be a cookie-cutter experience all the time,” she said.
Kentucky was where a lot of Thurner’s development working in the field took place. For PT school, she wound up studying at Bellarmine University in Louisville from which she graduated in 2009. After that, she secured her first job less than 10 minutes from her alma mater. Since then, she’s had no hard time picking out one of the more positive parts of her vocation.
“I am just a lifelong learner. Once something is brought to my attention, I have to learn it. I then love taking those newfound things and actually implementing them. Seeing how it all is connected is a magical thing. Every day, each kid gives me a new reason to learn something new,” Thurner said.
When it comes to the type of work Thurner does, it cannot be denied that she’s constantly improving the lives of those around her. It all surely pays off and becomes something extraordinary. What she's realized in the process, too, is that parents really do play a consequential role in the lives of their children.
“I'm there to help the children, of course, but it's also empowering to the families. Teaching them that they can help their child every day is what’s important. If I give a family something to do or coach them, then they watch it happen, it's a magical happening. Seeing on their face the realization that they helped their kid is incredible. That's what it's about,” she said.
Involved in the community around her, Thurner does a variety of things in addition to her actual job. A part of First Steps, Indiana’s early intervention program, she assists kids by offering them various kinds of therapy that focus on the overall development of the child. She also operates her own private practice.
Altering lives aside, Thurner enjoys running, as it provides her with a release of everyday stressors. She thoroughly enjoys the time she gets to spend with her family. From taking trips anywhere to fishing together, life outside of work is one of a free-spirited nature.
Thurner’s also a published author. Not too long ago, she released her book, called “Healthy Baby Habits.” Detailing the first 12 months of life with a newborn, it includes all the basic things all parents should know with an emphasis on how they shouldn’t feel overwhelmed by parenting because it’s something that soon comes naturally.
Although she doesn’t like to remain too busy when she’s not working, being on her feet is the most important part of Thurner’s leisure. What’s more, one of her biggest sources of inspiration is her husband.
“My husband and I have been married 19 years. He is such a hard worker, and he inspires me to just keep trying, to keep doing the thing, whatever it is. He's my biggest motivator. I want to keep level with him. He's passionate about what he does, and it's good to be together like that, bouncing off each other,” she said.
Valparaiso has opened up the opportunity for all of the magic of Thurner’s life to simply be. It’s certainly home, and that fact is one to celebrate.
“It’s the smaller community for me — just knowing that there's probably someone around who can help you with anything. There's always something going on. I like to hear about everyone. We’re all here, and just love it. I like that feeling,” she said.