Racing Across Pakistan While Treating Patients From Trail — with Eliza Sampey

About this episode

Eliza Sampey shares her journey as a telehealth pioneer and professional athlete, discussing her experiences with remote patient care and concussion awareness.

Eliza Sampey started treating patients remotely in 2012, years before telehealth was a real conversation in U.S. healthcare. She wasn't following a trend. She was following the needs of her patients who were adventure athletes that couldn't make it to her clinic. Everyone said she was crazy but she trusted that her vision was worth fighting for even when her employer said no. But Eliza's story goes way beyond being a telehealth pioneer. She is a national champion mountain biker, a professional expedition athlete who has fat-biked and pack-rafted across Pakistan, India, Nepal, and Puerto Rico, and built a life where her clinical skills and her athletic identity weren't competing things — they were one thing. Then came concussion number five. And three years of unknowingly digging her own grave with every pedal stroke. In this raw and extraordinary conversation, Eliza shares: How she accidentally became one of the first virtual physical therapists in the United States and why no one believed it would work The flash of insight mid-race that told her she didn't have to choose between being a PT and being a pro athlete How she monetized her athletic career in ways that didn't exist…

People in this episode

Host: Frank Benedetto

Guest: Eliza Sampey

Topics covered

• telehealth
• adventure sports
• concussion awareness
• remote patient care
• athletic identity
• physical therapy

Keywords

• telehealth
• physical therapy
• concussion
• adventure athlete
• mountain biking
• remote care
• Pakistan
• athletic career

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: U.S. healthcare

Places: Pakistan, India, Nepal, Puerto Rico

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