Samantha D

I am a Doctor of Physical Therapy. I graduated from Northwestern University in 2005. I have spent the majority of my career thus far working at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach. In my current practice I use active modalities and strength based physical therapy methods because as an athlete myself, I have used and seen these methods work time and time again. They are supported by research and used by clinicians all over the world. So whether you are here for rehab or strength training you can count on having a barbell, dumbbell or kettlebell in your hands at some point.
I am also a competitive powerlifter, Word Record holder in the deadlift, and all around lover of lifting heavy things. I am a hard worker and expect the same thing out of my clients, but I also know we are all human and I am here to help you navigate that. Lifting has changed my world, my goals, and my career. It is my passion and my job to help you find your way to your goals, to achieve things greater than you imagined.After working at Hoag Hospital for almost 15 years, I decided to make a leap and start my own practice after finding a huge gap in the care of strength athletes like myself. At GRIT we have the ability to provide a well rounded experience where education and simplicity are key ingredients because we know healthcare, fitness, and recovery can be a bit overwhelming and hard to navigate without a guide. We are super passionate about teaching the enormous benefits of basic strength training in any form.

Our mission is to build more resilient humans using strength, knowledge, and intent. We pride ourselves on educating people to better care for themselves when they are injured and motivating them to work hard for their goals, whatever they may be.