Dave and Beth decided to jump off the cliff and open Acceleration Physical Therapy in March of 2007. With over 40 years of combined physical therapy experience and 10,000 new evaluations, Dave and Beth have seen almost every kind of orthopedic injury. We understand that the most important part of physical therapy is listening to our patient’s story to understand where they come from and where they would like to go. In this healthcare environment, where face time with your practitioner is getting harder to come by, it is nice to know that all of your questions will be addressed.
David Jeter, MPT, COMT
Dave moved to Spokane in 1995 to study Biology at Eastern Washington University. He was accepted to the EWU Physical Therapy program, and graduated in 2001. Dave earned his COMT certification from the North American Institute of Manual Therapy. While Dave is a skilled manual therapist, he feels that some of his best work is performed at his barbecue in his back yard. He enjoys mountain biking, adventure racing, triathlons, fly-fishing, golfing, and most any other outdoor activity that can be done in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. His twin girls always keep him busy.
Beth Sweigert, PTA
Beth Sweigert, PTA was born in Portland Oregon, but has spent most of her life her in Spokane Wa. She is a graduate of Gonzaga Prep. She played two years of college softball on the east coast before returning to Spokane and getting her BAE in physical education from EWU in 1998. During college she spent six years coaching basketball and softball at the high school level. She graduated from the PTA program at SFCC in 2001 and in 2002 met her future business partner David Jeter. She has completed various continuing education including functional exercise, strain counter strain and vestibular dysfunction. She continues to be active with a summer softball team each year as well as making an annual showing at Hoopfest. She enjoys running and biking, and in 2009 ran her first (and last) marathon and competed in her first (not last) triathlon. When looking for excuses not to work out she can be found sitting in the sun on a patio or by a lake next to her pug Baxter.
Alex Fruci, PT, DPT
Alex was born and raised in Spokane where he graduated high school at Lewis and Clark. He went on to attend Eastern Washington University for both his undergraduate and graduate degrees, receiving his Bachelors in Biology in 2016 and Doctor of Physical Therapy in 2020. He has a special interest in manual therapy and sports medicine and would like to continue to advance his knowledge in those specialties. Alex is dedicated to health and fitness and competed in his first NPC bodybuilding competition in 2019. During his free time, Alex enjoys activities such as hiking, camping, playing basketball, and taking on new home improvement projects. A special lifetime goal of his is to visit every national park in the country
Bryce Ellgen, PT, DPT
Bryce moved to Spokane to enter Eastern Washington University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program. He graduated in 2012. During his time at school he met his wife. He enjoys sports and spending family time in the great outdoors. Bryce has the valuable talent of being able to speak fluent spanish. He is the director of Acceleration Therapy Services in Deer Park, WA. He has special interest in dizziness and vestibular rehabilitation..
Amy Giesler, PTA
Amy grew up in Tumwater Washington, came here for her undergraduate at Eastern Washington University, graduated in 2018. She graduated with her PTA degree from Whatcom Community College in 2021. She has been very excited to get to work with pediatric patients at the deer park clinic. Amy lives on 23 acres with her husband and daughter. She loves the beach and anything in the sun, plays volleyball, and loves to go hiking.
Stacy Petkus, PTA
Stacy moved from Kalispell, MT to Spokane after she was accepted into the Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Spokane Falls Community College, graduating in 2006. Her journey into physical therapy started with her own rehabilitation experiences from having two knee surgeries and the desire to give the same quality of care she received as a patient. She likes to travel, go camping, and work in the garage with her husband on one of their classic vehicles, and she recently started roller skating with the local roller derby to learn how to officiate for the league.
Danny Doyle, PTA
Danny is a Spokane native who enjoys competing in sports, hosting BBQs, and spending time with his partner and their dog in nature. He did his PTA studies at Spokane Falls Community College–a big shift from aerospace engineering which was his previous field. Danny likes helping people get back to doing what they love, whether that be sports, gardening, or walking their dog around the neighborhood. His favorite part about being a PTA is the connections he makes with others in his community and seeing them thrive as they reach their personal goals from physical therapy.
Christin Crowder, PTA
Christin grew up “all over the South” in AL, TX, GA, and TN, and occasionally her accent slips out. She has spent most of her career as a teacher and has taught people of all ages from children to the elderly. During some traveling after college she fell in love with the Northwest and moved to Spokane in 2011 with her son. She was accepted into SFCC’s Physical Therapist Assistant program and graduated in 2015. She specializes in working with the elderly and balance training, as well as adapting exercises to patient needs. In her spare time she loves spending time with her son; being outdoors biking, hiking, and kayaking; swing dancing; and playing racquet sports such as racquetball, tennis, and pickleball. She has recently taken up snowboarding to enjoy the snow and Northwest winters, but she’s taking it slow, you may see her on the bunny slopes.
Bobbi Arnold, PTA
Bobbi is a native of Spokane and graduated from Spokane Falls Community College with her PTA degree in 2015. She loves to hike the Liberty Lake trail with her two daughters or enjoy a glass of wine on the back deck with her husband. Bobbi continues to develop her professional skills in functional exercise and balance training.
Amanda Lankford, OTR/L
Amanda Lankford was born in Spokane Washington and raised in Deer Park. She received her undergraduate degree in Exercise Science in 2013 and graduate degree in Occupational Therapy in 2015 at Eastern Washington University. She looks forward to offering occupational therapy services to people of all ages in her hometown and surrounding communities. Her hobbies include reading great literature, dancing, playing basketball and soccer, and exploring the lakes in the area soaking up sun and catching fish.
Julie Wight, PT, DPT
Julie grew up in the Wenatchee valley and first moved to the Spokane area for college. She attended Eastern Washington University for both her undergraduate and graduate degrees. She graduated from Eastern’s Doctorate of Physical Therapy program in 2014. When given the chance Julie loves to travel, especially to visit family in New England and around the country. However, if stuck at home she enjoys hiking, running, reading, baking and spending time with friends and family.
Laurel Pierce, PTA
Laurel earned her PTA degree at Whatcom Community College. She is a transplant from the Olympia area, and is enjoying all the beauty to be found on the sunnier side of the mountains. Outside of work, you will most likely find her out hiking, kayaking, or enjoying time with her family.
Erin McCarthy, PTA
Erin graduated from SFCC with her Physical Therapist Assistant degree in 2006. She has worked for Acceleration Physical Therapy in Spokane since 2007, and specializes in functional exercise facilitation. She enjoys hiking, golf, and walking her dog Teddy.
Carla Robertson, PT, DPT
Carla attended Seattle Pacific University for her undergraduate degree in exercise science, and completed an internship with the sports science department of the Seattle Seahawks. She moved to Spokane in 2019 to complete her doctorate in physical therapy from Eastern Washington University. She has spent time working in pediatric, neuro-rehabilitation, and geriatric settings. She has a passion for adaptive sports and finding an entry-point for movement for all age groups. In her free time you can find her reading, mountain biking, playing volleyball, snowboarding, or spending time with her husband and black lab
Spirit Marley, PTA
Spirit moved to Spokane to attend Spokane Falls Community College, where she earned her degree as a Physical Therapist Assistant in 2018. In her free time, she enjoys hiking and running with her dog, yoga, strength training, kayaking, watching stand up comedy and playing board games.
Mitzi Itzel Martinez, COTA
Mitzi Itzel Martinez was born in Lazaro Cardenas, Michoacan, Mexico but raised in Spokane, WA for the majority of her life. She is able to speak Spanish fluently and hopes to use it in her career if the opportunity arises. She graduated from Lewis & Clark high school and recieved her Associates Degree in Occupational Therapy Assistant at Spokane Falls Community College, graduating in 2020. Mitzi loves working with the pediatric population and is excited to continue doing so in the surrounding communities. When she has the time she spends it traveling, playing tennis and volleyball. As well, volunteering in her church, shopping, trying new restaurants and spending time with her friends and family especially the family pet, Leah!
Remington Klein, PT, DPT
Remington grew up in the wheat fields of Eastern Washington in the humble little town of Edwall. Remington is an Eastern Eagle through and through, having completed his undergraduate degree in biology at EWU in 2015 and graduating from their Physical Therapy Doctorate Program in 2022. Not a fan of pain and limitations, he strives to teach patients self-management strategies for living a fuller and more comfortable life. While waiting for his nephew to grow old enough to build lego sets together, he enjoys board games, talking his siblings into playing virtual reality games, and traveling back to the farm to visit the barn cats.
Michael Kistler, MSPT, FAFS, CAFS, C-PS
Mike was born and raised on the South Hill in Spokane. After attending Lewis and Clark High School, he earned an undergraduate degree in Human Biology, Psychology, and Chicano Studies from Eastern Washington University. From there, my pursuit of PT took me to Des Moines, Iowa to the University of Osteopathic Medicine and Health Sciences. Upon graduation, I returned to Spokane and worked for a few different orthopedic private practices prior to opening my own clinic, Elite Physical and Sports Therapy. I have always had an interest in orthopedic injuries of the shoulder and knee, and have been considered one of a few “go-to” PT’s in town for athletic injury rehabilitation. I have been a volunteer PT on many sidelines at Mead and Mt. Spokane High Schools for 15 years, as well as North Central and Lewis and Clark when I worked on the South Hill. When I am not working, I enjoy time with my family, wife Juli, son Drew who is a swimmer at the University of Minnesota, and my daughter Jena, who committed to swim at Washington State University beginning Fall of 2024. In my spare time, I enjoy weight training, boxing, researching biomechanics through my fellowship training with the Gary Gray GIFT Institute, as well as reading. I own many leather bound books and my house smells of rich mahogany.
Lindsay Preuss, PT, DPT
Lindsay grew up in the Midwest graduating from Creighton University with her doctorate of physical therapy in 2011. She moved to Spokane in 2013 where she has been practicing physical therapy emphasizing outpatient orthopedics and vestibular rehabilitation. When she is not in the clinic, she can be found enjoying nature, hiking, swimming and playing with her family.
Beth Walker, PTA, ATC
Beth grew up in the south bay area of California. She moved to Spokane at 17 to attend Whitworth University (College back then) and graduated in 2002 with a B.A. in Athletic Training. After a year of working at a PT clinic she went on to become a Physical Therapist Assistant, graduating from SFCC’s program in 2005. Beth enjoys the variety that comes with working in the orthopedic setting, working with all ages and backgrounds. She has an extensive dance background, competing at the State and National levels in ballet, tap, jazz and acro. which has given her a special interest and enjoyment in working with this unique athletic population. When not at work, Beth continues to dance, taking an advanced adult tap class weekly and she also enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter. You can find the 3 of them snowboarding in the Winter and enjoying all the Inland Northwest has to offer year round.
Tyson Keys, PTA
Tyson is a Utah native but raised here in Spokane. He has always had a passion for health and fitness which led him to a Bachelors in Exercise Science at EWU, followed by graduating from the Spokane Falls PTA program in 2022. He loves the mountains and can be found snowboarding, hiking, and mountain biking or in the gym for yoga and rock climbing. Family is everything for him, including his dog and cat. He is most ambitious to travel the world, wanting to step foot on every continent.
Kara Nelson MS CCC-SLP
Kara was born in Phoenix, AZ and moved to Spokane with her family in 1996. She graduated with her BA and MS in Speech Therapy from Eastern Washington’s program in 2018. She has a wide range of experiences including autism, pediatrics, dyslexia, ADHD, and Parkinson’s disease. She loves to be outside hiking, swimming, kayaking, traveling, and camping.