Southie is a neighborhood that embodies grit and resilience, and nobody knows that better than our friend Jackie Dieker. A familiar face around the Castle Island Track Club (a fantastic partner of Elliott Physical Therapy, by the way!), Jackie has been on a journey that would test anyone’s spirit – from a terrifying ski accident to slowly and steadily getting back to the activities she loves.

We sat down with Jackie to hear all about her incredible rehab journey with Eric, the Clinical Manager at Elliott Physical Therapy. Let us tell you, it’s a testament to patience, hard work, and having the right people in your corner.

 It all began in February with a ski accident that resulted in Jackie fracturing her tibia plateau and tearing her meniscus. Ouch, to say the least. Surgery in March followed, and then came the truly difficult part: 4.5 months of non-weight bearing on crutches. For an avid runner like Jackie, being sidelined for that long was a huge challenge.

“It was definitely a large shift in my routine,” Jackie admits. “Being on crutches in Boston and ‘crutching’ around, you get very aware of the space you take up and people looking at you…[also] the mental part of, you know…not being able to do the things that you love to do. That was definitely hard.”

Enter Eric from Elliott Physical Therapy. What made this partnership so special? Eric isn’t just a physical therapist; he’s a runner himself. That shared understanding became a cornerstone of Jackie’s recovery.

“Coming to Elliott helped a lot,” Jackie emphasizes. “Eric knew me from running, so he was able to tailor [my treatment] to my goals and to what my physical fitness was before my injury…I’m lucky to have someone I’m so comfortable with, just being able to message him whenever, any questions that I have, he’s a really great person to lean on — a community to lean on.”

 While Eric provided the expert guidance, Jackie put in the relentless physical and mental effort. She found herself battling not just the injury, but also the external pressures and her own desire to rush the rehab.

 “I said hey, so when can I run a marathon?” she reflects. He replied with a laugh, “Slow down, you can’t even walk yet.” Jackie continues, “but having someone that was so passionate about running too was awesome…I was really able to ask him a lot of questions, like, what am I doing today that is going to equip me to run better later?” She shares, “I’m so much more aware of my running form, and the logistics behind it because of Eric.”

A pivotal moment in Jackie’s rehab came the day she finally put weight on her leg again. It was a scary prospect after months of non-weight bearing.

“It was definitely a moment I was really nervous about because I didn’t know if it was gonna be painful, I didn’t know if I was gonna be able to walk.” Jackie recalls. “But, you know, I was with someone that has seen me through everything, and I trusted him and he let me take that step…It was a surreal moment of just being able to walk again – which is crazy to even say.”

Fast forward to about a month ago, and Jackie hit another incredible milestone: running a mile for the first time since her accident.

“My first mile back was with Rider Run Club,” she shares with a big smile. “I remember walking up and I was probably nervous because I had to keep up with people, but I also had to focus on everything Eric told me.” She remembers, “I [wanted] to finish it. I wanted to hit my goal. But Eric urged me to focus on being patient and taking things one mile at a time.” Later that week, Jackie ran another mile with her other running fam, Almost Friday Run Club Boston — she was back, and it felt really good.

Jackie’s story is a powerful reminder that recovery is a marathon, not a sprint. It takes dedication, a strong support system, and a deep understanding of the athlete’s mindset. She’s still putting the work in here at Elliott PT, but she’s already miles from where she started. Her advice: “really try to put your physical health first, because that’s something that you might never be able to get back…this place [Elliott PT] was just so supportive and it was something that I looked forward to every week”.

We’re so incredibly proud of Jackie and her incredible comeback. Keep an eye out for her back on the roads with the Castle Island Track Club (and others!) – she’s a true inspiration!

If you’re a runner in need of PT, look no further. We’ll see you soon at Elliott Physical Therapy in Southie!

A special thank you to Elliott Physical Therapy for being a neighborhood partner!  This article was written by Michelle Silvia.