MEMORABILIA FROM PATIENTS SOLD TO FUND NONPROFIT AGENCY

two of them after Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Troy Tulowitzki liked it so much he bought the clinic a second machine.

“It finds the inflammation in the scar tissue and blows it away,” Pensivy said. “The technology is similar to the way they deal with kidney stones.”

In his testimonial, Tulowitzki wrote, “You really helped my hip that bothered me since 2008. My leg finally feels a part of me! Thanks for getting me healthy.” And he’s not alone. Testimonials written on jerseys and photos are hung on every wall of the facility.

Pensivy said he often was sought by athletes reaching their breaking point. Many came to Pensivy in desperation, having nearly given up on recovery after failed attempts at diagnosis and healing from their team’s physical therapist.

Pensivy said many athletes believed their careers were over prior to treatment, and seeing them back on the court, field, rink or ring was the highlight of his profession. The memorabilia is an added bonus.

Pensivy had so much autographed memorabilia he ran out of space in his attic to keep it all. Then, he came up with a solution.

He started auctioning the memorabilia and created the Play it Forward Foundation. The nonprofit organization uses the proceeds from auctions to pay medical expenses for athletes between ages 8 and 24 who can’t afford it.

“It’s really awesome, and it can be surgery, physical therapy or even dental,” Pensivy said.

It’s just another way for him to do what drew him to the business of sports therapy: helping people. He found his love for the profession as a teenager when his mother was injured in an accident and fell into a coma for nine months.

“I would go in and watch them do physical therapy on her and take care of her,” Pensivy said. “I just saw how amazing it was and I started volunteering at hospitals and doing everything I could at a young age.”