We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Zuzana Rogers. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Zuzana below.

Zuzana, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Your ability to build a team is often a key determinant of your success as a business owner and so we’d love to get a conversation going with successful entrepreneurs like yourself around what your recruiting process was like -especially early on. How did you build your team?

Building a high‑performing team

Runners’ Edge Alaska is a niche sports physical therapy clinic dedicated to Alaska’s active community, from everyday movers to Olympic and elite athletes. I opened the clinic in 2019 as a solo practitioner because I saw a growing gap in access to high‑quality, sports‑specific, goal‑oriented physical therapy in Anchorage. Within just a few years, that solo practice grew into a multi‑provider team with 2 clinics in Anchorage and a strong reputation as the place to go for sports injuries and performance in Alaska.

As demand grew, it became obvious I couldn’t do it alone. My first support was a contract marketing assistant to help connect with active Alaskans and educate the community about what sports physical therapy can truly offer. Once that was in place, I hired my first full‑time physical therapist – a big leap that meant I was essentially doubling the size of the business overnight and stepping fully into leadership. I spent months on a thorough three‑step hiring process that included values‑based conversations, team meetings, and detailed role discussions to ensure each new provider aligned with our mission and culture.

Today, we have a tightly knit, high‑performing team of 16 that shares one primary goal: returning Alaskans to the activities they love as quickly and safely as possible. My role has evolved from “owner-operator” to leader – I now spend significant time mentoring clinicians, optimizing roles, and making sure my team has the tools, technology, and support to deliver truly elite‑level care.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

Who I am and what we do

I’ve been a physical therapist since 2003, with my entire career centered on sports, endurance athletes, and helping active people stay active. I am a board‑certified sports physical therapist and have worked with elite and Olympic‑level athletes, bringing that same standard of care back home to Anchorage. My personal mission is to translate what I learn in elite and high‑level sport environments – including international competition and the Olympics – into accessible, real‑world care for our local community.

At Runners’ Edge Alaska, we empower active Alaskans of all ages to return to the activities they love – safely, efficiently, and for life. We are widely regarded as the best sports physical therapy clinic in Alaska, particularly for runners, skiers, and endurance athletes who want a clear path back to performance rather than being told to “just stop.” Our clients range from people training for their first 5K to ultra‑endurance athletes, youth competitors, and Olympians, and they come to us because they want a plan, not just rest.

We’ve intentionally built a “one‑stop shop” for the active population.

Current offerings include:

One‑on‑one sports physical therapy with board‑certified and sports‑focused clinicians.

Return‑to‑sport and performance programs for running, skiing, hiking, and field/court sports.

Running and movement gait analysis, footwear and training‑load guidance, and sport‑specific strength programs.

Cutting‑edge modalities such as shockwave therapy, dry needling, and blood flow restriction training to accelerate healing.

Sports massage therapy tailored to active bodies under high training loads.

In‑clinic, mobile, and telehealth appointments to make high‑level care accessible around busy training and life schedules.

Our model is intentionally patient‑centered and performance‑driven. We do work with major insurance companies and also offer cash-based services; our primary goal is to be able to provide longer sessions, 1:1 care, and comprehensive solutions. This structure lets us focus on what matters most: getting our clients back to running, skiing, lifting, or playing with their kids without long‑term restrictions.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Staying on the cutting edge

Sports medicine is evolving quickly, and we take it seriously that our patients deserve Olympic‑level thinking, not outdated protocols. I have completed advanced training including an International Olympic Committee diploma in sports physical therapies and maintain board certification in sports physical therapy, which keeps me immersed in the latest evidence and best practices.

In the clinic, that translates into:

Using current research‑based return‑to‑sport criteria instead of simple “pain‑free” tests.

Integrating technologies like shockwave therapy, blood flow restriction training, and detailed motion assessment to support tissue healing and performance.

Continuously updating running and strength programming based on what we see at the highest levels of competition, including recent Olympic cycle.

But cutting‑edge doesn’t mean complicated for the patient. One lesson I’ve had to unlearn is leading with degrees and technical language. Our athletes don’t come in to hear about my CV – they come in because they want to know, “Can you help me run again? Can you help me race this season? Can I ski without pain?” Our job is to take complex science and turn it into clear, actionable plans that feel doable in real life.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Educating and serving the community, staying humble.

Physical therapy still suffers from a big awareness problem: many people don’t fully understand what a sports physical therapist can do for them or that they can come directly to us for musculoskeletal issues. We’ve worked hard to change that by building a strong, education‑forward presence both online and in the Anchorage community.

One of the most important mindsets that connects us to the community is to consistently put the athlete/client – not my credentials or technology – at the center of every conversation. I am proud of my training and the elite and Olympic environments I’ve been part of, but at the end of the day, each person who walks into Runners’ Edge Alaska wants to know just one thing: “Will you help me get back to what I love?”

That question guides everything we do and how we interact with our community. We listen first, build a clear plan second, and then walk alongside our clients from first visit to full return to sport. Whether they are training for the Olympics, the Tour of Anchorage, or their favorite local 5K, our promise is the same: we will bring the best of high‑performance sports physical therapy.

Our social media and community outreach are built around:

Short, practical education about injuries, recovery, and performance – not just sales.

Helping Alaskans understand when they don’t have to “wait it out” or stop their sport just because of a diagnosis like arthritis or a common overuse injury.

Sharing insights from high school sidelines, local races, and major events to highlight both the challenges and opportunities in sports health.

An educated client is one of the most powerful things we can create. When people understand their bodies and their options, they can advocate for themselves and seek care that truly aligns with their goals instead of settling for generic advice to “rest” or “try something easier.”

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.runnersedge.physio
• Instagram: @runnersedgealaska
• Facebook: Runners’ Edge Alaska