We recently connected with Joshua Carter and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Joshua, thanks for joining us today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

In my early high school education, I could have been defined as a terrible student. I didn’t make good grades, and my home life was not very supportive. I feel that, in life, there are several defining moments that can take a person by surprise. My first defining moment was marrying my wife. She and her family taught me that I was the only thing standing in my way and that I had the ability to accomplish anything that I put my head into. This defining moment spearheaded a professional athletic career as a cyclist and also set in motion the most important thing in my life, my family. My wife and I married young and when we started our family, it was like kids raising kids. We took the flow of life as it came, with the ups and downs, and welcomed the opportunities to grow as they came. One of the biggest defining moments for me was the decision to start college at the age of 29. Married, with 5 kids, and at the height of my athletic career, this was a challenge to say the least. I wanted to set the example to my kids that higher education was important, even though I thought I would never have the chance to go to college. I took the opportunity when it came and ran with it. After finishing my undergrad degree in Exercise Science, I had an opportunity to earn a Masters degree, so I took it.
I feel that defining moments that we have are tied to opportunities that are presented. If we take advantage of those opportunities, we will have defining moments. I decided I wasn’t done and wanted to prove to myself that I could do what few people can do and earn a PhD. That was an opportunity that I created, not one that presented itself.
If you would have told my 17 year old self that one day I would have a PhD, you would have been laughed out of the room.
Moral of my story, take advantage of opportunities as they come. When no opportunities are present, create one!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I started working at OsteoStrong Clayton in the fall of 2021. In addition to earning a doctorate degree, I am a certified Functional Movement Specialist and have a specific focus on functional movement and corrective exercise. My current work running the OsteoStrong clinic in Clayton allows me to utilize my unique background and education to help people of all populations with daily movement patterns and increased kinesthetic awareness. I am also an adjunct professor at both Saint Louis Community College and Saint Charles Community College, teaching in the Health and Wellness, and Exercise Science programs.

The OsteoStrong Clayton clinic specifically focuses on helping people combat the effects of Osteoporosis and Osteopenia. We use specialized equipment to emulate impact force to trigger a growth response in the skeletal system. I am known as the go-to guy for all-things osteoporosis and osteopenia. I get to spend my days helping people become stronger and move better, while increasing their bone density.
I know this sounds cliché, but I am most proud of my wife and kids. They are all doing amazing things in life, and they make me want to do better and match their awesomeness! As far as what I am most proud of for myself, I would say that it’s the fact that I went to college and earned a PhD, have been married for 28 years, and had a successful 1st career. These things beat the odds for what I ever thought I could do in life.
I think something that sets me apart is that I am very passionate about what I do. It is easy to get me talking about the clinic and the people that I get to help every day! I love it!

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

About 15 years ago, I had a serious injury from a crash in a race. I fractured 3 vertebrae in my spine. At the time, this was a debilitating situation. I was on scholarship for racing in college and was only 3 semesters into my college career. When I was able to finally travel back to home I was informed that I was going to lose my scholarship due to being injured. This set my entire college plan adrift. Not only was I severely injured and could barely move, much less walk, I was now losing the thing that was paying for my education. This forced my wife and I to pivot our life plans and we moved back to Saint Louis so we could have family around to help in my recovery. This allowed me to start school at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. This move allowed us to refocus and plan an new path. I eventually recovered enough to start racing again after 2 years and earned another opportunity to race for Lindenwood University. This was the start of my graduate work.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

I have always enjoyed leading my teammates. I think in my role at the clinic, I consider my employees teammates now. I learned a long time ago that I was not the smartest person in the room and others around me made me better. I learned how to get the best/most out of them through respect, but also, they could trust me. I never let my teammates down and always had their backs. My employees know the same thing now. I trust their ideas, time and talents and know how to get the best out of them. They want to give me their best. I want to see them grow and we all work towards a common goal.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.osteostrongclayton.com
• Instagram: osteostrongclayton
• Facebook: osteostrongclayton
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-carter-phd-18897213a
• Other: email: [email protected]
  8201 Maryland Ave
  Clayton MO, 63105
  314-541-5661