Lorne “Mac” and Beth MacDonald, owners of Falcon Physical Therapy and Fitness, love their patients.Although they are open for business 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday thru Friday, they occasionally see patients on the weekends as well, upping that work week to at least 60 hours.”You don’t do that unless you love what you do,” Mac MacDonald said.With over 185 local doctors referring patients to Falcon Physical Therapy, the MacDonalds recently expanded their Falcon operation to Calhan on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and on April 15, the opened a 3,000-square-foot center at Fit Fore Golf at the Vineyards in Colorado Springs.MacDonald works with injuries related to orthopedics, sports, neurological (strokes, brain injuries) and other accidents.Beth and Mac married four months after they met in a jewelry store in El Paso, Texas, where Beth worked as the sales manager. Mac was in El Paso on a temporary assignment. They’ve been married for 13 years.”We had actually spent just over two weeks together when we got married,” Beth MacDonald said.She’s a native of Cleveland, Ohio, and graduated from Miami University in Ohio. Beth worked in jewelry store sales for 16 years.Mac is from Detroit, Mich. He joined the U.S. Army and spent 12 years in the Special Forces as a paratrooper and communications specialist. After their wedding, the Army brought the MacDonalds to Colorado Springs. Both are athletic and the Colorado outdoor life fit them.After leaving the Special Forces, the MacDonalds moved to Mac’s home state so he could pursue his education at the University of Michigan. He knew a thing or two about injuries when, as a paratrooper, he broke his leg, shoulder and hurt his back.”I was a train wreck and physical therapy appealed to me,” he said.Beth continued her career in jewelry store management but told her husband she’d welcome the opportunity to return to Colorado. That opportunity came in 2001 when Ultra Diamonds Corp. transferred her to Colorado Springs. Mac stayed behind in Michigan for two years to finish his master’s degree before joining his wife in 2001. “We spent a lot of time apart during our early marriage, and now we get to spend a lot together,” he said.Mac worked as a licensed physical therapist at various centers around town. “I knew I was helping people, but I also knew I could do more for the patients if I had more time with them,” he said. “And the only way that was going to happen is if I owned the business.”Mac and Beth left their jobs, and in Sept. 2004, Falcon Physical Therapy and Fitness opened for business.Beth runs the business side, handling everything from customer relations, human resources to the books. The staff at Falcon Physical Therapy’s includes junior partner Johnanna Sullivan, licensed physical therapist and certified athletic trainer, and Jennifer Orr, who was once a student of Mac’s and now has her doctorate in physical therapy. In addition, Falcon Physical Therapy employs occupational therapist JoEllen Richardson and certified athletic trainer Randy Bales, who is often seen on the sidelines of high school sporting events.Also on their staff are personal trainer Jessica Linder and massage therapist Ralph Giodano. Receptionists Dee Vecchio and Tina Kulic complete the team.”We have what we call a bump-and-bruise clinic,” Mac said. “If a high school athlete receives a minor injury, we treat them immediately for free.”When not working, the MacDonalds enjoy spending time with their two dogs and two cats. And Beth competes in marathons and triathlons. Her feats include the Ironman. She will compete this June in the Ford Ironman competition in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. The MacDonalds also sponsor an annual Pikes Peak Hill Climb for 20 friends and family every July 5.”It’s a great time,” Beth said. “We leave at 4 a.m. and hike to the top where a bus is waiting to bring us back down.”Mac also enjoys running and hiking but does not participate in the Ironman event due to his past injuries.The MacDonalds want others to enjoy the benefits of health and fitness and have built their therapy centers to help people achieve that goal. “It’s all about the patients, and we never forget that,” Mac said.For more information about Falcon Physical Therapy and Fitness, located in the Woodmen Hills Plaza, call 495-3133.
