Hi, I’m Kat! Welcome to
FTC Kids | empowerment center!
It’s so nice to meet you!

Meet Kathryn Vander-Ploeg

Director, Physical Therapy

Known for her sensitivity and optimism, Ms. Kat specializes in making every kiddo believe that they can accomplish the goal and make those small strides that add up to huge leaps.

Back in the day, she worked three jobs simultaneously to put herself through school so she could achieve her dream of becoming a physical therapist.

If she were a couple of dollars short with school fees, she’d hold a garage sale at her aunt’s house to make a few extra bucks, just so she could continue her education without interruption. Believing she would always find a way helped Ms. Kat develop that “can-do” attitude that allows her to inspire every child she works with.

A natural athlete who was well-acquainted with sports injuries and no stranger to the inside of a rehab center, she’d always known that one day she would help others maximize their potential in mobility. Since she had always been drawn to children, she quickly found an area of specialization in pediatric physical therapy.

Helpful, capable, and hard-working are among her most noticeable traits, but it is her natural ability to evoke a smile and inspire confidence that her kids most appreciate. Her hidden talents include making up a song for any gross motor activity and doing her spot-on Elmo impersonation.

Ms. Kat is an outdoorsy person, who likes to spend her free time hiking with her husband and two kids. If you ask her four-year-old what she did last weekend, it’s likely she’ll say, “We hiked ten miles!” Not the most typical response for a pre-schooler, but there’s not much that’s typical about Ms. Kat.

Kat