“As a teenager, I was fortunate to become acquainted with a custom hiking boot maker. I was fascinated with how he created functional and beautiful footwear, particularly the boots he made for a climber who had lost all his toes to frostbite.

Initially, I set out to become a boot maker specializing in shoes to help people with foot problems remain active in outdoor sports. My search to understand both healthy feet and problematic feet led me to the field of podiatry, particularly foot and ankle surgery. I realized that frequently I could best help keep my patients active by permanently fixing the foot rather than making a pair of corrective shoes.