The Team

Meet the Empower U team! We are a group of performance physical therapists and driven support staff committed to helping you overcome pain and stay active in the things you love most! Get to know each of our team members below.

Nathan LeMaster - Performance Physical Therapist

Nathan LeMaster PT, DPT, SCS, CSCS

Board Certified Sports Specialist

Dry Needling Certified Level II

Certified Blood Flow Restriction Therapist

Founder & Visionary

I am the founder and visionary of Empower U. As a performance-based physical therapist, I’m dedicated to enhancing your body’s capabilities. Whether you’re into hot yoga, functional fitness, or facing complex challenges, I’m here to support your journey. With expertise in dry needling, manual therapy, and progressive exercises, I tailor treatments to your needs. Empower U promotes a proactive approach to health and fitness, providing you with knowledge and guidance.  

So why Empower U?

Empower U is dedicated to client success through the focus of Performance Physical Therapy in the forms of manual therapy, dry needling, functional exercises and focusing on goals that are important to you. Through continued education, patient success and years of knowledge, I can confidently say we compete with the top clinicians in the nation when it comes to client outcomes and success.

Connect with Nathan: Nathan.LeMaster@TheEmpowerU.com

Tyler Anderson - Performance Physical Therapist

Tyler Anderson PT, DPT, SCS

Board Certified Sports Specialist

Dry Needling Certified Level II

Empower U Performance Physical Therapist

Integrator & Owner

My name is Tyler and I am a Performance Physical Therapist from Kansas City, MO. I’ve been involved with performance based therapy since straight out of school with a strong emphasis in manual and exercise based therapy. My passion lies within spending time with my family, finding that balance between work and life, weightlifting and watching all things sports.

Why was Empower U right for me?

Since becoming a therapist I’ve always had the desire to work with the active population who come to see me with goals in mind. I have continued my education in performance based therapy by achieving my board certified sports specialty in order to continue to bring the most updated research and techniques to each session. Skills that I bring to the table for Empower U are: manual therapy, myofascial decompression cupping, and movement based medicine

Connect with Tyler: Tyler.Anderson@TheEmpowerU.com

Mary Kerkvliet - Performance Physical Therapist

Mary Kerkvliet PT, DPT, CSCS

Dry Needling Certified Level I

Empower U Performance Physical Therapist

Running Specialist

Allow me to introduce myself!

Who am I?

My name is Mary Kerkvliet, and I am Empower U’s newest physical therapist team member. My passions in life include health and fitness, and anything outdoors which includes running, cross country skiing, and hiking with my dogs. You can also find my husband and I rock climbing at state parks in the area! You will find me at Frontier Fitness completing Crossfit workouts and making ascents in Frontier’s rock climbing gym.

What I do?

I’ve been a licensed physical therapist for four years throughout the Midwest in Wisconsin and Minnesota. I most recently moved back to the Sioux Falls area last fall. I’ve treated in sports and orthopedic physical therapy throughout my time as a PT. I’ve enjoyed working with anyone from the weekend warrior to collegiate athletes and anyone in between.

How can I help you?

My passion in physical therapy is to help people become their best version of themselves. I will help you reach your goals whether that’s getting rid of your pain, reaching new fitness or health goals, or getting you through your daily life by minimizing pain and movement dysfunction. No personal life goal is too small or big when it comes to your health, and I’m here to help you achieve them throughout your health journey!

Connect with Mary: Mary.Kerkvliet@TheEmpowerU.com

Jake Tuholsky Performance Physical Therapist

Jake Tuholsky PT, DPT, CSCS

Dry Needling Certified Level I

Empower U Performance Physical Therapist

The Overhead Athlete Specialist

Tell us about you!

My name is Jake Tuholsky, and I’m a performance physical therapist from central Minnesota. I’ve had a strong passion for performance and sports therapy since physical therapy school. I’ve been fortunate to work with athletes from youth to professional/Olympians, a former athlete’s dream. We are all athletes in our own right, and I enjoy helping everyone accomplish their health goals. I got into physical therapy from being an athlete my entire life and was fortunate to play baseball in college. During that time, I had my fair share of injuries and started thinking about how great it would be to help people recover and enhance their performance. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family, working out, and obsessed with all things sports, hunting/fishing.

Why Empower U?

The most important thing to me is always going to be the people, and I can say Empower U has some of the most passionate and caring people anyone will meet. I enjoy the strive for excellence and the unmatched drive to help every single patient achieve the goals that are most important to them. I’m so lucky to be a part of such a fantastic staff. I provide services to help people reach their performance goals. My primary focus is manual therapy, dry-needling, performance optimization, and corrective exercises geared toward the athlete’s individual goals.

Connect with Jake: Jake.Tuholsky@theempoweru.com

Performance Physical Therapist - Kailtyn McNamara

Kailtyn McNamara PT, DPT, OCS

Dry Needling Certified Level I

Certified Running Coach UESCA, USATF

Empower U Performance Physical Therapist

Running & Endurance Specialist

Meet Kaitlyn

My name is Kaitlyn McNamara and I am a performance physical therapist and certified running coach. I am a competitive marathon runner and outdoor enthusiast originally from Washington state. In my free time, I can most often be found coaching and running races, adventuring outside with my boyfriend and dog, or taking ski trips to the mountains. After being shuffled through the medical system with sport-related injuries as a young athlete, I became a physical therapist to help those looking for an alternative to injections, surgeries, and “stop running”. I am passionate about working with runners and athletes who have met similar dead ends and frustration with injuries or plateaus in their performance. My goal is to bridge the gap between rehabilitation and performance by integrating injury prevention and healthy training strategies into each client’s repertoire to not just address an injury but take their experience and abilities to a new level.

Why Empower U?

As an athlete and especially a runner, I deeply understand how interrupting injury can be – not only to your goals and lifestyle, but how it can result in a loss of identity. The people and vision here at Empower U have provided me the freedom to practice the way I want to – with my client as the centerpiece. Our practice emphasizes a holistic approach to rehabilitation, where you will never feel like you are just a number in a system. Your goals, confidence, and independence with finding what works best for your active lifestyle will always be our top priority. If you’re looking for a better PT experience, this is it.

Connect with Kaitlyn: Kaitlyn.McNamara@TheEmpowerU.com

Erik Hanson - Performance Physical Therapist

Erik Hanson PT, DPT, ATC, CSCS

Dry Needling Certified Level I

Empower U Performance Physical Therapist

Get to know Erik

My name is Erik Hanson, and I am a performance physical therapist from the Sioux Falls region. Prior to becoming a physical therapist I spent the last decade as a certified athletic trainer working for various sporting organizations both in the area and around the country. My participation in athletics combined with my personal injury experiences led me to pursue an early career in athletic training. My curiosity for understanding human performance and desire to continually seek knowledge has inspired me to further my professional career as a physical therapist with Empower U. Outside of physical therapy I love spending time with my family, working out at Viable CF, and of course cheering on the Jackrabbits!

Tell us about your prior experience and how it benefits your role today

Empower U prides itself on not only providing excellent physical therapy services, but also including a performance element into your treatment plan to make you as resilient as possible. As an athletic trainer and performance coach, for the past 10 years I have been able to set a solid foundation on performance and functional fitness which allows me to thrive here at Empower U. I have spent the better part of my career educating and instructing numerous individuals surrounding the vast world of functional fitness. From professional athletes to weekend warriors my primary goal has always been to help you level up to become the best version of yourself. Whether that be fixing the root cause of your chronic low back pain or helping you reach a new PR in the weight room, I am here to help personalize your own wellness journey.

Connect with Erik: Erik.Hanson@theempoweru.com

Chaely Anderson Headshot

Chaely Anderson

Head of Administration & Operations

Empower U

Hello! My name is Chaely Anderson. I am passionate about my family, caring for others, and living a healthy lifestyle. At Empower U, I can fulfill all three of those as they are our highest priorities.

Over the past seven years, I have had multiple roles and extensive background in the Physical Therapy and Healthcare industry. I became a part of the Empower U team in August of 2021. I play a vital role as Head of Administration and Operations.

Tell us about your role with Empower U

Most of my role is behind the scenes, but I enjoy the interactions I get to have with clients. My focus is to support our clients through their health journey by onboarding new clients, guiding them through the unique client experience, and supporting any immediate business or client needs. I also have my Doctorate in Physical Therapy which allows me to be entirely in tune with all of our Therapists and Clients for a seamless client experience.

Connect with Chaely: Admin@theempoweru.com

Lexi Morrison Headshot

Lexi Morrison

Head of Business Development & Marketing

Empower U

Hello everyone,

My name is Lexi Morrison. I am the person behind the scenes driving marketing initiatives and growing the Empower U community. I am happiest when I am outdoors, spending time with friends, family, and my puppy, Graham. I live for hot yoga sculpt but love to try various workouts for physical and mental clarity.

My Empower U Journey

I began having issues with my lower back and quickly realized the benefits of dry needling and performance physical therapy which led me to Empower U. I mentioned my chronic migraines during my treatment and was excited to learn that they could be treated through similar therapies, so I gave it a shot. As a result, I’ve experienced immense relief from a pain that I’ve struggled with for years.

For the organization’s size and tenure, I was impressed at how much the business was doing. They are making a mark for themselves with their community impact and value every client that walks through their doors. I was honored when I was asked to join the team in a part-time role to help enhance their client experience.

My passion and strengths lie in thinking like a consumer. I always try to think from the client perspective and since I started out as one, it is relatively easy for me to do. Not only will this be a benefit to the business but ultimately for all of you as clients. I thrive on building relationships and can’t wait to connect with each of you. I look forward to supporting you and ensuring you have the best experience at Empower U.

Connect with Lexi: Lexi.Morrison@theempoweru.com