Life Lessons

For Niwot High School grad Libby White (06) being physically active is an integral part of life. Courier readers may remember her as a Cougar softball pitcher who went on to play at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs. But being active also had a physical benefit in terms of managing her juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and ultimately, in her decision to become a physical therapist.

Diagnosed with juvenile RA at age 10, White said having been exposed to health care professionals as a kid was her gateway into what has become a rewarding career. “I was always fascinated by these people who made me feel better.”

Her doctor at Children’s Hospital in Denver made one comment that really “stuck” with her. He advised her “to remain active, because the more you move your joints, the better you’re going to feel. That [comment] propelled me into the world of sports.”

Much of what she loved about playing softball applies to how she feels about her job. “I loved the sense of community,” White said. “And the competition was always something that I was motivated by, and the sense of bettering yourself.

“Now that I’m older and mature I [can] reflect back on what I maybe didn’t understand during my teenage years. Having a goal and achieving it was a valuable lesson.” Plus softball was a fun sport to play.

All of these lessons carried into her adult life. “Having a community, setting goals and achieving them, being passionate and having fun while pursuing your passion.” These things are as important to her today as they were when she was in high school.

White graduated in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in integrated physiology. She has a clinical doctorate of physiology from Marymount University in Arlington, VA, and is currently working at North Boulder Physical Therapy.

While she enjoyed the East Coast, White is happy to be back in Colorado. She doesn’t play softball anymore, but stays very active with her job as well as skiing, hiking and teaching yoga.

“I’m grateful for the experience I had in the Niwot community growing up,” White said, “because it gave me a good foundation to spring forward into my adult life and career.”