May 16, 2017

Meet Leslie Walter LMT in River North

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Leslie Walter.

Leslie, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I chose to become a massage therapist shortly after completing a Bachelor’s degree in textile design from Savannah College of Art and Design. Although I loved design work, after I made radical changes to my lifestyle and lost almost 100 lbs. I knew that I had a new mission to support others in living healthy. I knew I was in the right place the first time I walked into massage school, and that I’d be learning skills that would change more than my professional life.

While in school, I was very lucky to discover my neighbor, Bob King, was the school’s founder. He and his wife Kathy embody the best of massage therapy with its spirit of generosity and healing. They welcomed me into their home and shared hands on instruction and mentoring that helped me grow and thrive.

I’ve worked in a variety of settings, gyms, wellness centers, chiropractic offices, marathons and triathlons, and even poker tournaments. I love the diversity of settings and people that massage connects. I find that massage and fitness complement each other perfectly, I was so happy to find a work space that balances utility and atmosphere.

Has it been a smooth road?
The biggest challenge for me is managing all the behind the scenes work, like renewing licenses and filing taxes. When you work independently you don’t get to avoid the nitty gritty details. A lot of time and effort go into ensuring that clients are taken care of safely.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Leslie Walter LMT – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I work independently, but I’m surrounded by an amazing group of fitness and wellness professionals. It allows me the freedom to focus on what will benefit my clients the most, while having trusted resources under the same roof. My focus is on long term joint health and healthy aging. A lot of the pain and movement issues people experience as they get older begin many years or decades before symptoms show up. I don’t specialize in one particular demographic, I focus more on mindset and process. If you want to keep moving and doing well into your golden years, that’s my specialty.

I love long distance running, and have been running since college. I ran the Chicago Marathon for the first time in 2012 and I couldn’t have completed training without massage. I have a deep and personal understanding of training for different races. Running is high impact and puts a lot of mechanical stress on the body. I love to help my clients reduce their risks of injury and hit PRs.

I’m proud of the amount of time I put into continuing education. I love to learn, and continue to refine my understanding of the human body. The trainers, teachers, and specialists at Lateral Fitness are really the best, and it’s always my goal to surround myself with people that are on that next level. It keeps me challenged and engaged.

I’m not afraid to connect clients with other wellness providers. As much as massage is a powerful tool in health and wellness, I really take a holistic approach and make recommendations based on what will help get you to your goals.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
The most challenging thing about Chicago has to be that you have to make an effort to get out of your neighborhood. For me, my bike made the city pretty accessible most of the year and I couldn’t imagine living in and enjoying Chicago without one.

The best part of Chicago is a hard choice, but I love the lakefront and river walks. Nature is such a powerful stress reliever and we are so lucky to have them.

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