Competitive athletes are a unique breed of people, in that winning can be more important than just about everything else. Sports can set high expectations and motivate athletes to constantly perform at their peak level. But what happens when you bring empathy, humanness, and understanding to the picture? Would we be better able to live a life of quality and meaning?

Today we had a lively conversation with Erwin Benedict Valencia, the Team Physical Therapist and Wellness coach for the New York Knicks. Erwin dives into the implications that the pandemic has had in the sports world, how bringing a holistic picture of an athlete changed the game for Olympics 2021, and how wellness and wellbeing are (and should be!) at the forefront of how people should live - both within and outside of the sports world. Erwin encourages clinicians of all kinds to be multifaceted individuals who level up their consciousness to serve their communities and clients more effectively. The theme of “service” has run through every component of his life and led him to create Grasshopper Project, a non-profit mentorship program that champions the next generation of Thought Leaders and Change Makers in the Health, Wellness, and Performance industries. 

Erwin is a Clinician, Coach, & Change Agent. He is the first Filipino raised and educated in the Philippines to be on the medical staff of both the NBA and MLB. Erwin combines manual and movement therapy skills,  mindfulness and mental conditioning coaching, and sports science for a truly "whole-listic" approach to Athlete Care and Wellness. 

Connect with him:

@erwinbvalencia

www.erwinvalencia.com

www.grasshopperproject.org