NILES — There’s a new business in town and the owner is no stranger to the Niles community.

Niles native and Brandywine graduate Dr. Justin Price has returned to the community that raised him to promote, maintain and restore health as the founder of Sport Track Physical Therapy, 115 E. Main St. Suite B.

A physical therapy clinic providing one-on-one care and customized rehabilitation programs, Sport Track Physical Therapy is located inside the newly opened Elevate 24 SLR downtown.

“It’s been a vision for me,” Price said. “I wanted this for a long time. It’s every therapist’s dream to own their own company and do things their own way. This has just been a really nice opportunity and I think it’s gonna be a really good business partnership with myself and the gym here.”

Upon graduating from Brandywine in 2007, Price earned his undergraduate degree at Ferris State University, where he also competed for the track and field team. He then went on to earn his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Andrews University. 

A certified strength and conditioning specialist, Price said he has a heavy focus on manual therapy.

“I really believe in making sure that people can move through their joints symmetrically before we begin any sort of advanced rehab,” Price said. “I try to aim it so that people feel alive; let’s get you out in the gym and start using some of this equipment.”

Price said that a benefit of being located inside a gym is teaching clients who may be uncomfortable in a gym setting how to use equipment correctly.

“A lot of people are afraid to come to the gym because they don’t know how to use the machines,” he said. “In therapy, we can kind of bridge that gap being inside of a fitness facility like this. By the time that we’re done with therapy, I’ve already taken you through most of the machines that you’re gonna be that you need to be working on anyway. Let’s keep this going because therapy and strength doesn’t end as soon as I discharge you. There’s much more to go after that.”

After living and working in Benton Harbor at a private clinic for eight years, Price felt the time was right to return to his home town to start his own business and give back to the community.

“It’s really it, it’s kind of nostalgic,” he said. “To come back and be able to give back what I got as a child is a great feeling. Some of these things I didn’t have when I was growing up. So many times when I’m working, I think back to when I was younger and I was in sports wishing I had that knowledge. If I can share that knowledge with this upcoming athletic generation or even anyone that’s dealing with an injury that they’ve been having for years on end, I’d love to be able to share that now and help them with that.”