Someone you can trust

It is difficult to find someone you can trust with your health. As fellow adventurers with a passion for movement, we understand the significant value movement brings to a fulfilling quality of life. Unfortunately, the healthcare industry is notoriously difficult to work with, shrouded by confusing insurance policies, hidden fees, and perplexing administrative practices.

Prioritizing complete transparency, Elevate is all about providing you, the patient, with the information, power, and proficiency to take responsibility for your health, whether it be recovering from an injury or looking to optimize performance through nutrition and exercise. Your wellness journey begins with the selection of a professional you can trust.

While we hope to be the right fit, it is profoundly important that you consider the choices available and select the professional that suits you best. After all, it’s your goals and your health.

About the Owner

Shannon Ballinger

PT, DPT, CSCS, FNC, TRS

Born and raised in the North Cascades mountain range within the evergreen state of Washington, Shannon cultivated a passion for athletics and the great outdoors through competitive soccer, ceaseless trail-running, and exploration. Having discovered the transformative and healing power of movement, Shannon has devoted her life to empowering others through their own recovery.

Starting as an athletic trainer during her undergraduate career at the University of Washington, Shannon has obtained over a decade’s worth of experience in physical rehabilitation. Growing her roots within the Pacific Northwest, Shannon obtained a unique understanding of the human body while assisting collegiate athletes with injury prevention and recovery. Her expertise evolved as she committed significant time to serving various physical therapy clinics in the area and personally training clients as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS).

Looking to progress her career, Shannon obtained her Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT) at the University of Utah. She has gained valuable experience within a number of renowned physical therapy settings, including the University of Utah Orthopedic Center, St. Anthony’s Acute Care and Northwest Rehab Associates, where she strengthened her skills in biomechanics, gait analysis and vestibular rehabilitation. Additionally, Shannon is a certified Functional Nutrition Coach from MindBodyGreen, aimed to establish a foundation from which she can holistically address quality client care.

Outside of the clinic, you will likely find Shannon either running or hiking the Wasatch Front with her German Short-haired Pointers, Miles and Mowgli, sprinting on a nearby field while playing Ultimate Frisbee, or cooking up a delicious, farm-to-table meal with her husband, Alex.

Experience

One of the great benefits of owning our own practice is having the freedom to obtain a diverse collection of knowledge from other industry experts. This unwavering dedication to continued learning ensures we remain a source of cutting-edge expertise, providing clients with the most informed and innovative practices in the realm of health and fitness.

Check out some of the Education & Experience you will benefit from at Elevate Performance.

  • Shannon received her doctorate in physical therapy from the highly competitive DPT program at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. With a prioritization for evidence-based practices, this rigorous 3-year program provided Dr. Ballinger with the expertise and experience to provide care in a variety of settings:

    Clinical Internships:

    - Acute Care Rotation at St. Anthony’s (Denver, CO)

    - Neurological Rehabilitation at Northwest Rehab Associates (Salem, OR)

    - Sports and Ortho Rehab at University of Utah Orthopedic Center (SLC, UT)

    To learn more about the Ute’s prestigious DPT program, click here

  • Certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), Shannon is a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS). Awarded through a series of coursework and examination, this certification qualifies it’s receiver as an athletic-performance guru who can design and implement customized strength and conditioning programs.

    To learn more about a CSCS certification, click here

  • Functional Nutrition Coach (FNC, MindBodyGreen)

    Providing expertise across a myriad of functional nutrition topics like gut health, food intolerances, inflammation, heart health, autoimmune health, disease prevention and longevity, MindBodyGreen dives into the latest studies to carefully navigate the precarious modern-day diet. By offering complete access to the industry’s greatest experts, a functional nutrition coach can provide distinct and specific nutritional solutions for any number of health issues.

    To learn more about MindBodyGreen’s functional nutrition training program, click here

  • The Ready State (TRS) – Kelly Starrett

    The Ready State Movement & Mobility 101 course reveals the core principles of Dr. Kelly Starrett’s unparalleled coaching methods used by elite athletes around the world. Enrolled professionals gain the confidence and expertise to improve patient movement and mechanics that vastly decrease their risk for injury while also supporting greater athleticism. Among the many methods taught is the “spine-first” sequence of bracing and breathing to generate more power — safely.

    To learn more about The Ready State (TRS), click here

  • Elevate Performance proudly endorses Shannon's certification as a Biomechanics Specialist. This intensive program equips her with advanced skills to assess joint and muscular biomechanics comprehensively, allowing seamless identification of root causes through creative assessments. Benefit from prescribed, targeted warm-ups, corrective exercises, and strategic weight room routines to ensure noticeable improvements in your range of motion, movement quality, and overall fitness.

    To learn more about this Biomechanics Specialist certification, click here.

  • An intensive 12-week course, Empower Performance focuses on leveraging the latest cutting edge studies on movement, respiratory mechanics, tendon health, and gait to improve athleticism. Building on a foundational understanding of biomechanics and anatomy, this certification has been received by just the top 1% of fitness professionals to push the limits on athletic performance.

    To learn more about the Empowered Performance program, click here

  • Offered as a premier event led by industry-leading professionals in the running community, this summit delves into fundamental running principles, injury prevention, standardized video gait analysis, gait retraining, and other related topics.

    To learn more about the Mountain Land Running Summit, click here.

  • Grounded in the innovative 'Blueprint' approach, this program utilizes specific and objective entry and exit criteria throughout defined phases of a rehabilitation timeline. With emphasis on logical progression and regression sequences, this cutting-edge program allows our clients to benefit from reproducible procedures and individualized rehabilitation plans that bring them back to doing what they love most.

    To learn more about the Rehab 2 Perform program, click here.

  • The University of Washington offers internship opportunities for students interested in gaining valuable hands-on experience in the medical profession. The training room offers an exciting and challenging setting for students interested in acquiring injury evaluation, management and rehabilitation skills as well as professional interaction with the medical community. Student interns work with certified athletic trainers and team physicians to provide healthcare to all NCAA Division I athletic programs within the University of Washington.

    *Athletic Trainer Intern of the Year 2009