Amber Edwards, MS, OTR/L, RKC: OT in Fitness & Kettlebell Training
In this post, we will learn from Amber Edwards, OTR/L, RKC (she/her) an occupational therapist who specializes in Fitness & Kettlebell Training. Amber graduated from Ithaca College from the BS/MS Occupational Therapy program in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Currently, she is a Travel Occupational Therapist in NYC working with the geriatric population in SNFs. In addition to being an OT, Amber is also passionate about fitness. At Ithaca College, Amber was a 2x All-American hurdler and captain on the Women’s Track and Field team and currently enjoys strength training with kettlebells as a Certified Russian Kettlebell Coach (RKC) and Dynamic Sports Performance Certified Coach (DSPCC). Amber is also a podcaster as she created her own podcast in 2020 called “Reaching your pOTential”. The initial mission of the podcast was to present her individual experiences as a new grad OT but has transitioned now to empower and highlight other people of color (POC) in OT and beyond. Overall, the vision of the podcast is to engage and inspire all OTPs and others to reach their fullest potential in life.
Q & A with Amber:
Please tell us a little about yourself and some of your favorite occupations:
I am a travel OT serving the geriatric population. I also love fitness and am a Certified KB Coach training people of all ages to instill strength and power with the kettlebell. I am also a podcaster who advocates about the profession & minorities within the profession within my podcast, “Reaching your potential”.
What motivated you to contribute to this podcast series?
I have a different perspective as an OT who combines my career with fitness.
Please describe the UncommonOT work that you do and the setting in which you work, the population you serve, and the needs that you address.
I provide fitness training to individuals of all ages and see how the kettlebell can assist with injury prevention and improve strength during functional tasks.
What inspired you or drew you to this type of OT work?
My fitness journey as a Track and Field athlete for over 10 years, my own kettlebell journey in 2021 & seeing how applicable it is to the OT world once increasing my knowledge of the KB.
How did you get there? Can you describe your path?
I immersed myself within the KB community in NYC & continued to learn from the community and invest time to learn more and train with the modality to earn my certification in KBs.
Please describe a typical day or OT session in your uncommon setting. What OT skills do you utilize?
Travel OT : 13-week contracts in SNFs. When training clients, I go through activation drills, dynamic drills & power/strength/conditioning
Can you talk about some recent highs (successes) and lows (challenges) of your current role?
Successes: training clients who initially been in pain and now pain-free; achieving things they never believed they could do; Lows: advocating for the benefits of KBs in OT as its more popular in PT
How do you continue to learn in order to stay on top of things within your role?
Attend fitness events, ask questions, take classes/CEUs
Can you share a little bit about salary and compensation in this setting? How do OT or the services you provide get funded?
Varies upon contracts (48+/hr); with KB training: I charge $600-1000 a month based on the need of the client 2x-3x/week)
Any career advice for our followers and listeners on how to get started on this path?
Take risks, always be willing to learn, and surround yourself with people who are where you want to get to. Have a mentor
What’s a common myth or misconception about your job/role you’d like to call out or demystify?
OTs can work in fitness/athletics
How do we find you, follow you, be in touch with you, and promote your unique work?
IG: @thick.amb.fit
Email: a.edwards.otrl@gmail.com
Website: www.thickambfit.com
Turkish Get Up Manual: https://www.thickambfit.com/shop/p/turkish-get-up-manual
Training Consultation: https://www.thickambfit.com/shop/p/training-consultation
As always, I welcome any feedback & ideas from all of you or if you are interested in being a guest on future episodes, please do not hesitate to contact Patricia Motus at transitionsot@gmail.com or DM via Instagram @transitionsot
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