News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Cathy Covell has always had the urge to travel.
Covell is a physical therapist who specializes in myofascial release. She travels the country with her horses and her dogs, filling in at clinics that need an extra pair of hands or some vacation relief. This summer, she landed for a while in Sisters, at Green Ridge Physical Therapy.
A native of Indiana, Covell first encountered Sisters while working a stint at a practice in Eugene. She headed over the mountains and set herself up at Sisters Cow Camp.
Cathy Covell travels the country with her horses and dogs, working as a physical therapist. She has recently done a couple of stints at Green Ridge Physical Therapy.
"I traveled with my horses and my dogs, and I visited Sisters and said, "I want to be in Sisters,'" she recalled.
When Green Ridge needed some coverage, she jumped at the opportunity. She has boarded her quarterhorses Vinny and Misty with Sisters equestrienne Gayla Nelson.
"It's like horse heaven right there," Covell said.
She and her dogs Shadow and Dash abide in her horse trailer.
"I love the downsizing and simplicity," she said.
She's taken full advantage of all the trail riding and hiking Sisters Country has to offer.
Working as a traveling physical therapist is not a new thing for Covell. She was a volleyball player, and she discovered myofascial release therapy after finding it highly effective in recovering from back surgery. When she got her degree, the urge to travel out of small town Indiana was strong.
"When I graduated from school back in the stone ages, I did the traveling for three years," she said.
Eventually, she came off the road and established a fixed practice, which she operated for 15 years. Then the road started calling again.
"I always wanted to do more in the mountains," she said.
Most of her travels of late have been in the West.
Carol Statton's horse photographs at Green Ridge Physical therapy tipped off Cathy Covell to a "small world" family connection.
When she landed at Green Ridge Physical Therapy, she discovered a surprising family connection through the wild mustang photographs of long-time Green Ridge office and billing manager Carol Statton.
Statton told The Nugget "It turns out my step-brother in Michigan was her volleyball coach, and she was a teammate with my sister-in-law! That all came to light when my sister-in-law asked if she knew about the wild horses in this area, and she mentioned seeing the artwork on the walls at Green Ridge. It is, indeed, a small world sometimes!"
Covell says she thrives on solitude and simplicity, and loves living on the road. She believes it's important to pursue the life you want - now.
"So many people put off living until a certain time," she said. "And the truth of the matter is, there's no guarantee."
Where does the road take her from here?
"I'm actually heading back to Indiana after this - but it will be an exploration on the way back," she said.
Her trek will take her through Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, and on to a stint in Minnesota before she gets back to Indiana to put some affairs in order. She expects she'll be back in Sisters one day.
"I want to come back," she said.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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