Meet Brady Baker
A true Coloradoan, Brady spent all of his elementary and middle school days in Fort Collins, Colorado. Over his elementary and junior high school years, Brady grew up supporting his mom. She was an elementary teacher and a ballet dance teacher for 19 years.
Brady had a dance studio in his basement growing up. Brady had to build cardboard props with his dad for every recital and help his mom put ballerinas’ tutus costumes in different boxes for the recitals. His job was to make sure each costume was in the correct box for each dance group.
But his most significant and worst memory was his job to open and close the curtain for the dancers while his dad would start a tape recorder of the music for each dance performed on a high school stage. His father would say, “Welcome to Dance Concepts,” which was his cue to pull the curtain for the first dance. Brady would repeat this for 20-30 pulls to open and then close the curtain at the end of each dance routine. He remembers having blisters after every dance recital!
Skiing with his family was another big part of growing up, as his parents had a timeshare in Steamboat Springs. Steamboat greatly impacted him because he felt it was his invitation to his future of wanting to live in the mountains at some point in his life.
Brady and his family eventually moved to Dayton, Nevada, for his high school years so his dad could get his first principal leadership position. Brady had to go through high school as the principal’s son. This made his high school years very interesting for him. He played sports, primarily football, and basketball, and later joined the golf team.
After graduating from Dayton High School, Brady moved to Colorado to focus on his Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Sports Science in at Colorado State University (Let’s go RAMS). He then found the girl of his dreams, and he married Carly.
Eventually, they moved to Florida for Brady to go to PT school. Carly, at that point, started her career as an Occupational Therapist.
It is important to note that Robyn Ritsch, our other therapist in Eagle, was a part of that journey for him. She has always been a great friend and a best friend to his wife. Brady went through CSU and PT school with Robyn Ritsch. Both Brady and Robyn have followed each other through their PT careers.
After attending PT school in St. Augustine, Florida, Brady was a traveling therapist directly out of school for about a year and a half. After, he moved to the Vail Valley to enjoy the mountain air he always sought, in addition to being closer to, his extended family in the front range. He has now resided in the Vail Valley for over 23 years. Brady has been a physical therapist for 25 years, with some time spent at Vail Health and over ten years at Axis Sports Medicine in Eagle County.
Brady has climbed 23 fourteeners and loves to mountain bike. Brady enjoys skiing, participating in local church activities, and doing anything outdoorsy in Eagle. Other hobbies include collecting US historical coins and playing with and taking his dog Gus for walks.
He is enjoying the empty nest syndrome all parents must face when their kids move out. His kids, now young adults, go to college in Gunnison and Durango.
Things that are unique about Brady:
- He is an extravert who loves a good party
- He commonly wears unmatched socks to work
- He likes to do Sudokus and WORDLE
- He enjoys playing a good game of Nerts with his wife or others if they want to join
He is proud to be a part of the Axis family. Kick Axis!