From the Washington Ballet to Wimbledon

For 1994 Thomas Jefferson University Master’s in Physical Therapy graduates Miriam Graham and Reshma Rathod, their meeting on the first day of orientation was the beginning of a beautiful friendship and business partnership that spans three decades—and is still going strong.

“I think what connected us initially was that we were both from Maryland,” says Rathod.  We were partners and shared a cadaver. We lived in the same hallway and floor of the Orlowitz building, and really supported each other.”

“That’s where we learned our working ethic of getting information and sharing,” Graham echoes. “We learned to put competitiveness aside and help each other, and really solidified our friendship. We were in the lab getting work done, but we supported each other in excelling.”

When asked about their Jefferson experience, both Rathod and Graham had the same answer. Rathod shares, “It gave us confidence. I felt supported. We had a really good connection with the professors, and interacted with different disciplines and students of different subspecialties. It was the ability to network and build relationships.”

“I learned so much about inquiry and research—how to ask questions, take in information, and make your own decision,” says Graham.

Following graduation, both joined the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington, D.C., where they spent the next decade gaining invaluable experience in the field.  

One day, after working at the same institution for several years, Graham contacted Rathod with a life-changing idea—to start a business together. In 2004 they made the leap to start their own practice—and never looked back.

“We knew that through the education we got and the experience we had, we could provide a different type and quality of service,” says Graham. The practice, called Restore Motion, specializes in women’s health/pelvic health as well as general orthopedic rehab, and manual therapy.

Another facet of Restore Motion’s women’s health focus is on the female athlete. Rathod works for the Women’s Tennis Association, and since 2007 has traveled to international tournaments as one of their physical therapists. This year viewers may have seen her assisting the players at Wimbledon, and may catch her serving as a primary health care provider at the upcoming US Open.  In addition, Graham, a lifelong dancer, works with the Washington Ballet’s school, providing physical therapy and a wellness program for students. This is a true labor of love, as she attended the same school as a child and through adolescence.

The duo believes strongly in education and community service. “We teach, perform community outreach, host courses for colleagues and peers, and are an approved site for DPT students to complete their curriculum,” explains Rathod.

2024 marks Restore Motion’s 20th anniversary. “Miriam thinks this way, I think this way, but we always end up at that common vision,” says Rathod. “It all started in the cadaver lab,” smiles Graham. “Jefferson really does hold a special place.”