I reached out to Alex because my 17-year-old son, a competitive swimmer, had been struggling with persistent shoulder problems which started after the COVID shutdowns, issues that no amount of orthopedic visits, x-rays, or MRIs could fully resolve.

Until we found Alex. Alex has a unique perspective—not only is he a skilled physical therapist and personal trainer, but also a former swimmer himself, who truly understands the demands of the sport and approached my son’s recovery with that insight in mind.

He carefully analyzed swim videos, observed my son perform exercises, and identified movement patterns that others had missed.

Alex developed a personalized daily PT program that evolved with my son’s progress and his deep understanding of swimming mechanics, combined with his patient, and thoughtful approach, helped my son finally overcome his shoulder issues.

Today, he’s swimming pain-free and stronger than ever and we’re so grateful for Alex’s guidance and highly recommend him to any athlete looking for real, lasting results.

Jovanna Selvaggi

I have a 17 year old high school swimmer who was experiencing quite severe shoulder pain daily for about a year. He would need to sit out at practice many times because the pain got to be too much.

He had seen Physical Therapists and providers in Orthopedics in the past who suggested rest and ice along with a few exercises and even medication. I came across Alex’s page on Instagram and was immediately impressed with what he was saying, so we decided to give him a try.

After doing an initial consultation virtually, he had a plan in place and was confident that he could help my son alleviate pain and get back to where he was over a year ago in the pool.

Alex also did swim analysis on my son’s strokes and found minor issues to correct to also help lower his pain level. The tremendous progress my son made is, in part, due to Alex’s guidance.

His season ended on quite a few high notes, including breaking a school record, along with many lifetime bests because he worked the plan incredibly hard, side-by-side with Alex. As a parent, I was so incredibly happy because his pain was almost gone and he could do what he loved again!

We appreciate all the help Alex has given us and have been so impressed with how well his program works. I would recommend him to anyone in the swim community, as he is exactly who we need on our side! Other Physical Therapists just don’t seem to understand this sport like he does, and that makes all the difference. 

Toni H

First, I would like to describe WHY I chose to work with Alex Ewart. As a 64 year old masters swimmer, I started feeling some aches and pains in my shoulders from 3-4 pool workouts per week. I had been tolerating the pain on and off for many months. At the same time, I had been taking my wife to PT rehab in the last few years, first from a knee replacement, then from a femur fracture. I learned by watching her that the expectation of ‘progress’ and ‘success’ at a typical rehab facility is defined by a return to normal daily activities (driving, shopping, walking). A masters swimmer with specific issues needs more guidance and has higher expectations of end results than most consumers of rehabilitation services. Where do you turn for expertise in not just ‘physical therapy/rehabilitation’, but also in high level athletic performance? I found my answer in Alex Ewart. Alex is a former Division I collegiate swimmer, a current Ironman Hawaii participant, and a trained/certified physical therapist. His physiological knowledge is complemented by his years of personal performance at elite athletic levels (much higher than I could have ever attained). My hope was that Alex could help me build muscle and flexibility while reducing swimming discomfort. He has exceeded my expectations.

Alex did a great job controlling the pace of my exercises. My typical profile is to start something, overdo, then have a strain or a setback. Alex’s workouts controlled the pace of muscle and flexibility control, to prevent injury during development. He gradually introduced new exercises in my training, while slowly ramping up the number of reps and the amount of weight I was using for shoulder strengthening. I was able to significantly improve the strength of the entire group of shoulder muscles, both the areas causing me pain, and the adjacent muscles. Building shoulder strength in general took stress off tendons and muscles in the rotator cuff causing me problems. Additionally, Alex is an excellent swimming coach. I uploaded video of my swimming several strokes, and he immediately diagnosed several motions that were putting extra stress on rotator tendons. Making a few minor adjustments to my stroke improved my training pain level, and I personally believed contributed to faster times in Masters meets. I also had new issues pop up, for example a knee problem that turned out to be a meniscus tear. Alex modified his training to include knee work, then after I had surgery to trim, he adjusted his training again to support my recovery.

Alex uses an app called TrueCoach to publish the week’s training exercises. The app is excellent at scheduling work, tracking the completion of exercises, and keeping historical data on each specific exercise (for example, the number of reps, the number of sets, and the weight used over time). The app also allows video upload to permit Alex to see exactly how I am performing the exercise movements. However, the app is only a very small part of the communication bandwidth to Alex. We texted back and forth frequently, including exercise technique questions from me, and we scheduled video conferences to discuss progress. Alex also made himself available for extra conferences when I needed emergent help. The specific example I want to highlight was an orthopedic appointment that gave a disturbing diagnosis. Alex and I discussed the results the next day and he helped get me back on track to keep working exercise rather than opt for a more aggressive and likely unnecessary surgical solution.

I’m not sure I would be doing masters swimming today without the shoulder work I have done with Alex. The 1-on-1 training and rapport has been crucial to my success in the water. For those multi-sport athletes out there, I’m also happy to report that my golf drives are longer, irons are more consistent, and my scores are lower since I’ve performed shoulder PT consistently; full credit to Alex for that as well. Overall experience: I am a very satisfied customer. Alex is an excellent communicator, and I have enjoyed working with him. I have a path forward to continue working and maintain the progress I have made using his expertise.   

– Dave Ruff

As an adult getting back into swimming, I jumped in without considering how my body had changed over time away from the pool. I quickly began to feel a nagging ache in my shoulder. I worried that this was what swimming would feel like now. I began following a few PT accounts on Instagram hoping I would come across a helpful exercise. The content was general and didn’t seem to apply to me.

Thankfully, I found @theswimmingPT and it felt like Alex was speaking directly to me. Improving my shoulder seemed possible. Manageable. Attainable. I reached out to Alex and we jumped on the phone. Alex really listened and learned who I am and what is important to me. We started slowly – with the most basic movements to increase mobility and strength where my muscles had broken down over the years. Very quickly, I began to feel the difference in the pool and at home with my family.


Alex’s unique combination of professional expertise and personal experience made his programming feel custom fit to my abilities, age, and potential. The sessions were built around my schedule and capacity. Alex was always responsive and pivoted quickly when new needs popped up. Very often, he proactively reached out to check in on how I was feeling in the pool or after a new exercise was introduced. I felt and feel incredibly supported by Alex. The programming progressed naturally and before I knew it, what seemed impossible this past summer was not only possible but happening faster than I could imagine. I regained confidence in my strength and was excited to try each new thing. My work with Alex was an investment in myself that I wish I had made a long time ago. I am thrilled to have found such an amazing resource and I am grateful for the change he has helped me make in my life in and out of the pool. Thank you, @theswimmingPT! 

Brittany Quinn Butcher