People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

Dr. Courtney Conley is the founder and creator of Gait Happens where she has the opportunity to truly realize her dream of helping as many people as possible reclaim their foot function.

Dr. Courtney Conley is a national bestselling author, international educator, and one of the world's foremost authorities on foot and gait health. Her book, Walk, hit both the USA Today and Amazon bestseller lists, resonating with readers eager to understand the profound connection between foot function and whole-body health. The book's success has brought Dr. Conley to some of the most respected platforms in health and wellness media, including appearances on The Peter Attia Drive Podcast, Diary of a CEO, Feel Better, Live More with Dr. Rangan Chatterjee, as well as national television features on CBS Mornings and Fox & Friends. 

Dr. Conley holds a Doctorate in Chiropractic Medicine and two Bachelor's degrees in Kinesiology and Human Biology. With nearly 25 years of clinical practice, she has worked with professional athletes from organizations including the Phoenix Suns, New York Yankees, Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, and San Francisco 49ers. She has also collaborated with medical experts across the country, addressing complex foot and gait challenges at the highest level of performance. She currently serves as Head of Patient Care at Total Health Solutions and Total Health Performance in Lakewood, Colorado—premier clinics known for comprehensive, rehabilitation-focused patient care where she is committed to helping people improve their lives one step at a time.  

That same commitment led her to found and lead Gait Happens, a global education enterprise leading a paradigm shift in foot health by empowering people worldwide to reclaim optimal foot function through science-backed training and protocols. Gait Happens offers a comprehensive ecosystem of resources — from professional education for practitioners to consumer training programs and personalized consultations with top-of-field specialists — all grounded in research and designed to deliver real, measurable results. With a focus on natural, preventative approaches to foot and gait health, Gait Happens has built a global community of individuals committed to moving better and living pain-free, offering a proven alternative to unnecessary surgical intervention through education and evidence-based care.

An internationally recognized speaker, Dr. Conley shares her expertise to clinicians and consumers alike through in-person and online lectures on foot mechanics and gait dynamics. Her work spans authorship, mentorship, patent and curriculum development, and the creation of pioneering foot and gait methodologies. Yet at the heart of every lecture, protocol, and patient interaction is the same driving belief: real strength starts from the ground up, and healthy feet are the foundation every body needs to move through life with confidence and ease. 

Dr. Jen Perez is Co-Owner and COO of Gait Happens. As both a clinician and an educator, her mission is simple: empower people to take charge of their lower body health, get to the root cause of what's holding them back, and get back to doing what they love.

Dr. Perez holds a BS in Kinesiology-Sports Medicine and a Doctor of Chiropractic degree, with nine years spent working alongside patients. She completed her clinical residency in Jamaica, treating Olympic and professional track and field athletes, and is credentialed in a range of movement assessment and treatment techniques, including Selective Functional Movement Assessment, Functional Movement Specialist certification, and Dry Needling. Her focus has always been the whole chain — feet, hips, core — never the foot in isolation.

Dr. Perez is making an impact across the globe — from lecturing to clinicians in Tokyo to consulting professional athletes in Colorado. She's taught at universities, conferences, and clinics on three continents, spanning the United States, Canada, England, Switzerland, Denmark, Belgium, and Japan. Her reach extends just as far off the podium: consulting for professional athletes and footwear companies, being quoted as a foot health expert in Women's Health and National Geographic, and stepping in front of the camera as a consulting foot health expert for the Stupid Shoes documentary.

It's this same drive — knowing what it's like to have pain stand in the way of your goals — that led Dr. Perez to partner with Dr. Conley in creating Gait Happens, offering online courses, foot health tools, and virtual consultations to help people build resilient, healthier bodies from the ground up. In addition to her work at Gait Happens, Dr. Perez, along with her husband, Dr. Mark Perez, owns and operates Kinetic Chiropractic in Lafayette, CO, where she treats patients of all ages, backgrounds, and athletic abilities. Whether your goal is sharper clinical skills or a stronger, more capable body, Dr. Perez is here to help you move forward.

In Person Clinic: Kinetic Chiropractic in Lafayette, CO

Dr. Emily Schilling began her career in the medical field at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she graduated with a double major in Neurology and Nutritional Science.

From there, she continued on to receive her Doctorate of Chiropractic and Master's in Functional Nutrition from Parker University in Dallas, TX.

Dr. Schilling has always enjoyed being athletic and has participated in a number of sports throughout her life. Some of these include track and field, volleyball, and gymnastics. Currently, she is heavily involved in the triathlon community and has competed in multiple half Ironmans and recently finished her first full Ironman in Wisconsin '22.

Given her participation in high level sports, she understands the need for quality assessments of pain, targeted exercises and care based on the individual. In specific, she places an emphasis on the lower extremity and gait patterns. After sustaining a number of running related injuries, she wanted to know not only why they kept occurring but also how to treat and ultimately prevent them. After years of research and continuation in the sport, she has a wealth of knowledge that she would love to share with you! Her main goal is to show people that they can reach their goals in whatever activity they love. By looking at the body as a whole, her ambition is to create smart, sustainable changes in the system that not only allow people to complete those tough workouts, but also keep the longevity.

Apart from sports, Dr. Schilling also loves nutrition. Growing up as a type 1 diabetic, this was, and still is, her world. She is currently pursuing her license to become a Certified Nutrition Specialist. If you ever feel like chatting about race or training fueling recommendations, her door is always open!

No matter if you're a weekend warrior or a professional level athlete; young or mature; just starting out, or years into a sport, Dr. Schilling is here to help!

Additional Qualifications
Functional Gait Assessment Level 1 Instructor
Functional Gait Assessment Level 2
Gait Foundations
Gait Guru
Clinical Meets Functional
Floor to Core
USAT Triathlon Coach
Fascial Distortion Model 
Functional Dry Needling 
Postural Restoration Institute 


Watch Dr. Emily's Intro Video

Schedule a Virtual Appointment

In Person Clinic: Dr. Schilling holds office hours at Total Health Solutions in Lakewood, CO.

Dr. Lineberger is a physical therapist, fellowship trained manual therapist, and CrossFit Level 1 trainer.

She believes in bringing a patient-focused, fitness forward approach to physical therapy to help patients get back to the activities they love. She enjoys helping patients understand their bodies better and connect the dots between improving movement and improving overall health. Dr. Lineberger attended Appalachian State University and graduated in 2014 with a degree in Exercise Science, then attended Duke University for her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree, finishing in 2017. Shortly after PT school, Dr. Lineberger was accepted into a fellowship in orthopedic and manual physical therapy to refine her skills and continue her pursuit of providing excellent care. In addition to providing virtual appointments with Gait Happens, Dr. Lineberger owns Pursuit Physiotherapy and Performance in Denver, NC, an out-of-network clinic that brings a fitness-forward approach to physical therapy care. Her mission is to empower patients to take control of their musculoskeletal health by teaching them about the body’s resiliency. Outside the clinic you can probably find her hiking with her husband, Drew, and their pup, Harley, or inside the gym at CrossFit DHF.

Additional Qualifications
Functional Gait Assessment Level 1
Functional Gait Assessment Level 2
Gait Guru
Fellowship Trained Manual Therapist
CrossFit Level 2 Coach

Watch Dr. Chelsea's Intro Video
Schedule A Virtual Appointment 
In Person Clinic: Dr. Lineberger holds office hours at Pursuit Physiotherapy and Performance in Denver, NC.

Kala is a licensed physical therapist and a licensed massage therapist, with over 20 years of combined experience in bodywork and movement-based care.

She enjoys helping people get back into movement — whether they’re just getting started or finding their way back after time away. She believes the best outcomes come from truly listening, understanding each person’s goals, and meeting them where they are. Through education and collaboration, she empowers clients to better understand their bodies and take ownership of their healing. Her goal is to help people feel confident moving in their everyday lives, and to enjoy the process of figuring it out along the way.

She specializes in working with conditions of the foot and lower leg and has a particular interest in working with dancers, informed by her own background of more than 25 years in modern dance. In addition to traditional table massage, Kala has extensive training in Thai massage, a dynamic approach that incorporates movement, mobility, and deep compression. Her personal movement practice centers on strength and conditioning, which continues to shape and inform how she works with clients.

Kala has a private practice in Asheville, North Carolina and also works as a virtual practitioner with Gait Happens. She earned her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Winston-Salem State University, a Master’s degree in Physical Therapy from Western Carolina University, and a bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College.

Additional Qualifications
Functional Gait Assessment Level 1
Functional Gait Assessment Level 2
Gait Guru
Sole Switch Pro
Clinical Meets Functional
Floor to Core
Embodia Academy/Pivot: Assessing & Treating Dancers and Artistic Athletes
Westside Dance PT: Dance Medicine Practicum
Herman & Wallace Pelvic Floor Level 1
Institute of Physical Art: CoreFirst™ Strategies for Back Education & Training, Dynamic Foot & Ankle, & PNF 1
Sunshine School of Massage (Chiang Mai, Thailand): 120+ hrs of Thai Massage Instruction
Functional Movement Systems: SFMA level 1 & 2
David Grey Rehab: Lower Limb Biomechanics, Rehabilitation, and Performance

Watch Kala's Video Introduction

Schedule a Virtual Appointment

In Person Clinic: Kala, MPT holds office hours at her private physical therapy practice in Asheville, NC.

Dr. Drewes has overcome some of her own gait and running related injuries,
which allowed her to find passion in helping others with gait and lower extremity needs.
She believes in treating each person as an individual and looking at their system as a whole.

Dr. Drewes knows the importance of movement as medicine to keep the body and mind healthy.

Dr. Megan Drewes holds a bachelor’s degree in exercise science from the University of Toledo where she ran collegiate cross country and track.

She then went on to complete her doctoral degree in physical therapy from the University of Toledo.

Dr. Drewes owns Drewes PT in Defiance, Ohio, an out-of-network physical therapy clinic specializing in foot, ankle, and gait biomechanics.

Dr. Drewes is excited to help get you back to moving and doing the things you love!

Additional Qualifications

Functional Gait Assessment Level 1 Instructor
Functional Gait Assessment Level 2 
Gait Guru
Gait Foundations
Sole Switch Pro
Certified integrative dry needling
Owens recovery science partial blood flow restriction

Click here to watch Dr. Megan's Intro Video

Schedule a Virtual Appointment

Grace Southwick is an experienced Operations Manager with over 10 years in client-facing roles spanning retail, corporate, and legal environments. 

Known for her friendly, upbeat approach, she excels at building strong relationships, streamlining processes, and delivering exceptional customer experiences. 

Grace combines a sharp eye for detail with a people-first mindset, ensuring both efficiency and client satisfaction. When she’s not at work, she enjoys riding her horse, PJ, and spending time with her three beloved cats.

Andia is our marketing strategist with over 7 years of experience in email marketing, project and social media management, including content creation and analytics. 

She is passionate about connecting people to solutions through digital marketing strategies that drive engagement and results.

Andia has successfully led campaigns for diverse clients, helping brands increase visibility and boost revenue growth. Bilingual in English and Japanese, she brings a global perspective to her work, ensuring her campaigns resonate with a wide range of audiences. Her expertise in optimizing digital marketing strategies consistently delivers measurable outcomes, by improving conversion rates and enhancing brand recognition.

Outside of work, Andia enjoys hiking, camping, and exploring national parks with her husband, Chris, with Grand Teton National Park being their favorite. She’s also a proud dog mom of two rescue Australian Shepherds and a dedicated foodie who has perfected the art of making the dairy-free chocolate chip cookie.

Dr. Mark Perez grew up in the high desert of Southern California, where you’d find him riding dirt bikes, snowboarding, wrestling, and playing baseball and football.

While attending college in the beautiful Central Coast of California, he spent his free time surfing, hiking, and CrossFit. Needless to say movement has always been an integral part of Dr. Mark's life. 

This led Dr. Mark to his career as a chiropractor with a CCSP Sports Certification. His passions outside of the office include smoking brisket, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and spending time with his family, including his wife, Gait Happens Co-Founder, Dr. Jen Perez.

Scott is our international strategy lead with over 18 years of experience growing fitness and wellness brands across global markets.

A former world-record-holding swimmer and MBA graduate from Thunderbird, he combines performance, strategy, and execution to drive results.

Gaby is our brand and communications strategist with an MBA from Thunderbird and deep expertise in defining brand voice, market positioning, and growth strategy for wellness companies.

A black belt, athlete, and breast cancer survivor, she brings clarity and purpose to every project.

Ally Foust is the assistant to Dr. Courtney Conley, keeping the calendars, projects, and day-to-day details moving so the Gait Happens team can stay focused on the work in front of them. She also helps manage Dr. Conley's personal social media and content. Ally has a knack for turning a long list of moving pieces into a clear plan, and a soft spot for the details most people would let slip.

Outside of work, you'll find her skiing, hiking, and enjoying all that Colorado has to offer.