Returning home after years of study and sport, Anthony Iacoe is bringing his expertise in advanced physiotherapy back to Sault Ste. Marie as the newest member of the Radiance team.
When staff at Radiance Physiotherapy decided it was time to grow, it wasn’t just about adding another clinician’s name to the roster. The clinic’s approach was about finding the right fit for their close-knit team — someone who understood that healing is as much about listening as it is about movement.
Their person turned out to be Anthony Iacoe, a Sault Ste. Marie native whose journey from varsity athlete to advanced sport and exercise medicine now comes full-circle, bringing him back home to the Soo.
“Family is huge for me,” Iacoe said. “I have my parents here. I have two sisters here, and I have extended family here. And just knowing how many opportunities I had, whether that was as an individual or as an athlete, it was because of the people of Sault Ste. Marie.”
In a way, it’s about returning the favour to the community that showed him so much support, he said.
After a successful career as a basketball player — he was a shooting guard for Laurentian University’s Voyageurs and the Carleton Ravens — Iacoe continued his studies at Western University. There he completed the Advanced Health Care Practice Program, a postgraduate pathway designed to prepare clinicians for higher-level, evidence-based care.
When he began to practice, the question he asked was how one could translate those skills and knowledge into a piece of the Soo’s health care puzzle?
It begins, Iacoe said, with a conversation.
“You’re not treating an injury, you’re treating a person,” he said. “Every shoulder that comes in, every ankle that comes in, is going to be different. And if you don’t connect to the person first, you’re likely not going to get anywhere.”
A treatment, he said, starts when the patient identifies what a successful outcome looks like. Whether that’s a 17-year-old with a knee injury or a 58-year-old with a work related injury, everyone’s goals are different.
“One individual may want to continue running until they’re 70 years old, and another individual wants to be able to play with their kids and grandkids until they’re 80 years old,” he said. “A third individual may just want to be able to live their life with less pain.”
That’s where education — a big part of Radiance Physiotherapy’s approach — comes in.
“When I am discharging a patient, I always reflect and ask myself, ‘have I given this person the tools where if this does recur, to be able to potentially manage it by themselves?’ Or are they able to make some decisions about their own health, whether it’s more physical activity or better stress management strategies?”
It was that perspective on health care that made Iacoe a natural fit at Radiance, owner Megan Doyle said.
“Anthony’s very passionate about physio,” Doyle said. “He definitely showed that desire to collaborate so we can treat our patients in the best way possible.”
“We’re also on the same page when it comes to treating people as individuals,” she said. “Listening to their main concerns, coming up with a plan with the patient to make sure that their goals are meaningful to them.”
Since opening in 2021, Radiance Physiotherapy has grown steadily to meet a range of diverse needs in the Soo. The clinic treats patients across their lifespan, addressing everything from orthopedic and neurological injuries to pediatric, vestibular and pelvic health concerns.
Doyle said an awareness — particularly around pelvic floor care — has driven demand, with referrals increasing and wait lists growing as more people seek care for conditions that can be life-altering if left untreated.
That growth, she said, made expanding the team both necessary and timely.
“The biggest challenge in northern Ontario is to recruit and get therapists to stay here or come back,” she said. “But if they’re from this area and are returning home, that’s the best way that we can get therapists.
There’s also an increasing awareness around athletic injuries, and the growing demands placed on athletes means there’s more awareness around the body, and more of a push to ensure people are moving to their fullest potential.
That’s where Iacoe’s athletic background is an asset, Doyle added. Where Radiance has already built a solid foundation with its pelvic floor and pelvic health work, Iacoe’s approach helps broaden the clinic’s ability to meet patients where they are.
“He definitely has a strong sports rehab background, and that is, I think, a great kind of new focus for a clinic,” Doyle said. “Especially because there’s a lot of overlap between pelvic floor conditions and orthopedic conditions. In that way, I think that we will really work well together.”
Radiance is now accepting bookings for Anthony Iacoe. For more information, visit Radiance Physiotherapy.