Memory Johannsen Eltjes, M.S.P.T.’03, ATC, LAT

Memory Johannsen Eltjes, M.S.P.T.’03, ATC, LAT, was among six graduates of Northern State University (NSU) in South Dakota who will be honored at the NSU Hall of Fame and Distinguished Alumni Banquet on Sept. 30. The Tolstoy, SD, native graduated magna cum laude from NSU in 2001 with a bachelor of science in biology and a minor in athletic training. She is one of 12 NSU women’s basketball players to record more than 1,300 points and more than 600 rebounds. She is among the leaders in career assists, with 400. She was named to the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference All-Conference team her senior year. She began her physical therapy career in central Iowa in 2003. In 2012, the Des Moines Register’s “Datebook” named her Best Physical Therapist in the Des Moines area. In 2014, she started her own clinic, Maximum Physical Therapy, in Adel, IA. She has run marathons in Des Moines and San Francisco and participated in Waukee, IA, Crossfit Gym competitions. She lives in Clive, IA, with her children: Samantha, 10, and Tate, 8. Her favorite activities are coaching and watching them play sports.