Forty Under 40: D. Chris Cothern, 39

Chris Cothern had the right instinct at the right time.

Cothern was doing outpatient work for a company in Little Rock when the idea of opening his own business took hold.

“I have to have a challenge, to continue to learn and to grow,” he said. “I wanted to do my own thing.”

Cothern founded his company, headquartered at All-Star Sports Arena in Springdale, as a sports performance company in 2004.

The physical therapy service was added three years ago and the business continues to grow.

Just recently, Cothern’s group bid for and was awarded a contract to provide services to athletes at Springdale Public Schools.

This fall, the company will expand with the opening of a second clinic, Springdale Physical Therapy & Spine.

“Investing in the community is the best way we want to grow long term,” he said.
Cothern, who earned a master’s in physical therapy from the University of Central Arkansas in 1999, earned his doctorate from the University of St. Augustine (Fla.) in 2009.

Cothern was appointed to the Arkansas Governor’s Council on Fitness, and is involved in a number of youth fitness initiatives. They include the Great Arkansas Workout, a one-day fitness program for 650 fourth-grade students.