Daniel Lopez, PTA
Daniel was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest and earned his undergraduate degree in Exercise Science from Trine University in Indiana. After returning home, he explored several career paths, including personal training, before spending two and a half years as an exercise technician in a physical therapy clinic. Inspired by that experience, he went on to complete the Physical Therapist Assistant program at PIMA Medical Institute, graduating in 2020.
Since becoming a licensed PTA, Daniel has worked in a variety of clinical settings and is currently part of the team at A2. While he has previously worked as a traveling therapist—often selecting assignments near mountain ranges to pursue his passion for ice climbing—he is currently based in Tacoma while waiting for a potential winter placement.
Outside the clinic, Daniel enjoys mountaineering, alpine and ice climbing, and capturing the outdoors through photography. He lives in Tacoma with his partner and their two dogs, Delilah and Nia.
"My name is Irvin Markham. I am a member of A2 Physical Therapy and Fitness. I have been a member of several gyms but never had a personal trainer. With no schedule or workout plan, I would always eventually quit. My wife suggested to go see her personal trainer Kristi Cruz. What a difference the experience has made in helping me get the most out of my workouts. Kristi has not only helped me get 71 year old body back in shape physically, but mentally as well. She has put me on a set schedule and encourages me to do all the things I need to do to stay healthy. I cannot thank Kristi and the entire staff at A2 for all of the support they have shown me."
− Irvin
"A2 Physical Therapy has been an amazing place to be at for the past 3 years training with Kristi Cruz. I have had knee and shoulder issues and Alika has been great getting me back to doing the things I love. The staff here is always so loving and kind. I know when I come here I am always excited to be here. I love getting the warm smiles from everyone!"
− Haeli
"I started at A2 about mid-July and I am in the 9:00 am Friday class. A2 has opened me up to new levels of a workout. There is no “golden Standard”. Everyone goes to the best of their abilities. I feel like I can workout without being judged. In my class there are my mom, dad, aunt Lori, aunt Amber, my cousin Mandy and our newest addition Randy. Kristi is always encouraging us to give our all. She is never telling us that we aren’t doing the workout right. Instead she helps us grow by kindly telling us if we do it this way we will get more out of it and she always helps us get there. I decided to do cross country this year and I feel like I can go and be successful and strong because of my A2 workout. Thank you so much for helping me grow in my health."
− Genevieve