Kennedie Onufrak
Lead Physical Therapy Aide
Kennedie grew up in the small town of Tehachapi, CA—a town of about 13,000 people just 45 minutes southeast of Bakersfield. Growing up in a small town, there wasn’t much to do besides play sports which led Kennedie to becoming involved in softball. Kennedie started playing little league softball at 8 years old and continued to play on various travel teams throughout the years until she started high school. Kennedie’s desire to pursue a career in kinesiology stemmed from various sources including her passion for exercise, her high school athletic experience, and inspiration from one of her high school science teachers. One of Kennedie’s first experiences with physical therapy was in high school when a physical therapist came to her softball practices twice a week and spent time educating the coaches and players on proper biomechanics and injury prevention.
In 2015, Kennedie moved to Long Beach to study Kinesiology at CSULB. During her undergrad, she was a member of the University Honors Program and participated in various clubs such as EIMOC that allowed her to make connections and gain more experience with research in the field. Kennedie chose to attend CSULB as they had various options to concentrate on in kinesiology and she wasn’t sure where she wanted to end up. Also, not to mention, the beach was a nice change of scenery from her small mountainous town. Kennedie graduated in 2019 with her Bachelors of Science and continued at CSULB for two more years earning her Masters of Science in Sports Medicine and Injury Studies in 2021.
Kennedie is now focusing on gaining more experience in the field and plans to apply to DPT programs in the upcoming cycle. Kennedie wants to use what she has been taught so far to better educate people about their bodies and help them prioritize their health. Kennedie says she feels so fortunate to have not suffered any injuries and has had the freedom to try various activities and sports. Kennedie wants to help others experience the same sense of independence and confidence to try new activities that she has had as well as be a resource for people recovering from injuries and help motivate them during their recovery.In her free time, Kennedie loves to be outdoors spending time with her dog at the dog beach or dog park or paddleboarding in Long Beach through the Naples Canal. She loves staying active and is always looking for something new to try!