Upbeat, active, ever determined and dedicated. Kind, caring and the possessor of a 10,000-watt personality.
And the greatest monkey bread chef on the planet.
That is Denise Knight.
Challenges, it must be noted, do not intimidate her. And by golly she was challenged. Body, mind, and spirit. And she won.
In April of 2024, Knight was gardening at her church and was blown from a berm onto a parking lot by 40-plus miles-per hour winds.
She suffered a three-inch fracture in the ball of her right shoulder and broke her right hip in four places.
Her injuries were crippling.
After a two-month stay in a rehabilitation facility and one month of in-home physical therapy, Knight selected Rock Valley Physical Therapy’s Bennington, Nebraska clinic (8001 N. 157th Street, Suite 103) for what was to be a lengthy rehabilitation.
It was the right choice.
There, Knight was under the compassionate, knowledgeable, and watchful eye of RJ Peitzmeier, PT, DPT, CSCS, the Bennington clinic manager, and his dedicated staff.
Three times weekly for 14 months, Knight and Peitzmeier diligently – and with great energy and purpose – worked at goals Knight set aside on day one.
“RJ had two injuries to work on at each session,’’ Knight shared. “He began with getting range-of-motion back and alleviating pain. Later was strengthening.’’
But….
In March of 2025, after eight months of therapy and tremendous success bettering her leg and hip injuries, Peitzmeier suggested Knight get a second doctor’s opinion on her shoulder.
“I am thankful he did because I needed a reverse shoulder replacement,’’ Knight said. “So back to square one.’’
It was a challenge – after immense success in one area – to begin anew in another. It was a task Peitzmeier – and the forever-upbeat and goal-oriented Knight – were willing to accept.
“When Denise first came to Rock Valley, she was weary of who she would be working with and made her goals of getting back into her garden and being as active as she could very clear,’’ Peitzmeier added, praising Knight’s dedication to an active lifestyle.
“After working with both her hip and shoulder, her hip had really progressed and went from only being able to walk short distances with her walker to walking over a mile without any form of assistive device. Her shoulder, however, was not seeing the same great progress. I recommended she get a second opinion from a trusted orthopedic surgeon in town. After her consultation she underwent a total shoulder replacement in spring of 2025.’’
Peitzmeier said Knight’s situation was unique in that the two addressed a pair of issues with one having remarkable success but having to start over because things were never quite right with Knight’s shoulder. It did not stop either from attacking all issues with gusto, optimism, and determination.
“Both (hip and shoulder) severely affected her life,’’ Peitzmeier said. “But we were able to work with her shoulder and hip back and forth, focusing on which body part needed more attention each day. After getting to know Denise and seeing where her function was and hearing her goals of where she wanted to be, I knew we had a lot of work to do.”
“I saw her for a little over a year between her shoulder and hip and I looked forward to every session,’’ Peitzmeier added. “I got to help her achieve some pretty amazing things.’’
Playing to Knight’s competitive nature, her career as a physical educator and her goal-oriented drive, Peitzmeier – to Knight’s delight – made therapy fun, challenging and competitive.
“One of the most fun things,’’ Knight said of Peitzmeier’s way of incorporating gamesmanship and competition into therapy. “Some of them were field hockey, soccer, volleyball, pickle ball, and medicine ball tic tac toe.”
“It was so encouraging to me,’’ added Knight. “When I thought physical therapy was ending, before the news of more surgery, RJ personally took the time and met me at our neighborhood fitness center. He introduced me to the manager/trainer and then showed me all the stations that would help my condition. I am still working out there. RJ explained everything he was doing so I could understand. He was determined to get me to a better place. He was kind and compassionate, consoling me when I had to start over with the shoulder. He always started the session asking how I felt, and he was a good listener. I will be forever grateful to RJ for all he has done for me.’’
While Peitzmeier took the lead with Knight’s road to better health, her overall Bennington experience carved a spot in her heart.
“Rock Valley Physical Therapy/Bennington is an amazing place,’’ Knight noted. “I could write a book about my wonderful experience. The desk staff (clinic experience associates) Kathy (Kathleen Christensen) and Reese (Zoucha), therapists Blake (Jeffres, PT, DPT, TPI) and Brett (Velasquez, PT, DPT) are wonderful to work with as well.’’
Peitzmeier says Knight has been an amazing advocate of the magnificent work that goes on inside the walls of Rock Valley Physical Therapy/Bennington.
“Denise was always open to making sure she did work outside the clinic that would be beneficial to her getting better,’’ Peitzmeier said. “She is an A-plus patient and person, extremely diligent with her home exercise program and we left every session with a good discussion on what I expected her to do at home between our meetings.
“To her credit, she came equipped with lots of questions,’’ Peitzmeier added. “During her first appointment with us, I felt like I was going through a job interview. Luckily, she has referred many of her friends and neighbors, so I still hear lots about her and what she’s up to. Denise is back to working out in the gym regularly and has been working in her garden at home with the help of some of her neighbors. She’s able to walk for over a mile without a cane.’’
Aside from being a great patient and friend, Peitzmeier said he will miss not having Knight around to brighten Rock Valley Bennington’s days.
“Denise may be the best cook I’ve met,’’ Peitzmeier said. “Wow. She made sure to keep us well fed with goodies over her time spent at Rock Valley. Her monkey bread is one of the best treats I have tasted. I’m hoping I can lose some of the extra pounds I’ve put on now that I won’t be tempted by all her sweet treats as often.’’
By: Johnny Marx, Rock Valley Storyteller