They act – patient and therapist – as if they have shared morning coffee for 30 years.
On a drab and dreary Fall Friday, it is bright and sunny – thanks to Mike Logan, 62, and Jeremy Starr, PT, DPT, – inside Rock Valley Physical Therapy’s Westgate (2635 Lincoln Way Suite C, Clinton, Iowa) clinic.
The pair, hilarious together, have shined a unique and upbeat light on the world around them.
The duo’s order of business is football, particularly Logan’s assessment of how his Minnesota Vikings are faring in the 2025-26 season. Talk of food, fun, all that is life and fellowship, soon follow.
And…Some serious work on bettering the overall health and well-being life of the Laugh-a-minute Logan.
It must be noted, the Clinton, Iowa native is a never-back-down-from-a-challenge dynamo, two years removed from a below the knee amputation. A United States Army veteran, Logan, to those fortunate enough to spend time with him, learn quickly he is one of life’s genuinely good souls.
And Starr, a gifted, knowledgeable, and compassionate therapist, has spent nearly 25 years “Making Better Lives.’’ By approach alone, Starr – a Tennessee Titans football fan since they were the Houston Oilers – found his life’s perfect calling.
The two together are forever in their element.
In mid-breakdown of the Vikings’ 2025-26 chances for a successful season, Logan talks about food – large steaks in particular – and how great it was to walk his daughter – his rock through his physical struggles – down the aisle recently.
An A-plus listener, Starr says he refuses to make his path to bettering Logan’s life a cliche, noting he cares about the person sitting next to him and wants to do all he can to help him reach all his independent living goals.
“It’s about the person as a whole, it’s not just a body part I’m treating,’’ said Starr, whose practice features work in Balance & Fall Prevention, Geriatrics, Orthopedics, Sports Medicine, Workers Compensation /Return to Work .
“This is why we try to start our appointments a tad early,’’ added Starr. “Mike is not afraid to talk, be honest, speak his mind and sometimes in a 40-minute time slot that gets us off track. That, though, is one of the beauties of what I do. I get to learn about the people I treat and them about me.’’
Quickly finding their way back to the matter at hand, Logan says he turned to Starr and Rock Valley Physical Therapy for severe back pain, a gait issue, and pain above his right buttock, all having surfaced after his amputation.
“Things weren’t going the way I felt they should elsewhere, and Jeremy and Rock Valley have fixed all that,’’ Logan said. “First, Jeremy listens. He listened when I explained where I was and understood that a lot of what I was dealing with was because of losing my leg. Things elsewhere weren’t in sync with what I needed and didn’t match up with how I work with the VA, which has been great to me.
“And Jeremy knows what he is talking about, explains why we do what we do, what benefit it is to me and how important it is to maintain things outside the clinic,’’ added Logan. “And he cares. Me getting better, and I have gotten better, is personal to him.’’
Through a bevy of in-clinic exercises that are strength-and-stretch focused, immensely helpful manual therapy, and him being dedicated to his in-home exercise program, life is on a serious upward swing for Logan.
He has, for the first time since his amputation, walked without a cane. His balance and gait issues have improved dramatically. His work – while using a cane – covering uneven surfaces has improved. Logan adds that Starr’s ability to manually work on troubled areas that arose because of the amputation has played a huge role in his progress.
Though work still remains, Logan knows things will continue to be better thanks to Starr and Rock Valley Physical Therapy.
“There is a plan, and we are working on that plan,’’ Logan said. “This is about me getting better and me working through the issues I have. The best part of it is that Jeremy is there to help me get through this. That we can talk about all sorts of things is a bonus.’’
For Starr, there is no greater reward than a patient getting better physically, reaching their goals, connecting with that individual on a personal level, and having a positive experience from therapy.
“I look forward to my time with Mike,’’ Starr said. “I enjoy learning about him and our time chatting. There are goals he has, and it is my job to help him achieve those goals. It’s also important to educate Mike, to make him aware of what is happening, how his movements or actions are contributing to the troubles, and then how do we move forward toward betterment.
“People like to know if there is a plan for them and to be successful, I need them to be part of that plan. That we get to chat about things we have in common; that’s a bonus to what I do. Besides being someone I enjoy being around – and he can talk to just about everything that comes up – Mike is motivated for all the right reasons.’’
Logan and Starr: Like they have been hanging together forever.
By: Johnny Marx, Storyteller