03/26/2026
“Once I was sitting in the hospital bed post-op,” Ava Skolnik shared. “I just wanted to be able to walk again.”
By last summer, Ava’s limp was no longer something she could push through. Long days on film sets brought pain after an hour on her feet. Her Sunday family golf ritual often ended early. Growing up with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a nerve disorder, Ava was familiar with lower extremity challenges, and early hip pain was easy to dismiss. Advanced imaging finally provided clear answers: bilateral hip dysplasia and a torn labrum.
In August, Ava took the first step forward with a minimally invasive procedure to repair her labrum. A month later, she underwent a more complex surgery to realign the joint. One week later, she began physical therapy at Select Physical Therapy with Physical Therapist Tim Gray.
The starting point was humbling, but Ava committed to the process. She arrived using a walker, nonweight-bearing on her operative leg and unable to lift it without help. Bending her knee past 90 degrees was impossible. Getting in and out of a car required assistance. The loss of independence was real, but so was her determination.
“It felt so weird to be able to walk again,” she said, “Even though I wasn’t using my full body weight.”
Progress began with the basics. Relearning movement, reactivating muscle and repeating small tasks that didn’t look impressive but mattered. Milestones followed. From walker to crutches, then to a cane. Each step forward expanded what she could do in a day.
There were setbacks along the way. Fatigue and doubt surfaced when progress slowed. With her goals in focus and Tim’s encouragement, Ava adjusted and kept going. Walking returned gradually, starting on an AlterG treadmill that supported her body weigh while exercising. Strength work followed, along with a plan to return to golf using exercises that mirrored her swing.
Six months later, Ava is walking without issue and finishing full rounds of golf. She’s preparing to return to long production days and travel, aware that progress requires continued care and commitment. Ava’s perseverance and consistency proved that recovery comes from the power of showing up, one deliberate step at a time.
