Our Physical Therapy Team
Emilie Connor, D.P.T. (Owner)
Montpelier office only
Emilie grew up in Calais, Vermont and graduated from U-32 High School in 2003. She then attended the University of Vermont (UVM) to study Nutrition and Food Sciences ('08) before completing her Doctorate in Physical Therapy degree in 2010. She has worked for six years in small out-patient clinics in central Vermont specializing in the Graston Technique, Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS), manual therapy, orthotic evaluation and casting, and ergonomic evaluations. In addition, she spent 14 months traveling on the west coast, where she completed two traveling physical therapy rotations. During her time at UVM, she was a four-year member of the UVM women's lacrosse team. Her passion for lacrosse and coaching has continued, as she has been the head coach of the U-32 girls team since 2011. She lives in East Montpelier with her husband Chris and kids Theo and Isla, and loves swimming, playing broomball and hockey, and doing Yoga and Pilates.
Daniel Olmschenk, D.P.T. ​
Montpelier & Plainfield location
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Daniel received his Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of Vermont in 2020. He appreciates that there are many aspects of a person’s life that affect their healing and tries to address rehabilitation with this lens. Prior to becoming a PT, Daniel was a youth athletics coach in the sport of rock climbing, a climbing guide, and a paraeducator. Daniel lives on a small farm in Plainfield VT with his partner and young child, and outside of the clinic continues to enjoy outdoor adventures, gardening, and giving love to the world’s best dog. Daniel has experience in treating all sorts of musculoskeletal issues, but has also been working with more and more patients with neurologic conditions including concussion, vertigo, Parkinson’s disease, and many others.
John Basa, D.P.T.
Montpelier & Plainfield location
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John received his Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of Vermont in 2021. John has professional interests in orthopedics and sports management, with a strong passion to help individuals across the lifespan to move in healthy and engaging ways. In his physical therapy practice he uses a combined approach incorporating both movement interventions and manual therapy, including dry needling, to help his patients heal. Outside of work John enjoys spending time with his family, Nordic skiing and cycling, and growing fresh vegetables in his garden.
Aydan Crandall, M.S.P.T.
Montpelier & Plainfield location
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Aydan graduated Boston University in the fall of 1998 with his M.S. in Physical Therapy. Since 2000 he has worked as an outpatient therapist in various facilities throughout New England. Aydan is currently in the process of completing his orthopaedic manual therapy certification through the University of St. Augustine, and is looking forward to pursuing additional training in the application of Pilates as a form of rehabilitative exercise. Aydan and his family live in Worcester, VT, and his hobbies include general fitness, homesteading, and anything that involves puttering outdoors.
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AnnaMaria DiPietropaolo (Office Manager)
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AnnaMaria is originally from Northern Virginia, relocating to Vermont in 2013. She has trained in street dance, ballet, modern, tap, musical theater, jazz, and many other modern dance forms. She has a strong interest in the preservation and education of Black dance forms and their communities, as well as the relationship between dance and neurodivergence/mental illness, with the ultimate goal of making dance more accessible and inclusive to all by dismantling deeply rooted biases. She was a member of Contemporary Dance and Fitness Studio's Teen Jazz company in high school, has attended intensives such as Rennie Harris' Illadelph Legends and Bates Dance Festival, and most recently completed American Dance Festival. She currently resides in central Vermont, working as an office manager and dancer/choreographer, and spends her spare time creating all different kinds of art.
Crista Ordway (Front Desk Receptionist)
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A lifelong resident of Central Vermont, Crista comes to Essential Physical Therapy after working from home for the last twenty years, and was also assistant to the director at Contemporary Dance & Fitness Studio for several years. She has two children with her husband, Ned, and lives in Washington, VT with one of her children and three cats. Crista loves to be crafty and enjoys scrapbooking, crocheting and painting. She is also a lover of nature and you can usually find her outside in the summer and enjoying the birds at the feeder in the winter.
