Age: 39
Job Title: Owner/President, Leading Edge Physiotherapy
Why He’s Top 40: He’s created a culture of giving that extends beyond the good he’s done for his patients. He works with a community of charitable organizations that have made huge impacts on the city.
What Do You Like Most About Edmonton?: “Edmonton’s the smallest city that exists. The people in the city know each other and they show up for each other. I really believe we’re seeing a generation of people that are making a daily difference and a bigger difference.”
When Grant Fedoruk bought Leading Edge Physiotherapy clinic’s original location in St. Albert five years ago, he wasn’t sure about the name. “I thought it could work but only if we live up to it,” he says. He’s accomplished that goal by constantly updating his extensive list of techniques for his patients.
But stepping into Fedoruk’s second location, at the Royal Glenora Club, provides further insight into his work culture. Patients and physiotherapists are talking and laughing, upbeat music is playing and Fedoruk’s smiling from ear to ear. He doesn’t just want patients leaving with less pain in their muscles or joints; he wants them to have positive experiences. “Even if I don’t fix their pain immediately, it’s a quality-of-life thing. They’ll feel better overall,” he says.
His enthusiasm for making people feel better is so contagious that he’s created a culture of giving within his offices, resulting in huge donations of time, money and resources to local charities. “You can’t come on board as staff unless you’re investing in us. In this case, ‘investing’ doesn’t involve money.”
Fedoruk serves as the vice chair of the Zebra Child Protection Centre, an organization that ensures kids who have faced abusive situations are not further traumatized by long, drawn-out court processes. Along with his wife, Heidi, and his staff, he started a charitable run in 2011 with 100 per cent of the proceeds going to the centre. The race grew from 1,200 participants in 2011 to 1,900 last year, and Fedoruk also gave money to the St. Albert 50-Plus Club, an organization benefiting seniors.
Fedoruk is also a huge supporter of the Pilgrims Hospice, an organization that shares his belief in the importance of quality of life, particularly for those affected by terminal illnesses. Leading Edge donates $10 for every point scored by the Edmonton Eskimos to the organization. The money goes towards an arts program for children who have lost loved ones or are facing their own end-of-life decisions.
Future plans for Leading Edge include continued growth but, in Fedoruk’s mind, that simply means more opportunity to give back. “By growing, we can give back more, whether it’s more money to give to charity, or more volunteering. And then we can have more staff to inspire to do something more in the community,” he says
