Physical therapist

Entrepreneur

Pro Basketball player

Marion Giant Athletic Hall of Fame

Indiana All-Star

Trester Award Winner

Joe Sutter, Marion High School Class of 1969, helped lead the Giants to the basketball state finals that year and then played professionally in Europe. On that foundation, he went on to build an outstanding physical therapy practice in Virginia, and then to share his expertise as a clinical educator.
Though the Giants fell just short of the state title that year, Sutter earned the Trester Award, given to one senior each year who excels in mental attitude, scholarship, and leadership, along with athletic ability. In 1994, he was named to the Indiana High School Basketball Hall of Fame’s Silver Anniversary Team. He has also been named to the Grant County All-Century Basketball Team.
In addition to basketball, Sutter excelled at tennis and twice earned the state singles championship title in the individual competition. He lost only two regular season matches in the course of his final two years at Marion High School at No. 1 singles
He received a basketball scholarship to attend Davidson College, and was twice named MVP and All-Southern Conference. He later went pro, playing in Europe. He eventually returned to his home state to complete his bachelor’s degree at Indiana University, and he earned his master’s in physical therapy from Duke University in Durham, N.C.
He began his physical therapy practice in Richmond, Va., in 1981. The company he founded, Tuckahoe Physical Therapy, grew to be the largest private provider of outpatient physical therapy services in the metro Richmond and central Virginia area for two decades, at its peak treating more than 300 patients a day at 12 clinics.
He has long been a participant in the federal early intervention program, which helps children ages 0 to 3 and their families overcome physical and developmental challenges, often correcting issues that can become much larger problems later in life. He has also maintained strong ties to the world of sports, providing physical therapy to a wide range of athletes, from local high schools to professional teams.
In addition, he has been involved in civic associations and other philanthropic endeavors that have had a positive impact on his community in Richmond, Va., including coaching youth sports and helping to found the Richmond Sports Backers, which has awarded nearly $1 million in college scholarships to high school athletes.