Our Story

In 1992, founding partners Mary Leonard and Gary Guerriero had a brand new vision for a sports clinic. The two wanted to bring the public a training room and physical therapy center that provided the same level of sports rehabilitation care that was typically reserved for athletes. At the time, Guerriero was the physical therapist for the New York Rangers, and Leonard was training VIP clients that included Sports Illustrated models and rock musicians.

The duo searched for two years for a space that could house their facility so they could bring the idea to life. In 1994, they finally secured the lease for a facility at 515 Madison Avenue on the third floor. Their vision of an open loft-like facility began to take shape. Here, they would incorporate both a physical therapy facility and an athletic training room together in the same space.

Each piece of equipment was chosen with careful forethought, and some were even custom made. From the start, the facility was a sanctuary for many athletes, including Olympians and professionals. Guerriero and Leonard still wanted to make this facility available to the public. One day, an undercover reporter came from the New York Times and worked out with Mary. Later, Leonard would learn it was Jennifer Steinhauer, early in her career. The facility made the cover of the living section, and the secret was out!

It has been more than two decades since the two achieved their goal of bringing quality care and attention previously only available to elite athletes to the active public, and the results have been immeasurable. Today, our center is still home to many high-performance athletes, and we have also healed scores of patients, from pre- and post-operative patients to those with chronic pain. Many of them leave the facility not just feeling better, but feeling better than they ever have.

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Gary Guerriero, Co-Founder

Gary Guerriero is the co-owner U.S. Athletic Training and clinical director of Gary Guerriero P.T., P.C. Prior to opening U.S.A.T.C. in 1994, Gary was head Physical Therapist for the New York Rangers from 1983-1993. Gary also worked with the New York Knicks and the New York City Ballet. At the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Gary was the Head Athletic Trainer for U.S.A. Baseball and U.S.A. Track and Field. His involvement with Team U.S.A. also included time with the bobsled, luge, and alpine events at the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, New York. In the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Gary was the physical therapist and strength coach for the Modern Pentathlon.

Since opening U.S.A.T.C., Gary has treated numerous world-class and professional athletes, Billboards Top 100 artists and performers, industry icons, and business executives. He was named one of the "55 Best Trainers" in America and #1 in New York. He has been featured most recently in the Financial Times, New York Times, Daily News, Men's Health, Men's Journal, Elle Magazine, and numerous appearances on Eye Witness News with Dr. Jay Adlersberg. Gary has been treating patients for over 35 years and has close relationships with top orthopedic surgeons across the country. He holds a degree in Physical Therapy from Downstate Medical School.

Mary Leonard, Co-Founder

Mary Leonard is the co-owner of U.S. Athletic Training Center. She is Director of Marketing and Patient Care at Gary Guerriero P.T., P.C. Before opening U.S.A.T.C., Mary was a professional theater dancer and performer appearing on multiple television shows and performing on Broadway. She has choreographed in many mediums ranging from television to stage. She was named one of the "55 Best Trainers in America" by Vogue magazine. She is a published exercise author and has been featured in national publications, including Vogue, New York Times, Daily News, Glamour, Men's Journal, W, American Health, Bazaar, New York Magazine, Ski, Dancer Magazine, Self, The Red Bulletin, Shape, Fitness Magazine and in Good Housekeeping presented by L'Oréal 50 Inspiring Women Over 50.

She taught dance for the American Dance Machine and Marymount Manhattan College. Mary was also the head of the weight training program and taught fitness aerobics and swimming at Barnard College. She holds a Master's Degree from Columbia University. Mary still trains select clients, usually in the performing arts.