As the inventor of the Total Ankle Trainer, I bring over 25 years of experience in therapeutic settings. Throughout my career, I’ve encountered a range of exercise equipment in various facilities & clinics, from zero-gravity treadmills to elliptical bikes. However, I’ve observed that these expensive machines are seldom utilized. More importantly, in my professional assessment, they are not ideally suited for the majority of my patients, particularly those with ankle or lower leg conditions.

Today access to therapy services and specialty equipment is challenging. Covid, Flu and Infections have not made this easy for clinics and therapy departments. More often people want to be treated at home or being restricted by various reasons to hospital or rehab rooms. One day, while discussing the underutilized gym equipment and complete lack of portable equipment we had in our therapy department with a friend, I noticed a glaring gap: there were no portable machines available. This realization sparked an idea, and I began sketching a design for an ankle exercise machine.

As I observed patients and therapists struggling to perform ankle exercises using Theraband while seated in wheelchairs next to bulky leg press machines or treadmills, I knew there had to be a better way. I envisioned a machine tailored specifically for my patients—one that would be innovative, user-friendly, and effective. Weeks of relentless work in my shop led to a simple yet highly functional ankle exercise machine. The journey from sketch to a functional model was indescribable—a true “Eureka moment.” I marveled at the simplicity of the design and wondered why no one had built something similar before. This machine had the potential to significantly improve ankle function and strength.

I demonstrated the prototype to my coworkers, who encouraged me to apply for a patent. They recognized the benefits and value it brings to ankle and leg conditions. In October 2019, my hard work paid off, and I was awarded a utility patent for my invention.

Today, With ideas from both our physical therapy and engineering teams, we are able to bring this innovation to the market. we’ve created a durable, capable, and portable ankle trainer—the missing piece in ankle rehabilitation. The path of innovation is rarely taken, but I believe our trainers can transform the status quo and advance Ankle and Leg health.

Thank you for your support.

Tim McCarthy

CEO, Total Ankle, LLC