Our Staff

Al Escobar

Clinic Director & Founder

Al Escobar, the son of a Marine, basically grew up in Phoenix, Arizona from the time that he was 9 years old.   He wrestled and played football at Sunnyslope High School, where he graduated in 1987. Al attended Northern Arizona University for both his bachelors and masters degree. While attending NAU he competed in bodybuilding at a state, national and international level.   His titles have included an overall championship in Arizona, 1st place at the NPC Mr. USA, and 1st place at the IFBB North American Bodybuilding Championships. He continued to place in the top 10 at the NPC National Championships until his last competition in 2003. Al appeared and was featured several times on ESPN, and in international magazines such as Muscle & Fitness. After graduating from NAU with a degree in Exercise Science, he was accepted into Northern Arizona University’s Physical Therapy graduate program. He completed the Masters of Physical Therapy program in May of 1995 and began work in an outpatient orthopedic private practice. Since 1999 Al has been an integral part of the Phoenix Fire Department’s training academy in the realm of injury prevention. In 2007, when the City of Glendale opened their training academy Al continued to teach the same program with a major focus on functional biomechanics, which included both an academic and practical portion.

In 2001, Al was recruited by a large physical therapy entity to open and manage two start-up clinics. It was there where Al was involved to a greater degree in the rehabilitation of collegiate, professional, and Olympic level athletes. In the latter part of 2005, Al decided it was time to leave the corporate atmosphere and return to private practice where he felt he could best serve his profession. Al partnered with Brian Robinson, who was greatly successful in the practice/business of health care and physical therapy for over 20 years. On November 9th, 2005 ARIS Physical Therapy was born with the mission of creating the “gold standard” of physical therapy in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Al, now in his 20th year of practice, has been able to create meaningful professional relationships with patients, physical therapists, PT Assistants, Athletic Trainers, physicians/surgeons, and the community. It is his goal to make a positive difference in both his personal and professional life.

Al and his wife Renee have been married since 1996 and have two children, Trey and Ella, who are very involved in school and sports. Al’s hobbies include strength training, Muay Thai, and boxing, but most of his time outside of ARIS is spent with his family.

D BLAKE

Business Office Manager

D joined ARIS Physical Therapy, December of 2018. She was born and raised in Arizona. She has over 15 years experience in the health care field with the knowledge and experience to her position as Business Manager to Billing & Collections. When not working at ARIS, loves spending time with her family and friends. She enjoys staying active with hiking, running in Spartan Races, snowboarding and weight training.

Gamal Oakey

Physical Therapist

Gamal, originally from Sonora, Mexico, has called Arizona his home since he was 2 years old. He attended Greenway High School where his infatuation for sports grew exponentially as he excelled in basketball, football, and track. After high school, Gamal found his passion in the realm of combat sports, delving into the art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) and training Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) at the esteemed MMA Lab.

Inspired by his training in MMA, Gamal became fascinated with understanding the human body and optimizing athletic performance, and he pursued a Bachelor's degree in Kinesiology at Arizona State University in pursuit of becoming a physical therapist. Armed with a solid foundation in the science of movement, Gamal's thirst for knowledge led him to become a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and obtain his Doctorate in Physical Therapy from A.T. Still University in Mesa, AZ in 2023.

With his diverse background in sports, Gamal brings a unique perspective to his role as a physical therapist at ARIS Physical Therapy. He combines his firsthand understanding of the physical demands and challenges faced by athletes with his knowledge of rehabilitation and performance enhancement. Gamal is dedicated to helping individuals overcome injuries, optimize their physical capabilities, and achieve their goals.

In his spare time, Gamal’s hobbies include spending time with his wife, Caitlin and son, Mateo, training jiu jitsu, strength training, grilling, woodworking, and being outdoors.

Kayla Parker

ATHLETIC TRAINER

Kayla is an Arizona native, she grew up in Goodyear and attended Agua Fria High School where she got her start in their Sports Medicine Program in their CTE program. She went on to Northern Arizona University to study Atheltic Training and earned her Bachelors in Atheltic Training in May of 2014.

She returned to the Valley and began a career in the world of outpatient Physical Therapy and working as a contract Athletic Trainer for a number of local high schools from 2014-2021 including Glendale Prep, Trivium Prep, and Deer Valley High School. Switching gears Kayla stepped into a roll treating the industrial athletes of the Phoenix Fire Department in their Health Center PT Clinic.

Kayla enjoys hiking & being outdoors, playing guitar, & spending time with her family.

Zachary Yepez

Physical Therapist

Zachary, originally from Queens, NYC moved to Mount Laurel, NJ when he was 6 years old. Growing up in NJ he played baseball and basketball through his teenage years. In high school Zachary found his passion for weight lifting, exercising, and bodybuilding. Inspired by his passion for exercise and learning about the human body he pursed a  Bachelors degree in Athletic Training at Rowan University. During his undergraduate studies Zachary gained hands on clinical experience working with professional football, D3 women's volleyball, basketball, men's soccer, and was rehabilitation coordinator during his senior year. 

 Zachary's passion for sports medicine, exercise, and movement continued in his post graduate studies leading  him to become a Doctor of Physical Therapy at Neumann University. While completing his post graduate studies he competed in powerlifting competitions, half marathons, and found his passion for martial arts. Zachary has competed in muay thai fights and has trained under world class kickboxers/fighters including Elvis Gashi (Glory Kickboxer), and Sugar Can Coke Chunhawat(former WBC flyweight Muay thai world champion). Since moving to Arizona Zachary has continued sharpening his striking skills at the world renowned MMA lab while also participating in brazilian jui jitsu

Rigo Carbajal

Athletic Trainer

Bio coming soon.