Physio Natalie’s Olympic dreams will all come true
HELPING OUT Natalie Stephenson will be a physio with Team GB at the London Olympics. Picture: Ian Hargreaves (111428-2)
PHYSIO Natalie Stephenson will be helping to keep Team GB’s Olympic sailors shipshape this summer.
The 29-year-old was chosen from over 1,000 applicants to land a place on the physiotherapy team.
The team, which will be made up of physios from around the country, will be on stand-by at a mobile health clinic ready to tend nagging injuries elite sailors pick up while they’re at sea at Weymouth in July.
Natalie, of Denmead, was picked by Olympic officials following a series of interviews and tests.
She said: ‘It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with top-class athletes.
‘I normally treat up to 13 people a day at my clinic for everyday muscle injuries.
‘I’ve had experience working with local sports clubs, but this is going to be at another level.’
Natalie, who runs her own physiotherapy clinic, Physio-Logical, in Havant, graduated from Brunel University, Middlesex, in 2003 before setting up her private clinic.
She will join the physiotherapy squad a month before the Olympics this summer for a training session which will prepare them for the road ahead.
‘I’m feeling nervous about it all but I know the experience is going to be amazing,’ she said.
‘I hope I’ll learn new techniques and ways of treating people from others on the team. I can then use all that extra knowledge and take it back to my business.’
‘My family and friends are all delighted for me. They think my hard work has paid off.
‘Being a physiotherapist is something I’ve always wanted to do.’
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Friday 25 May 2012
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Comments
There are 2 comments to this article
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legend32
Friday, January 13, 2012 at 11:09 PMNatalie. Well done! Helping any Olympic class athlete is a big achievement and clearly shows what a good Physio you are. Thanks for helping me get up and running again. I’ve recommended you to several other people in my running club.
jobu103
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 11:01 PMNatalie, I'm really pleased for you gaining a place at Weymouth as a physio and for the experiences this will give you, but the interviews and selections held were for the polyclinic. The role of the polyclinic it to provide medical support and treatment for International teams who will be travelling to the Olympics without medical support and not for Team GB. I'm afraid the physio positions with Team GB are filled by the physio's who have and are continuing to work extremely hard with the GB sports teams. Whilst I'm very happy you have been selected to join the polyclinic, I feel it is important for the readers to be aware of the difference between the two positions as it is false advertising and does an injustice to those physio's who are working with the GB teams.
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