Have you helped an athlete transition from a debilitating injury to full recovery?
Has an inspirational colleague really raised the bar in sports therapy excellence?
Do you work as part of a team that works with professional athletes, providing vital pre- and post-event treatments or pitch-side support?
Perhaps you have given an athlete the tools to overcome mental and physical challenges that resulted from injury?
Maybe you know a therapist whose injury prevention strategies have helped sports people continue to perform at the highest level?
If any of the above sounds familiar, we’d love to hear from you. You can nominate yourself for an award, or put forward an inspirational colleague or team.
You will need to demonstrate excellence in practice, in one of the following areas:
Client service: This ‘hallmark of excellence' is about delivering quality care and outcomes for clients. It's when what you do really benefits the health and wellbeing of your clients.
Research: For members who are involved in developing or carrying out therapy research, this award celebrates the small study as well as the large clinical trial.
Innovation: Focuses on the imaginative and creative use of original or adapted ideas or techniques - for example, the development of a new massage product, teaching aid or therapy service.
Leadership: Aimed at members who make things happen and encourage and inspire others, from organising a team of therapists for a charitable event, to leading a team providing a therapy service.
Representation: For members who have gone the extra mile to promote awareness about therapies and the importance of high standards, or who represent the FHT on therapy lead bodies, councils and committees.
This is your year – enter now!
Last year’s winner for FHT Sports Therapist of the Year was Rebecca Ayres:
On returning to the UK and setting up her own clinic, Reactiv8 Therapy, Rebecca again used her holistic approach to sports therapy to treat professional athletes. This led her to train in ScarWork, which saw her supporting athletes for the Invictus games at training camps in Loughborough, Sheffield and Nottingham as part of a project organised by Emma Holly. In a letter of support for Rebecca’s award entry, Emma wrote: ‘Rebecca has a passion for excellence and has chosen to take a holistic approach to treating clients. At the Invictus training camps, she was able to use her sports massage skills together with her ScarWork to deliver treatments with limited time and the results were impressive. I wish her every success in the awards as she is a wonderful representation of a holistic sports massage therapist.’ Finalists: Alexandra Fraser, Emily Pollington |
A year after gaining an HND in complementary healthcare at the University of Brighton, Rebecca went to work at the highly regarded Subiaco Sports Massage clinic in Perth, Australia. This gave her the opportunity to work with Olympic athletes, before and after the 2008 Beijing Games, where she established a reputation for her holistic approach to treating sports injuries.
