How did I get here?

Do you ever have days where you wonder ‘how did I end up here’? What twists and turns has life taken to bring you to your destination? One things for sure it’s rarely a straight and simple road, but then that’s what makes our journeys all the more interesting and unique.

My friends and family often joke about the many jobs and ‘careers’ I’ve managed to cram into my 46 years. From Recruitment consultant to PA, shepherdess to Adminstrator for the Australian Navy one things for sure I’ve had a varied and interesting path. The one thing I’m sure of is the skills and experience I’ve gained along the way and lessons life has given me have all combined to help me create my own business and develope my passion for health and well-being and a desire to help others.

So how did I get here? What brought me to be a therapist and drove me to want to help others improve their health and well-being? I guess my appreciation of the human body and the importance of looking after it started early for me. I grew up with servere allergies and Eczema. Most of my childhood was spent back and forth to hospital for allergy tests, with restrictive lists of foods, things to avoid and a twice daily ritual applying cream head to toe. Allergies to dairy products, eggs and worst of all chocolate were fairly hard to cater for in the 1970’s. No ‘free from’ aisle in the supermarket and inadequate food labeling made finding alternatives tough. Through research and trial and error we discovered I could tollerate Goats milk which then became my alternative source of calcium and meant we got to visit a small holding once a month to stock up.

With careful diet management and caring for my skin with buckets full of emolient creams I learned to live with my allergies and Eczema and accepted it as part of who I am. I spent my early 20’s living and working in Australia and New Zealand before returning back to the UK and falling into working in the Recruitment Industry. The next 8 years are best described as a rollercoaster, alot of working hard and playing hard, long working hours, plenty of stress and pressure to hit targets and little time to look after my health and well-being. A healthy diet and exercise had definitely fallen to the bottom of the list of priorities. As I approached the end of my 20’s my Eczema was back with avengence, I’d gained weight and I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had a good nights sleep. The stress and pressure of work had taken over all aspects of my life and it was time to make a change. But what was that change going to be? I wasn’t sure, but all I knew was that I had to stop doing what I was doing and find a new path. So I quit my job, placed myself in a temporary secretarial job with one of my clients and set about creating the space in my life to find the next adventure. My lifelong struggles with food allergies felt like a starting point. I’m a strong believer in learning and growing from the lessons life gives you. Could these experiences be used in someway? I did some research and found a brilliant distance learning Clinical Nutrition course and spent the next 12 months studying from home around my temp job. I fell in love with learning about how amazing the human body is, fascinated by the antomny and physiology modules and gained a new appreciation for this incredible piece of equipment we have all been gifted.

Just as I was finishing the course I suffered an injury, brought on by training for a 6 day charity trek in Peru. Fearing that the pain in my achillies tendon and ankle might mean I would have to pull out I sought treatment at the local Sports Injury clinic. The difference after just 2 sessions was incredible, I felt better than I had in weeks and the trek looked like it was back on the cards. It was there, on that treatment couch, that I had my light bulb moment. Could this be what I was looking for? Could this be my new career path? Studing Sports and Remedial massage would help me to further develop the antomy and physiology knowledge I just gained and provide me with an opportunity to help people. A plan was hatching!

2 more years of study and I was a qualified Sports and Remedial Massage practioner, gaining my certificates just in time for my move from Essex to Manchester. Working as a therapist has been everything I’d hoped for. No two days are the same and seeing the improvement treatments can make to someones health and well-being is so rewarding. I’ve had the opportunity to work at a whole range of exciting events, from marathons to long distance bike rides, working with clients from age 8 to 98. From the girl who hated sport at school because I felt so self conscious about my Excema to someone who now has working for British Cycling and the GB Taekwondo Team on her CV, I’ve never looked back.