Meet Vicky Annis, Head Physiotherapist at Kent Sport Physiotherapy Clinic

Meet Vicky Annis, Head Physiotherapist at Kent Sport Physiotherapy Clinic. She brings a wealth of knowledge to the clinic and her ultimate goal is to help people from across the university and beyond.

Vicky qualified from the University of Bradford in 2006. Upon qualifying she worked at the Coach House Sports Physiotherapy Clinic, Leeds, for seven years prior to moving to the University of Kent. Vicky has worked in the sports physiotherapy setting since graduating and has been exposed to many different sports and continues to work with England Netball as the U19s physiotherapist and contractually with British Triathlon and British Athletics. In 2009, Vicky had the pleasure of working full time with the Great Britain Womens’ Volleyball Team for 8 months. This included working at the World Student Games in Belgrade and European Championships.

Vicky completed her first masters module in 2013; shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand. This was to further develop her knowledge in shoulders, which is one of her clinical interests.

Getting to know Vicky Annis better:

Why did you choose a career in Physio?

I have always watched and played sport from a very young age and always enjoyed the Olympics. One Olympic story I will never forget is that of Derek Redmond at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics where he pulled his hamstring and his Dad helped him across the finish line. I love what sport means to people and how injuries and illnesses can impact on performance. As a physiotherapist, you can help people achieve their goals, however big or small and this is one of the many experiences that drew me to physio.

What’s your greatest achievement in the Physio world?

From an academic perspective, I completed my Post Graduate Diploma in Sports Physiotherapy, alongside working full time role at the Kent Sport Physiotherapy Clinic, which was a big achievement.

From a clinical perspective, to work with the British Triathlon team at multiple World Triathlon Series races and World Championships, really is a dream come true. I have been involved with British Triathlon for almost 10 years now. I have always found myself incredibly fortunate to be asked to travel around the world with British Triathlon or other sports including fast track skating, netball and athletics, I still find some of my greatest achievements include working with people achieving other goals. One example is a client who was diagnosed with osteitis pubis and told she would never run again. Through going back to the basics and looking at them holistically, they are stronger than ever before and running better than ever before, in full health and very happy.

What’s the worst injury you treated?

You might be surprised to hear that it wasn’t a broken bone that springs to mind with this question. One of the worst injuries was several years ago when I worked for a netball team. The player had jumped to catch a ball and the opponent had accidentally stepped back meaning the player had her legs taken from underneath her and landed on her head. Once I had initially immobilised their cervical spine, I needed to get help and check A,B,C (airway, breathing and circulation). There are a lot of steps to follow in a trauma situation and ensuring things were completed in the right order and thoroughly. This can be the difference between a positive and negative outcome. The player was taken to hospital on a spinal board and thankfully no spine fractures seen on investigation, however, the concussion needed to be monitored.

What are your hopes for students and staff (and beyond in the community) for Kent Sport Physiotherapy clients?

My hope is that I can continue to utilise the skills and experiences for many years to come and ensure all clients looking at the clinic understand that physiotherapy is for everyone and not just for the ‘elite or weekend warrior’. The skills and treatments can be transferred to whatever injury, niggle or preventative ideas you have and the more people I can help and improve their movement to provide freedom and have a positive impact on their lifestyle.

What activities do you enjoy the most?

A happy Vicky is when I am out cycling or swimming, combined with a catch up with my friends and family. I have always had a desire to explore and what better way than to combine that with an environmentally friendly cycle! It has seen me explore Kent via the Pilgrim’s Hospice Cycle ride, cycle the length of the country and see the beauty of the UK, plus meet so many incredible people along the way. I am known to get excited about certain events and drag friends and family into these crazy ideas such as a 24-hour swim.

Vicky has worked with a number of elite sports teams, including:
Great Britain Womens’ Volleyball Team, British Triathlon, England Netball, Yorkshire Jets Netball Superleague Team, Leeds City Swimming Club, BUCS teams for various sports and British Athletics.

If you’re looking for support, please get in touch with the Kent Sport Physiotherapist Clinic via email: physio@kent.ac.uk.

Find out more about Kent Sport Physiotherapy Clinic please visit our website www.kent.ac.uk/sports/physio and to stay up to date Like us on Facebook. Please consider showing your support by donating to the NHS charities.

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