Today marks the 15^th anniversary of my opening of Podium Sports Therapy Clinic and it has allowed me to reflect on the twists and turns my professional life has taken since that moment.

From owning a business to being unemployed to opening a new clinic and then a pandemic shutting us down, it has been a winding path which has led me to this point.

I have always been a planner, but nothing prepares you for life’s surprises. The only thing you can count on is the unexpected and knowing that opportunities can appear at any time.

If you had asked me 15 years ago where I thought I would be today, I think my answer would not remotely resemble my reality.

Everything up until that point had gone as planned. I graduated from high school, then university, got a job, then a Masters degree in Sports Physiotherapy and opened a clinic nine months after returning from Australia.  My career was progressing as planned and I assumed I would own Podium Sports Therapy until I decided to sell it and retire.

It was not meant to be.

After only 5 years on Parkedale Avenue we moved to the current location on Waltham Road. The business was growing rapidly and the idea of leaving Podium never crossed my mind until my business partnership dissolved.

On December 19, 2014 I walked out of my partnership meeting without a job or a clinic and within the week all of my belongings were removed from Podium.

 For the first time in my life I didn’t have a plan. What a Christmas present!

My biggest concern was my staff but I truely believe it was the best thing to happen to almost all of us. Therapists who needed to explore their own options got the push they needed. New clinics were opened, new jobs were started and new opportunities became available.

It didn’t take me long to decide I wanted to open another clinic and there just happened to be a vacant building in the village of Mallorytown. I never thought I would practice physiotherapy in the township I grew up in, but that is what happened.

Only 5 months after my exit from Podium, I opened the doors to Skyward Active Health Centre and a new dream was created. Not only was there a new clinic to build but my little boy was also born in 2015. It was quite a year and it got more challenging from there!

Skyward continued to change and expand over the next four years until the Christmas of 2019 when I needed a break. The time had come when I just couldn’t keep up the pace of private practice and balance quality time with my family.

I took some time off in early 2019 and then as I was returning to work, COVID made its appearance. Suddenly, the clinic was closed and there were no options to see clients in person or a need to manage an empty clinic. I got a longer break which I desperately needed. It was the best thing that could have happened to me from a professional standpoint and even though it was difficult financially, it allowed me to explore new avenues within physiotherapy. I had lost some of my passion and I needed to see if I could find it again.

Over the last 18 months I have done a combination of virtual physiotherapy with a few home visits while spending the rest of my time managing my clinic of 14 employees/contractors. It has re-ignited my desire to continue in the physiotherapy field and you never know what the future may hold.

Life rarely follows your carefully designed plan but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Even when all doors seem to be closed, one more will open. It just might be different than what you thought you were looking for!

Happy Birthday Podium Sports! Thank you for bringing me back to my roots and teaching me so much.