SPORT-MED - Key Persons

Following his interest in sport and science subjects at school Tim completed the first Sport Science BSc Degree course in Liverpool in 1980. He continued with research into the 'effects of sleep deprivation on human performance' combined with the role of President of the Students Union. The following year he commenced a Masters Degree at the University of Western Ontario, Canada, but having suffered an knee injury whilst teaching sport, he returned to Britain before its completion in order to register on a Physiotherapy Training Course. He spent three years at Withington Hospital School of Physiotherapy (which was recognised as one of the best school in the country) and qualified in 1985 gaining Professional eligibility and Membership of the Society of Chartered Physiotherapists. He sought employment at one of the top Sports Injury Clinics in the North West working in St John Street in Manchester City Centre. After only a few months whilst treating the Captain of Great Britain Rugby League Team, Harry Pinner, Tim was head-hunted by St. Helens RLFC. At St. Helens Tim re-organised the treatment facility, working three to four evenings a week and both days at the weekend, and covering all the scheduled training sessions and first team matches. He gained invaluable experience, dealing with a continual barrage of acute soft tissue injuries, and having to get the players back on the field for the next match. He went to Wembley twice with St. Helens in the Silk Cut Challenge Cup Final's in 1987 and 1989. He was also the Team Physio for the Lancashire RLFC Team and for the Rest of the World Team when they played Great Britain in 1989. The Rugby League secured Tim's services to attend all GB Squad training camps and Fitness Assessments and he was also Team Physio to the GB Academy RLFC Squad. In 1989 he had a chance meeting with his canoe slalom coach who was the GB Team Coaching Staff at the time, and was asked if he could provide physio cover for a series of races in Europe during the closed season. He subsequently relinquished his post at St Helens to follow his favourite sport of Slalom Canoeing and attended the World Championships in the USA in 1989 and the former Yugoslavia in 1991. (which finished only days before war broke out!) Tim travelled with the team all over Europe working not only as the team Physiotherapist but also helping out with team logistics and assisting the coaching staff. His work with the Team culminated in 1992 when he attended the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games at the La Seu Slalom site. Having married the previous year to Alison (another slalom canoeist) he decided to spend a little time at home and relinquished his post with the team. Tim had gained seven years of very intense, high-pressure sports injury management experience. Despite the weekend working schedules preventing him from attending many post graduate courses, he managed to make time to attend a few of the cutting edge training courses, keeping fully up to date with the latest breakthroughs in Physiotherapy and Sports Medicine.

Tony Bettison

Job Titles:

Sports First Aid and Trauma

Victoria Wade

Victoria is the resident Podiatrist at Sport-Med who can provide detailed biomechanical assessment of the lower limb and prescribe relevant exercise advice and often orthotic shoe inserts to remedy your aches and pains.

Vladamir Bobic

Job Titles:

Lower Limb Pathology and Biomechanics