Rhys Shorney

Programme of study: BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy, MSc Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy (in progress)

Year completed: 2004

What have you done since finishing your degree?

As a newly-qualified physiotherapist I was fortunate to gain employment within Cardiff and Vale NHS trust, and spent the next five years rotating through the various disciplines the profession has to offer.

In 2007, a friend and I started a private physiotherapy company named 'Baseline Physiotherapy' based in Caerphilly and started to specialise in outpatient physiotherapy, where patients come for assessment and treatment for musculoskeletal aches and pains – and, more importantly, sports injuries.

In 2009 I was successful, following application and interview, in gaining full-time employment with British Swimming, helping to look after the senior British team at camps and competitions, including the daily training environment. Once in this job, I was immediately at home and working in the performance environment. I never looked back. Over the next four years, I attended two world championships with British Swimming; the Commonwealth Games with Team Wales and I was very proud to be selected to attend the London Olympics as part of Team GB. In addition to these benchmark competitions, I have attended multiple national and international competitions with the team and loved every second of every experience. My role also required me to work with Sport Wales and British Disability Swimming, looking after their key athletes. I have thoroughly enjoyed this opportunity.

Alongside this I took on a Lead Physiotherapy role with Swim Wales and to this date I still oversee physiotherapy services for Swim Wales on a weekly basis. In addition, I am currently the Lead Physiotherapist and Strength and Conditioning Coach for Ebbw Vale RFC.

More recently I have accepted a post with Cardiff University and am very excited to be involved in setting up and running our new Sports Injury service in Cardiff named 'Inspire Performance', which is located in Talybont Sports Village and specialises in sports injury management.

I'm also currently heading up a practical CPD project working with PE staff from certain schools, titled: 'How to help your students look after their bodies during exercise'. The project is related to delivery of educational materials to teachers. The content is focusing on techniques and strategies that those involved in sport can use and employ to assist preparation and recovery, and improve movement understanding and quality. Improving this knowledgebase with teachers will allow them to instil good habits in students, increasing enjoyment of and lifelong participation in sport.

In addition to this engagement project, we have a number of additional seminars and workshops being delivered to the sporting sector and newly-qualified physiotherapy/strength and conditioning professions. Here the emphasis is on performance enhancement and injury prevention.

What does your current role involve?

My Inspire Performance role involves running and developing this private, public-facing physiotherapy clinic as the lead physiotherapist. The clinic, which specialises in sports physiotherapy, has a team of specialist sports physiotherapists, among whom is Cardiff university's Nicola Phillips, who has attended more Olympics and Commonwealth Games than I have had hot dinners!

Has your experience at Cardiff had a particular impact on your career as a physiotherapist?

Without a doubt. The quality of my undergraduate degree and postgraduate degree courses has equipped me with the necessary skills to continue my own learning and to work competently and confidently as a qualified physiotherapist. It was no surprise to me when Cardiff University's undergraduate Physiotherapy degree was recently awarded with the title of the best place to study physiotherapy in the UK.

What made you choose your current postgraduate programme?

I am currently in the process of writing up my research project for my MSc Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy degree at Cardiff University. There was no choice to make regarding where I was going to undertake my postgraduate degree – I simply went to the best place.

What advice would you give to somebody considering undertaking postgraduate study?

I would recommend in the first instance that you spend some time experiencing all the profession has to offer. My time as a rotational physiotherapist in the NHS provided me with many transferable skills that I would have missed had I tried to specialise too soon. I do not regret waiting for a while before choosing my Postgraduate course because when I started the course, I had a direct intent and expectation that has allowed me to maximise the gains from my MSc.