Ginnie Dobson
I decided to look for a physio after securing a place in the New York Marathon. I had never completed a marathon before and had struggled with constant running injuries in the past. Dean came very highly recommended by several people in my building, and after training with him for six months, I couldn’t speak more highly of him or recommend him enough. From my initial assessment, I knew that with his help and guidance I would be able to make it through the marathon - but I didn’t expect just how big an impact he would have. As a 34-year-old female with a hectic work schedule who travels often and doesn’t exercise anywhere near as much as I should and has struggled with what I thought were shin splints for as long as I can remember I knew it wasn't going to be an easy task but Dean was confident he could work with me to achieve my goals. He essentially retaught me how to run through a series of carefully planned exercises. As a result, I completed my entire marathon training programme injury-free and successfully finished the marathon, achieving every goal I set: to get to the end, to enjoy it, not be in pain the whole way around, and to finish within five hours. Before I met Dean, it was hard to believe any of that was possible. It’s difficult to put into words just how brilliant he is and what he did for me. From the very first assessment, he identified my issues and put together a clear, structured plan. Each week, I could see real progress. Once we addressed the main problem, we shifted our focus to my race goals and how best to achieve them - keeping me on track with my training plan. When I needed physio after long runs, he worked through any niggles; he taught me weight training (something I had always avoided in the gym); he was always available to answer questions and regularly checked in on me. He even helped with every aspect of race day planning - from fuelling strategies to the best spots for spectators. Working with Dean made what felt like an incredibly daunting challenge much more manageable. I honestly don’t think I could have done it without him.