Peter started working at Debbie Cameron Physiotherapy in January this year and has been blown away with how active people in the area are. “I am particularly impressed with how age does not seem to deter this community’s level of commitment to their sport,’’ comments Peter. “Patients also want to know the details of their injury, what they can do to assist the healing process and, most importantly, when will they be back on the road, trail, bike, golf course…”
Peter grew up in Walvis Bay in Namibia and played as much sport as possible. In Primary School he did every sport available – rugby, cricket, karate, football, athletics, and squash!
In High School the injuries started to creep in, and this was when he was first introduced to physiotherapy. Four weeks before the Karate World Cup championships he tore a hamstring. He worked hard with a physiotherapist, and together they got him right in time to compete.
He later obtained a shoulder injury through rugby and went to a different physio who wasn’t as successful. He changed physios and this is when Peter realised the impact a skilled and dedicated physiotherapist can make.
Peter later became a rugby referee which he enjoys very much and continued with squash, hockey, karate, and athletics specialising in the 1500m, 800m and 400m. He also added volleyball to his repertoire.
Peter has an older brother, a German father and an Afrikaans mother, is a supporter of Bayern Munich and Manchester United football clubs and is an avid Bulls supporter – perhaps something to keep quiet when treating passionate Sharks supporters.
After matriculating, Peter studied Human Movement Sciences & Physiology at Northwest University in Potchefstroom. In his second year he was accepted into Physiotherapy at the University of the Free State but decided to finish his Human Movement degree first. After the three-year degree, Peter moved to Bloemfontein to do a four-year physiotherapy degree followed by one year of Community Service. Eight years of studying has put him in good stead for his career in Physiotherapy.
Peter did his Community Service (Comm Serve) year at Manguzi Hospital in Northern KwaZulu-Natal which he thoroughly enjoyed. “It is a beautiful place with lots of outdoor activities which my fiance, Marine, and I thoroughly enjoy. Every weekend there was a game drive, a hike, a braai, snorkelling, or some outdoor activity to do with the other Comm Serve students.”
Comm Serve required working with inpatients and with outpatients during the day, as well as working in two clinics linked to the hospital and travelling to do home visits.
The outpatients often came in with back problems, and knee injuries often caused by soccer, while the clinic and home visits were mainly children with cerebral palsy or the elderly who had suffered a stroke or needed frail care.
“A highlight of the experience was working as a multidisciplinary team. The Physio interns worked closely with the Occupational Therapists and Speech and Language Therapists. It was great to work as a team and see the therapists in action as we worked together to assist stroke and cerebral palsy patients.”
“The other aspect which I am so grateful for, was our manager’s passion for assisting the rural community with wheelchairs. It must be extremely difficult living with a physical disability, and it was an eye-opening experience to witness how much more challenging it is when you live in an under-resourced area,’’ explains Peter.
“Thankfully the woman in charge of us is passionate about helping this community and we learned a lot about wheelchairs including how to maintain and fix them,’’ continues Peter. “Her purpose was to make life easier for children and adults living with disabilities in a rural area.’’
Having just moved to the Upper Highway area, Peter is keen to get involved in sport again – join a running group, go back to Karate, or even start Padel.
As a physiotherapist Peter wants to focus on sports related rehabilitation – pre and post op-rehabilitation and is excited to work with the practice’s Dynamo machine which was introduced in 2023.
To book a physiotherapy appointment with Peter, please phone Michelle on 031 765 8898.
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