More than 30 private practice physiotherapists attended the event for a tour of the HPSNZ facilities, whakawhanaungatanga (relationship building and creating opportunities for connectedness) and a panel question and answer session.
The aim of the evening was to forge connections with sports physiotherapists and explain who HPSNZ is and what roles performance therapists play as high performance athlete support practitioners.
“Connections, conversations and questions helped us share what we do and explain the contrast between private practice and sport,” says Head of Performance Physiotherapy, Jordan Salesa.
“We had the opportunity to talk about some of our journeys, encourage people on theirs and build relationships with therapists who are in our wider communities.”
There was a broad range of practitioners at the event, from those with only one year’s experience through to those with around 20.
“Attendees were looking at career development options or to gain a better understanding on how to engage with our team for their athletes.
“We also gained some important insights into what many of our private practice colleagues do or don’t understand about HPSNZ. For example, many didn’t know we are a government agency or understood the scale of our facilities.”
Jordan and the Auckland based physiotherapy team will use feedback from the event to help inform their ongoing relationship with the wider physiotherapy and sports medicine profession.
