Body Health Uk Massages International Kenyan Athletes 
I have to pinch myself to make sure it’s real, as far as sports massage goes this is as good as it gets. Names I would only hear on the TV or radio or read about in the newspapers are here on my couch having sports massage the role call reads like the who’s who of world athletics:
Wilfred Bungei Current Olympic gold medal holder for 800m as well as former World Champion outdoor and indoor
Catherine Ndereba, two time World Marathon Champion, former World record holder for the marathon, four times winner of the Boston Marathon.
Samuel Wanjiru (above) Current Marathon Olympic Gold Medal Holder, Won the London Marathon 2009, Won the Chicago Marathon 2009 and 2010.
Sammy Wanjiru Current Olympic Gold medal holder for the marathon, winner of the London and Chicago marathons, world record holder for the half marathon
Duncan Kibet, second fastest marathon runner ever with a time of 2:04.27
Benjamin Limo, former World Cross Country Champion, former World 5000m Champion
I started sports massage after completing a VCTC level 3 diploma in 2006. Whilst this helped build my massage knowledge I realized there were huge gaps in my injury treatment locker. After months of reviewing courses I signed up to the level 4 diploma with Pulse Training Solutions under the guidance of Paul Turner and his team. This proved to be the springboard and led to me giving up my job of 25 years with Royal Mail and start my own sports therapy clinic. I quickly learnt that waiting for treatments to arrive at the clinic would not be enough to pay the mortgage and started working at sports events.
Catherine Ndereba (below) Four times Boston Marathon Winner, two times Olimpic Silver Medalist, former Marathon World Record Holder!
Sometimes fait plays a part in your life none more so than when I worked at one of my first races. A 5 mile race in Cranfield charging £5 a massage. I had visions of loads of treatments happy runners and loads of money. In reality I made £15! But then fait played its part, one of the 3 runners I massaged called me a week later to book a treatment at my clinic. He has been a regular client ever since. As my knowledge has grown and I have gained experience, so have the treatments. I helped him in the build up to a marathon in Rotterdam at which he set his PB 10 years after he last run a marathon. So how does this link in with massaging the International Athletes? Well this long standing client was part of the organising committee who has worked tirelessly to bring this group of Kenyan athletes to Bedford. They were not here for a meet (competition) simply for community development.
So there I was on a Sunday morning eating my cereal and reading the paper when I get a call from the client I first massaged in Cranfield all them years ago. I thought he was after a treatment, I nearly choked on my cereal when he said he was with Catherine Ndereba and she had a niggle, would I be able to work on her. Christ, the question should have been how long would it take to get there.
As it happened Catherine’s niggle settled down and I thought my chance had gone. But later that day another call and request to pop and massage Wilfred Bungei, no sooner had the phone call ended, my couch and bag were in the car and I was off to the hotel to work on Wilfred. As I finished the massage, Catherine popped in and asked if I could give her a sports massage. You bet!
I have to admit I was nervous at first, just think about it, some of these people have stood on the podium and collected Olympic Gold Medals, there were world record holders, former world record holders, former world champions and they were trusting me to work on their legs. I commented to this effect to one of them and they said yes my legs are worth millions. No pressure there then!
What should I do? Work deep? Do STR where I think it’s needed, do they know what MET is? As it happened they were all very knowledgeable about sports massage its effects and benefits. One of them even pointed out they were looking for a sports therapist, but alas would need to be based in the USA, I don’t think my wife would let me go.
Duncan Kibet (below) Second Fastest Marathon Runner Ever '2:04:27'
When it came to the treatments, I soon realized that a muscle a tendon or a ligament is exactly that, whosever leg it happens to be on. So I simply did what I do all week trusted my instincts and worked with the client. Bingo, happy clients. How do I know? They all asked me to go back for further work later in the week. By the end of the week I had got to know them all quite well. It helped that they were very humble down to earth people. They were happy to talk about themselves, their careers, their families and equally they were interested in me (well they appeared not to be too bored!).
The life of a sports therapist can be varied and interesting to say the least. I have a good base of clients some who come every week some I may not see for months but they come back when they need. It doesn’t matter whether they are runners, plumbers, builders, admin assistance whatever, if you have had good training and you continue to learn, you can help them all.
I have had a great experience working with the Kenyan Athletes. Who knows next week while I am eating my cereal maybe Paula Radcliffe might call me up for a treatment, ah well a muscle is a muscle…………………… And the icing on the cake was watching Sammy Wanjiru winning the Chicago Marathon 2010 with what has been touted as the best ever finish to a marathon!