Sports & rehab therapist

I work with:
Sports clients - many runners and cyclists as I live out in the Peak District
Older generation - helping them stay healthy and pain free
Workers - keeping their backs and necks healthy
Stroke survivors - regaining strength and movement
If you are in pain, or have stiff joints or muscles or just want to gain some health and fitness or keep health and fitness I can help...

My initial course in Sports Therapy was with Active Health Group in 2006, now situated in Manchester, I still do many of their courses every year and currently completing "Integrated Health Coaching" with them.

I am a Level 5 Sports & Rehab Therapist

My other courses include Pain Therapy, Stroke Survivor Rehab and Movement Therapy

Wendy in Eyam (April 2020): "Great session with Karen this week via video link. My neck had been very painful but after the session it is now much better. Karen is very professional, personal and friendly"

I have had many jobs in the past...

I started out as complete hopeless case flunking everything in school, so I became a Water-sports Instructor and a Ski Instructor, I did this for around 8 years in my 20s, traveling all over the world, and even ran my own business in France for four years.

During this time my cycling moved from touring to mountain biking and i started competing in some small triathlons and the Polaris Challenge (2 day mountain bike event involving navigation and carrying all your overnight camping kit)

I found I was a good endurance athlete and a good navigator.

At around the age of 28 I became a Full-time Firefighter in Hereford and Worcester Fire Brigade, this enabled me to compete at international level in Mountain Biking and I gained podium places in the Fire-fighters European and World Championships. I also gained a place on a world challenge event called Camel Trophy. I am the only British female to have competed for Team GB. My event was in Mongolia in 1997 and we competed in four wheel driving, mountain biking, orienteering and kayaking. 

I eventually left the fire service to work as a free lance event worker on the Camel Trophy (and later Landrover G4 events). I became the UK co-ordinator for Team GB selections.

After a few years of this Polaris offered me a job and I worked for them organising the Polaris Challenge and learning graphics to build their websites and create their clothing catalogues.

I left Polaris in 2006 to train as a Sports Therapist.

I have continued with my sports, competing in many Adventure Races (off road triathlons) including multi-day events and gaining many podium places and sponsored by Polaris and then Haglofs for many of these events.

I also took up Ultra Running and completed many very long races including the UTMB (Ultra Tour of Mt Blanc), a 100  mile run round the mountain over 9 passes - I competed it in 43 hours), also the first girl to complete the UK Ultra-Running Championships Grand Slam in 2008 (12 ultras in one year - although I actually did 17). 

I am now concentrating on my road cycling with a bit of mountain biking to keep me sane!

I represented team GB in Gran Fondo Road Racing in 2017 for my 50th Birthday Challenge, and gained 29th in the world in my age group and 9th Brit.

I am now competing in Audax long distance events, this is ultra long road rides. In 2019 I competed as a pair with my friend Charlie in a 900km event which we completed in 71 hours and were 3rd pair and the only all girls team, the winners were only an hour ahead of us...we were very happy with our efforts.

This year I was supposed to be doing two solo events both 600km, one of then in May was from Chepstow to Menai Bridge and back with nearly 9000m of ascent in 40 hours and the other harder one was called Pure Peak Grit and was 13000m of ascent in 48 hours - all the big steep hills within the Peak District. I will eventually get to do these events I hope.

During the Covid Lockdown I am cycling all of the steep hills within a five mile radius of my house to keep my fitness levels in some order!!! And my head sane!

I also have a craft background, so am spending some time making things and some DIY on my house and hopefully treating some clients via video link through this website...