About the therapist - Stephen Watts - Sports Masseur
"I have been interested in health and fitness for a long time, and it was martial arts that first gave me motivation to get in shape. I've cross trained in quite a few styles over the years but always found the fitness and conditioning interested me the most. I still dabble with martial arts, currently having a go at kickboxing as well as keeping up my general fitness through weight training and cardio.
I first experienced Sports Massage in a Thai Boxing camp in Koh Samui. Regular treatments helped keep me on form over there, and also helped me recover quickly from a sprained ankle. When I came back home I did much research into Sports Massage and decided to enrol on a course at the London School of Sports Massage in Regents Park. This course provided the most in depth training for Sports Massage on offer and I was not disappointed.
Since qualifying I have worked in alongside Physiotherapists, Chiropractors and other therapists in several clinics before setting up Inline Health at the Sweatshop. As well as clinic based work I have offered pre/post even massage at events including London Triathlon, the London Marathon, and Sevenoaks Tri. Event work is always a worthwhile experience for me. If you're running a local event let me know and I'll be happy to discuss the possibility of providing pre/post event massage.
I'm now currently getting back into running, helping with the running club at the Sweatshop store in Maidstone. This year I ran the Bluewater 10k, Weald of Kent 10 miles and the Dartford half marathon."
About the therapist - Alison Staunton - Sports Masseuse
"My interest in anatomy started when I did my Dance Degree at Middlesex University. After my first year I decided to specialise in Dance Science which included structural fitness with knowledge and practise of pilates and yoga among other focuses. We did this to understand how the body moved in dance, and how vital good posture and technique was for performance and injury prevention.
When my dance colleagues suffered injuries I would try to find out what was wrong to help them. This interest later led me on to enrolling onto a Sports & Remedial Massage diploma at the North London School of Sports Massage (NLSSM). My lecturer at university; Tricia Liggett, was a Sports Masseuse as well a lecturer at the NLSSM. She told me how beneficial sports massage was in preventing injuries, relieving aches, pains and also speeding up recovery from training and minor injuries. She highly recommended the North London School of Sports Massage
After I gained my Dance Science degree I began my Sports & Remedial Massage diploma at the NLSSM. I have since done professional dance work which I now do part time alongside my work as a Sports Masseuse."