Samantha Smith graduates from the program in November and is working toward being a top notch PT and Olympic athlete.
What inspired you to pursue a Masters in Physical Therapy?
I chose physiotherapy as a profession because I love health and human movement! Sports and movement are what make me the happiest, and I want to share that with others. Furthermore, I hope to emulate the great therapists that have helped me during my career to help the next generation of athletes.
What are you looking forward to most this upcoming year?
The upcoming year is full of exciting events from both an academic and athletic perspective. In the upcoming year, I am looking forward to starting to work as a physiotherapist! I am also excited for the upcoming gymnastics season. The qualification process for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics starts in the winter of 2019. I hope to qualify a spot for Canada at the games.
What is the best piece of advice you can give students in the program?
The best advice I can give, is to accept compromise, and set realistic expectations. At many points throughout the program I had to reduce either training time or study time. As someone who likes to give 100% effort to both athletic and academic endeavours, compromising was hard. However, being strategic about when to focus more on school versus sports is what enabled me to do both!
What was your first job?
Samantha Smith competing in the world championships
My first job was coaching gymnastics! I started at 14. When I started my physiotherapy schooling, I realized that coaching gymnastics has a lot of similarity to teaching movement patterns to patients!
What makes you laugh?
Doing sports with friends makes me the happiest!
What is your most healthy habit?
I think my healthiest habit is my obsession with the outdoors. When I am stressed, my go-to activity is a long run.
What’s next on your BC bucket list?
I love back-country skiing. Next on my BC bucket list is exploring the backcountry near Pemberton.