Physiopedia is an organisation driven by dedication and teamwork, where every person has a place and the opportunity to grow and contribute towards something meaningful. Rehabilitation is an essential component of care around the world and it is important to recognise the loyalty and efforts of those making an impact.
Physiopedia has launched its second Annual Awards Programme to highlight the valuable contributions of collaborators and volunteers alike. Nominations were plentiful, as there are many deserving contributors for each category. A special thank you to all who took the time to submit a nomination for the 2020-2021 period. Just a reminder that the clock has already started for the next awards period, feel free to nominate any person you feel deserving from July 2021 – June 2022.
Without further delay, the following individuals were nominated by their peers for the below-mentioned honours. Join me in offering a collective BRAVO to all the successful receipts as well as the countless nominees. Physiopedia thrives because of the enthusiasm and devotion of its volunteers, contributors, associates and partners. The following people are being honoured for their outstanding contributions, performance and leadership.
Top Contributor
This award is given to the individual who has made the most contributions to Physiopedia content this past year. This award is being presented to Lucinda Hampton, for the second consecutive year. Lucinda is an editing power-house and works on Physiopedia pages of all topics. She is always available to offer feedback, mentorship and and guidance to other team members. Her selfless giving has amounted to contributions to 1,152 Physiopedia pages and 4,559 edits. We are fortunate to have you on the team! Well deserved, Lucinda!
Physiopedia Superstar
The superstar award is given to the person who has made outstanding contributions by an individual to Physiopedia. This award received several nominations for many impressive candidates; however, one person stood out as the clear choice. Vidya Acharya is also an impressive contributor to Physiopedia content and does not shy away from leading our Topics of the Month, including the topics of oncology and spinal cord injury. Vidya has been a contributor since April 2018. Vidya, you are a dynamic leader and a superstar.
Best Project
New content development is a major driving force behind the creation of Physiopedia pages. Physiopedia has many partnering organisations (including educational, clinical and professional organisations) who contribute to the growth of content on specific topics through Physiopedia projects. This year, we are highlighting the efforts of Paul Hendrick and the Nottingham University Spinal Rehabilitation project. This project has been active since 2012 and, now under the leadership of Paul Hendrick, the Nottingham students have added 29 pages to Physiopedia. Fantastic job team, we look forward to seeing what you create in the future.
Social Media Impact Award
Where would we be without social media? Physiopedia initiatives, projects, content and contributions are highlighted daily on several platforms including Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. This award is given to the person who has helped move the needle forward and carved out an important rehabilitation presence on social media. This award is given to Shwe Shwe U Marma, who’s thoughtful posts and tweets have helped share the Physiopedia message. Keep sharing your voice Shwe Shwe, you are making a difference.
Physioplus Superstar
Physioplus offers a grand repertoire of online courses, professional development options and opportunities to interact with rehabilitation subject matter experts. It takes curiosity, time and dedication to complete courses and learning activities; and we would like to acknowledge the efforts of Charlotte Bijkerk who has collected the most Physioplus Points. Charlotte is a student at THIM, the International School of Physiotherapy in The Netherlands. With a natural curiosity and professional discipline to complete so many online rehabilitation courses, in addition to her studies, we have no doubt she will be an exemplary clinician. Super job Charlotte, we look forward to seeing the impact you make on the physiotherapy profession as well as to with those you care for.
Physiospot Superstar
Physiospot is a great platform to highlight important issues and questions for the profession of physiotherapy. It is also a wonderful virtual stage to showcase Physiopedia initiatives and contributions. The Physiospot Superstar award is given to the individual with the most posts or the most impactful post on the Physiospot platform; this year the honour goes to Claire Knott, who wrote a popular article on Physiospot entitled : “What Every Physiotherapist Needs to Know about NSAIDs and Musculoskeletal Injuries“. Claire’s post has been viewed an impressive 7194 times since November 2020. Claire has a talent for highlighting important scientific information and making it clinically accessible. Thank you for your valuable contribution Claire, you are well deserving of being our Physiospot Superstar.
Outstanding Leadership
Although many candidates are worthy of this recognition, there is one person who received overwhelming support for this nomination. Jacquie Kieck, our Media Manager, along with the Physioplus Media Team, have been consistently producing high quality videos for Physioplus courses. Physioplus presently has over 327 courses published on the e-learning platform, and Jacquie’s dedication and leadership is a key component to the success of these videos. Jacquie and her team were involved with the Physiopedia abstracts and presentations for this years World Physiotherapy Congress. A special shout out to Daphne Xuan for the editing of Dr. Nicole Beamish’s presentation which won an award for her presentation on Physioplus’ Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). There is no doubt that the Physioplus Media Teams’ care and attention to detail contributed to Dr. Beamish’ international recognition. Jacquie is a selfless leader who’s humble confidence allows her to effectively lead from behind the scenes. Keep up the outstanding work Jacquie!
Physiotherapy Impact Award
Although this is another category which received a fair number of nominations, I believe we can all agree that the following person is wholeheartedly deserving of the Physiotherapy Impact Award: Joyce Murenzi. Joyce is a pioneer of physiotherapy in Rwanda, as she contributed to starting a physiotherapy school after the genocide in 1994. She is affectionately known as the “mother” of physiotherapy in Rwanda, and has been contributing to rehabilitation training and practice for decades. Following the creation of the school of physiotherapy, she was also the Head of Department of the former Kigali Health Institute and she is presently lecturing at the University of Rwanda in the Physiotherapy Department. She is a true example of innovation through diversity and is a pioneer for physiotherapy.
Innovation Award
This award deserves particular consideration, as it highlights the creativity and innovation which is occurring within the physiotherapy profession. It is with dynamic projects that our profession is able to grow and evolve to meet the ever-changing needs of patients and the health care system as a whole. This year’s honour is given to Lucy Aird. Lucy is one of our Communication Manager’s and has truly given Physiopedia a far reaching voice. Her creativity is awe inspiring and her ability to put ideas into practice is impressive. Lucy is the driving force behind the new weekly updates Top Tip Tuesday which has been received with extraordinary accolade by the community. Every week, she scours the most interesting news, posts, research and clinical tips to present a reliable summary of innovative practices in the realm of rehabilitation. She gives us that quick summary of what’s important so that we have the opportunity to stay connected during our busy lives. Lucy consistently thinks outside of the box and the high quality output she produces is evidence of how much she cares about her profession. Lucy is deserving of this award as she is transforming the voice and presence of physiotherapy online.
Global Impact Award
This award goes to a an individual who has demonstrated a high level of thoughtfulness for others (peers and patients) and always incorporates maximum effort towards any given project. This person took into consideration the current state of the world during this pandemic and decided to make a difference. Darren Brown is a clinical and academic Physiotherapist specialising in the field of HIV, disability and rehabilitation. He has recently published a Long COVID course on Physioplus, which has already been completed by over 1800 learners to date. His positive reviews and meaningful testimonials are proof that this is an important topic, which will undoubtedly continue to be at the forefront of rehabilitative care for sometime to come. Darren, thank you for making this information globally accessible and for being a champion for empathy, quality of care and thoughtful rehabilitation intervention.
A Special Mention
A special shout out to Amanda Ager who received nominations across several Physiopedia Award categories. She works in the every day administration of Physiopedia and is happy to assist with any project. She has led new initiatives, contributed to representing Physiopedia at the World Physiotherapy Congress this year and is a continuous source of support to the Physiopedia Team. Thank you Amanda for all that you do!
Congratulations to all of our award recipients.
Please take the time to pause and appreciate the efforts put forth by the above-mentioned recipients. Their efforts have no doubt enriched your knowledge and made an impact on your practice. Send them a reminder, as to how their contributions have mattered to you.
A sincere thank you to all who believe in Physiopedia and its mission and who make being involved with this organisation such an enriching experience. Keep an eye out for next year’s awards and recipients – it may be you!
Awards Summary 2020-2021
| AWARDED to: | AWARDS |
| Lucinda Hampton | Top Contributor -made the most contributions to Physiopedia content |
| Vidya Acharya | Physiopedia Superstar – outstanding contributions by an individual |
| Paul Hendrick | Best Project – most impactful content development project |
| Shwe Shwe U Marma | Social Media Impact Award – most impact made through social media |
| Charlotte Bijkerk | Physioplus Superstar – individual has who collected the most Physioplus points |
| Claire Knott | Physiospot Superstar – individual with the most posts and contributions on Physiospot |
| Jacquie Kieck | Outstanding Leadership – the individual that demonstrates great leadership as any part of the Physiopedia project |
| Joyce Murenzi | Physiotherapy Impact Award – the contribution that has made the greatest impact on physiotherapy practice |
| Lucy Aird | Innovation Award – most forward thinking and creative contributions |
| Darren Brown | Global Impact Award – the contribution that has made the greatest impact on the global profession |
| Amanda Ager | Special Award – for overall contributions and nominations made across all categories |
Well done and until next year! Submit your nominations for 2021-2022 here!