For Wendy, water isn’t just an option, it should be the first step in recovery. Her passion for Aquatic Physiotherapy led her to take a leap of faith and create AquaPhysio, ensuring that more patients have access to the transformative power of hydrotherapy. She has seen firsthand how early movement in water accelerates recovery, reduces pain, and improves long-term function, particularly in post-surgical and orthopaedic rehabilitation.
Wendy completed her Water-Specific Aquatic Training in Valens, Switzerland, solidifying her expertise in hydrotherapy-based rehabilitation. While she now spends less time in the water, she remains at the forefront of developing AquaPhysio’s training programs and rehabilitation pathways, ensuring that patients receive the most effective, research-backed treatments. She also works closely with orthopaedic surgeons to ensure patients receive fast-tracked, high-quality aquatic rehabilitation, helping them regain mobility sooner and with better results.
Her philosophy is simple: Get in the water early, and recovery will be faster, smoother, and more effective. She is a firm advocate for hydrotherapy within the first few weeks of knee replacements, where it can make a huge difference to knee function, swelling, and strength. Likewise, she pushes for early immersion after a fixed ankle fracture, as the buoyancy of water reduces swelling, improves range of motion, and allows for safe, early weight-bearing- preventing the common setbacks of delayed rehab.
One of Wendy’s proudest achievements has been creating an early hydrotherapy pathway for Achilles tendon ruptures, ensuring patients get into the water at 4-5 weeks post-injury, depending on whether they had surgical or non-surgical management. In the pool’s weightless environment, patients can begin calf raises and controlled movements far earlier than on land, helping them rebuild strength, proprioception, and mobility safely. At AquaPhysio, patients progress out of their boot in the water before transitioning on land, ensuring a smoother, more successful return to walking and function.
Beyond her clinical expertise, Wendy is driven by a personal mission to learn something new every day. Whether it’s refining rehabilitation techniques, studying the latest research, or understanding new advancements in orthopaedics, she believes that constant learning is key to delivering the best possible patient outcomes. She applies this mindset not only to her own professional development but also to mentoring and inspiring the next generation of physiotherapists.
With a background in musculoskeletal and orthopaedic physiotherapy, Wendy brings decades of expertise to AquaPhysio. She is a qualified MACP member, mentors new physiotherapists, and has completed Kinetic Control Movement Therapy training through Keele University, where she focused on muscle activation and recruitment after spinal surgery.
Wendy continues to champion hydrotherapy in the orthopaedic world, pushing for its recognition as a gold-standard rehabilitation tool. She is dedicated to proving that water-based therapy isn’t just beneficial, it’s essential for faster, stronger, and more complete recoveries.