By Jackson Russell
Kilmore physiotherapist Marg Perrott is joining the world’s leading sports science professionals in Monaco this month to present at the International Olympic Committee World Conference on Prevention of Injury and Illness in Sport.
Dr Perrott, practice director at Kilmore Physiotherapy Centre, recently completed her PhD and will be presenting a streamlined approach to assessing lumbopelvic stability through movement patterns to help prevent injury.
Dr Perrott said she was excited to visit Europe for the first time and attend what she dubbed the ‘physio Olympics’ from March 12 to 14.
“When this conference is only on every four years, in Olympic years, to have something worthwhile to say and something they think is worthwhile hearing is just unbelievable,” she said.
“To be able to go there and share my stuff with whoever wants to come is just amazing but also to be able to listen to so many experts and bring that back to Kilmore is such a great opportunity.”
Dr Perrott’s trip to Monaco to take part in the conference is being supported by the Mitchell Business Network and Kilmore and Seymour Toyota who are paying for her flights, accommodation and registration.
Mitchell Business Network executive committee member Graeme Dove said the network was pleased to be able to help get Dr Perrott to Monaco.
“I’ve personally known Marg for nearly 30 years and I know she’s put an awful lot of work into her business and into her studies over the years,” she said.
“That’s what businesses in Mitchell Shire need to be doing, supporting and helping new and established businesses do things better and recognise people who achieve such great honours.”
Dr Perrott started her research after a teammate tore his hamstring 30 metres into the 100m at the World Masters Athletics Championships.
“He was really fit, he was going really well and he’d raced in a meet in Melbourne 10 days before and he was flying. He wasn’t carrying an injury and in the first event, he tears his hamstring,” she said.
The injury left Dr Perrott and the team doctor scratching their heads but led to a Master’s research project into assessing core stability reliably in clinics and a dissertation into improving core stability in clinics.
A Masters World Champion in her own right, Dr Perrott said the motivation for her research comes from her career as an athlete and seeing what happened when athletes were injured.
“It was just devastating, he just sat there for the next 10 days with a look of shock,” she said.
“I still get emotional just thinking about what happened because he probably should’ve medalled in one of his events and he never got the chance.”
