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My Journey: The Athlete and The Professional

January 3, 2017 Leave a Comment

Tara & Star were Canadian Champions and Ontario Provincial Adult Amateur Training Level Reserve Champions for 2016! — at Saddlewood Equestrian Centre.

Horses have been apart of my life since I was 4 years old.  Competing Nationally in Dressage for the last 9 years, I have come to understand the mutual need to take care of myself just as I do my horse.

To be in peak performance at time of competition takes discipline and a plan.  Training is key to enhanced performance, but I have come to know and understand that rehabilitation and prevention of injury is equally as important.

As an athlete, I have put my body through so much. Rehabilitation has always been a part of being able to compete.  Treating the chronic pain I had in my hips and constant pain in my back and neck was only providing me with temporary relief.  It felt like I was constantly rehabbing, moving from one injury to the next, one pain to the next.

While continuing to follow my dream of riding, I also recognized my own need to help people whose stories are similar to my own.  I became a Registered Massage Therapist (RMT) and was immediately attracted to modalities like deep tissue massage.  However, this was very demanding my own body.

Ottawa Area Dressage Group 2016 Gold AA Training Level Champion; Ottawa Area Dressage Group Champion Training Level Adult Amateur

I was introduced to Myofascial Release (MFR) by a fellow therapist. There was a course coming to Ottawa that seemed to align with my need for change. I was getting tired from working so hard with applying such deep pressure for my patients and having to treat the same conditions for them on a regular ongoing basis.

After one weekend, I recognized that professionally, this is what I needed to be doing.

Personally, as an athlete, it was FATE!  This was exact thing my body was missing all these years as a rider.  I had been forcing releases on my own body that were never sustained.  Little did I know, that with less force and longer holds, I would feel so much relief.

Immediately, I started seeing another RMT here in the city whose practice was exclusively Myofascial Release.  Focusing on my own patterns and my whole body, I instantly started to notice a difference with my pain. Even better, I noticed a difference with how I rode; how I sat in my saddle; how my horse listened to my aids.  Everything started to improve and I started to see all the training pay off. We were winning!

I never imagined that with one course my professional practice would change.  Equally, that same course offered me a whole new way to improve my overall life as an athlete.  Now I get to help people go in to their pain patterns and heal from them.  Now I get to listen to my own body and treat it on a daily basis.  Now I get to do what I love and love what I do!

 

Tara Freel is an RMT with Fascial Connections Myofascial Release & Wellness Centre. Tara works extensively with women and athletes. See more about Tara here.

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