UCLan man keeps athletes on right track

A Preston academic is flying the flag for the city Down Under this week.
UCLan physio Rob Hamilton is with Team England at the Commonwealth Games on Australia's Gold CoastUCLan physio Rob Hamilton is with Team England at the Commonwealth Games on Australia's Gold Coast
UCLan physio Rob Hamilton is with Team England at the Commonwealth Games on Australia's Gold Coast

Team England has enlisted the help of a University of Central Lancashire physiotherapist for the Commonwealth Games in Australia.

Lecturer Rob Hamilton (inset)is spending four weeks with the England squad in the Gold Coast.

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He is looking after all sports with key responsibilities for wrestling, squash and netball to help the athletes prepare for competition and deal with injuries that may occur.

Rob has been a physio at UCLan for the past seven years was offered the Australiajob at the end of 2016 and is no stranger to high profile games.

The 44-year-old was at the last two Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and Delhi with the same team. Rob has been a physiotherapist for the last 17 years and has a wealth of experience, including working for British and English Wrestling through the English Institute of Sport and with other elite athletes in cycling, swimming, taekwondo and water polo.

He splits his work between teaching physiotherapy, sports therapy and strength and conditioning at UCLan and running his own sports injury management practice in Ashton.

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Rob said: “It’s a huge honour to be given the job for a third time and I’m really looking forward to it.

“A multi-sport event like this has such an amazing atmosphere so it’s a privilege to be a part of it and work with top professional athletes and support staff.”

He added: “It benefits my students because I can share clinical examples from elite sport and really give classroom learning some good context. On a personal level, it’s a great professional development opportunity and I’m looking forward to sharing ideas with like-minded coaches and back room staff.

“My aim is to help the athletes hit the ground running and be in peak condition for the start of the Games, but of course you have to be reactive and be prepared for many eventualities.”