Physio on the River Staff

Physiotherapists

Diana Wilson

MCSP Dip Physiotherapy, MMACP

Diana trained as a chartered physiotherapist at the Middlesex Hospital in central London and qualified in 1980. She went on to practise physiotherapy at some of the major London teaching hospitals – managing the out-patient departments at St Bartholomew’s and Charing Cross Hospital.

In 1997 she went on to take some additional training and examinations in manual therapy which enabled her to become a member of the Manipulation Association of Chartered Physiotherapists – an organisation that strives to maintain high standards of patient care through education and continuous professional development.

In 1993 Diana set up the Barnes Physiotherapy and Sports Clinic in Elm Bank Gardens but by 2005 she had outgrown the premises and moved to The Old Ticket office at Barnes Bridge Station and rebranded as Physio on the River. These new lighter, brighter and more spacious premises allowed her to expand the services on offer and provide a one stop clinic for the treatment of everyday aches and pains and injury management.

Diana particularly enjoys working in Barnes village because it gives her the opportunity to provide a much more personal service and to get to know individuals and their families really well. Some of her current clients have been loyal customers for 20 years!

Kathy Orr

BSc Physiotherapy & MSc Advanced Neuromusculoskeletal Physiotherapy

Kathy qualified as a physiotherapist in 1996 from the University of the West of England, Bristol. She has since gone on to complete a Masters in Neuromusculoskeletal Physiotherapy at University College London in 2003 (distinction) which also enabled her to become a member of the Musculoskeletal Association of Chartered Physiotherapists (MACP).

Kathy has gained extensive experience working as a physiotherapist across the private and public sectors where she has held both senior clinical and management positions over her career.

Kathy has excellent manual therapy skills and uses her advanced clinical reasoning to manage each individual patient and meet their specific physiotherapy needs.

Kathy is married with two teenage boys and a dog. As an ex-hockey player, she enjoys running to keep fit and leads an active and busy life with a household of boys!

Conor Daly

Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist & Physio Rehab Training

Conor graduated in 2019 from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. Since then, Conor has worked predominantly within the private sector in Australia gaining experience treating a wide variety of Musculoskeletal complaints. Conor has also previously worked with Football and Australian Football Club’s and has developed a strong interest in the rehabilitation of sporting injuries.

Conor has a keen interest in exercise and evidence-based practice and endeavours to promote better community health through active lifestyle changes. As a previous football player, Conor has sustained several significant knee injuries and as a result has great empathy with clients undergoing their own course of rehabilitation. Conor appreciates rehabilitation can look different for everyone. Using a client-centred approach, Conor uses a combination of both manual therapy and exercise rehabilitation to ensure all your goals are met, whether that be to get back on the sporting field or to be more actively involved with grandchildren.

Since moving to London in November 2023, Conor has enjoyed travelling through the UK and Europe. When he isn’t in the clinic he will be enjoying his travels, cycling or playing golf.

Vedika Rathi

MSc in Advanced Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy

Ivaylo Yordanov

Sports and Remedial Massage Therapist

Ivaylo is a qualified and experienced massage therapist with an ITEC Level 4 Sports Massage Therapy Diploma, with extensive knowledge of sports and deep tissue massage. He uses a variety of deep tissue techniques to reduce muscle pain and tension.

Ivaylo has been working as a massage therapist since 2015 with a focus on enhancing a client’s mobility and flexibility. He has a keen interest in ‘applied kinesiology’, which is a natural, holistic approach to creating and maintaining optimal health and wellbeing. He is experienced at working with runners, swimmers and people who like to box as a part of training process in a gym.

Outside of sports massage Ivaylo likes to spend time with his family, punching his own boxing bag, and supports his son in karate, swimming and painting classes.

Rebecca Pickering

Sports and Remedial Massage Therapist

Rebecca trained in Massage Therapy at St Mary’s University and is qualified as a Level 4 ITEC Sports Massage Therapist. To complement her Sports Therapy treatments Rebecca is trained in Myofascial Cupping and Hot Stone Massage Therapy. Rebecca has a very active lifestyle, she is known to wield a sword or two and is a Stage Combat assistant teacher. Rebecca also horse rides and dabbles in Horseback Archery. Alongside her Sports Therapy training, Rebecca is trained in treating pre & postnatal clients. Rebecca is registered with the Complementary & Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) for Massage Therapy and is a full member of the FHT.

Sas Ahmadi

Podiatrist

Sas graduated with honours as a Podiatrist from UCL Medical School. He is a Musculoskeletal Podiatrist with a special interest in Biomechanics – the science of human movement. In addition, he is the lead Podiatrist in Biomechanics at a large teaching hospital.

Sas’ main area of interest is the treatment of repetitive sports injuries through analysis of movement and compensation patterns. He has treated a number of athletes including elite sportsmen and sportswomen, as well as those who enjoy sport for leisure.

Sharon Kallos BSc A Nutr

Registered Associate Nutritionist

Sharon graduated from Roehampton University with a first class honours degree in Nutrition and Health and is a registered Associate Nutritionist (ANutr) with the Association for Nutrition (AfN).

Her approach is to provide easy to understand nutritional advice following the latest scientific based evidence to help individuals meet their health and nutrition goals – no fuss, no fads.

She offers individual consultations and can provide advice on the following areas:

Advice on healthy eating to optimise your diet
Weight loss
Gut health and digestive issues – supporting your gut microbiota
Nutritional needs for the family – babies, teenagers, vegans, vegetarians
Basic sports nutrition

Sharon also works as a Research Assistant at Roehampton University and also as an occasional Visiting Lecturer. She provides evidence-based writing and content for blogs, Instagram posts and magazine articles. Clients have included the Surrey Dietitian’s blog on topics such as ‘How to eat well for busy lives’, and ‘How to eat well with a chronic illness’.

Personal Training

George Palmer

Personal Trainer: BSC Sport Science

A qualified and experienced Personal Trainer since 2015, George works on a 1-to-1 basis with clients at Physio on the River. He focusses on Strength & Conditioning, alongside active programmes aimed at Functional Fitness (ideal if you are preparing for a sporting event). George also has a solid foundation working with clients who are interested in general weight management or who may be looking to return to fitness, after childbirth for example or who have a sedentary job.

George has previously worked in sports gyms and organised fitness retreats abroad. (For more information on these, please ask Reception.

Away from Personal Training, George is a devoted and passionate golfer. He is TPI Certified Level 1, so if you’re a keen golfer yourself, or are looking to start playing, he could assist in evaluating your physical readiness and assess your body swing characteristics, to get you ‘match fit’ and consequently improve your ‘player performance’.

When not on the golf course or in the gym, George rarely sits still and can be found regularly playing Padel Tennis.

Pilates

Nadia Di Soccio

Pilates teacher

Nadia started training in the fitness industry in the mid 90’s as an Exercise to Music Instructor. A keen aerobic fitness and dance enthusiast throughout her life, she was encouraged to participate in Pilates classes to realign her own body and aid her chronic neck and shoulder issues.

Hooked by the noticeable benefits the discipline provided, in terms of spinal adjustment, core strength and rehabilitative therapy she trained in Pilates herself.
Nadia has a BA (Honours) degree in Classical Studies from Queen Mary University and is qualified in the Michael King Pilates Technique to teach beginners, intermediate and advanced group Pilates.

Trained by Michael King, a renowned presenter both in Fitness and Pilates, Nadia blends traditional Pilates movements with small equipment for strength mobility and relaxation to create a flowing class experience.

Lidia Lonergan

FLexercise instructor

Lidia trained as a ‘FLexercise’ teacher over 30 years ago in Ireland and has been teaching classes ever since. Working initially in Ireland, then Oxford, and most recently in London, Lidia has taught all age groups – from university students to women in their 80s. [She currently specialises in teaching classes for the over 50s.]

Lidia has had the opportunity to observe first hand the health benefits of FLexercise: “aches and pains are reduced, balance improves, mental health issues are less acute” and “class participants become more body aware – and most importantly, people have fun” says Lidia. Over the last five years she has begun working closely with people suffering with Parkinsons Disease and is a qualified ‘PWR!Moves’ Certified Instructor.

Lidia has combined a career working as a professional geologist with being a FLexercise/Parkinson’s Exercise instructor. Since settling in London in 1995, and taking up a lecturing post at Imperial College, London, Lidia has continued to teach FLexercise.

Having retired from her academic job in 2023, Lidia retains an Emeritus position at Imperial and continues to undertake research studies one day a week. “Having these two careers has been fundamental to who I am” says Lidia “and is essential to my well-being”. When not teaching or taking part in geological research, she enjoys baking, hiking in mountains and is a very keen cyclist.

Qualifications: Bagot Stack dip (1988); PWR!Moves Certified Instructor; (2022) REPS level 3 Group Exercise Teacher; CIMPSA registered

Suzy Gibbons

Pilates Instructor

Suzy studied BASI, because “their approach is deeply rooted in the classical Pilates techniques that had shaped my own practice”. Becoming a Pilates instructor was, says Suzy, “the most rewarding part of my journey yet”. “While I still love my own personal practice, teaching brings me even greater joy. I truly believe Pilates is a gift, one that helps people become the best, strongest, and most flexible version of themselves—and I’m passionate about sharing it with others.”

While at University, Suzy took up rowing, “which was a fantastic challenge”. Thereafter, fitness remained a core part of her life, and as an adult, Suzy became a dedicated gym-goer. “After having my first child, I decided to take my passion to the next level and studied for a group fitness instructor qualification.”

Prior to discovering Pilates, Suzy had also studied bodybuilding techniques, training intensively for two years. However, the techniques of Pilates fascinated her, and Suzy quickly fell in love with this mindful yet powerful form of movement. Suzy soon swapped heavy lifting for a deep dive into Pilates practice and for three years immersed herself in the discipline which led to her training as a Pilates instructor – working both 1-2-1 with individuals and classes.

Suzy has always had a passion for movement and fitness, trying her hand at a variety of sports and activities from a young age. As a child, she was a keen gymnast, but after a serious accident at the age of 12, Suzy had to set those dreams aside. Not one to be deterred, she turned to competitive swimming in her early teens and instantly fell in love with the water. “While I no longer compete, I still find joy in swimming for leisure.”

Noel

Pilates Instructor

Sophie Howe

Yoga Instructor

Having trained in Los Angeles in the US, Sophie teaches Vinyasa, Slow Flow yoga, as well as classes for beginners or anyone who would like to be more ‘alignment focused’. She also recently completed Teen Yoga Training with the Teen Yoga Foundation.

Reception team

Claire Wright

Receptionist

Susie Murphy