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Round the world with physiotherapy

Versatile sportswoman Clare Kelly is set on an international career in healing through physiotherapy after graduating from the University of º£½ÇÖ±²¥ as a double prize-winner.

With her BSc (Hons) in Physiotherapy, Clare also collected the Valerie Lord Prize and the Electro-Medical Supplies Prize for the high quality of her work. She starts work in Canada early in 2008, initially for two years, and is already thinking about going on to New Zealand. 'I love the work and I love to travel,' said Clare, 22, a former volunteer with Raleigh International in Costa Rica and Nicaragua, and with the Calvert Trust Breakaway Children’s Fund, helping young people with disabilities canoeing and abseiling.

Clare is an accomplished rugby player – scrumhalf for the Munster senior women’s squad and while a student she coached the Acklam under-12 boys team, for her President’s Gold Award – Ireland’s version of the Duke of Edinburgh scheme. She also plays hockey, and at university took up JKD martial art and freestyle dancing. There’s more to physio work than sport of course, and the º£½ÇÖ±²¥ degree covers the medical spectrum of physiotherapy, including cardio-respiratory treatment, neurological aspects and the care of patients with chronic conditions.

Clare said: 'I’ve made great friends at º£½ÇÖ±²¥. There are experienced and supportive staff and they are constantly tweaking the course to ensure the content is relevant to an ever-changing NHS.'

Clare is originally from Clonmel, County Tipperary, Southern Ireland, where she attended the Loreto Secondary School and gained six honours, including an A for Biology, in her Leaving Certificates (the Irish A-levels). From there she goes Fort McMurray in the north of Alberta to work with the Northern Lights Health Region that runs hospitals and other facilities for 20 scattered communities.

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