Helene Barron: Physio - Coach - Athlete

05/12/2025

Sport & rec is SO important on SO MANY levels - for sure - achieving top level sporting achievements, but also for health, wellbeing, confidence, community, belonging.

Teenage females ARE overrepresented in the ACL injury stats, and the successful return to sport for them is a less positive picture than for the blokes.

Injury prevention programs, appropriate warm ups, and tailored injury recovery are all so important.

It’s vital to keep this kōrero going, and continue the awesome work being done by so many in this space in the form of monitoring, research, and education - to improve the picture for females and ACL injuries!

Big 🙌 to Jordan Smith & nzherald.co.nz for highlighting the topic and creating the opportunity to discuss 👏 👏 👏

ACC data show ACL surgeries for girls aged 15-19 jumped 120% in a decade.

22/09/2025

Save the date Wānaka!

A local showing of Onwards - Ben Wallbank Films’ short documentary film of my cancer journey, and a DocEdge film festival 2025 finalist - is happening at Cinema Paradiso on October 14th, to raise funds for the Cancer Society of Otago & Southland

ticket sale details to follow…

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DO4sV4wEglW/?igsh=MXZxOHB5ZjJkOTd6dA==

18/06/2025

Absolutely EPIC to see the Mountain Women // Hine Tāpuhipuhi website launch, having witnessed all the work that’s gone on behind the scenes to make this happen.

*** these resources will help female athletes train safer, smarter and better and will also help them get the most out of life beyond sport. 💫

It’s all a part of Snow Sports NZ’s mission to better support women and girls and help make snow sports a place where they’re celebrated and supported to thrive ***


https://www.mountainwomen.co.nz

MASSIVE congrats to all involved 🙌

📣 Snow Sports NZ is excited to announce the launch of their brand-new Mountain Women | Hine Tāpuhipuhi website aimed at supporting the development of female snow sports athletes.

Developed by leading industry experts and covering Female Athlete Health, Nutrition, Strength and Conditioning as well as Mental Skills these resources will help female athletes train safer, smarter and better and will also help them get the most out of life beyond sport. 💫

It’s all a part of Snow Sports NZ’s mission to better support women and girls and help make snow sports a place where they’re celebrated and supported to thrive.

“We’re stoked to launch these resources as we gear up for the winter season. Being able to bring experts together to respond so directly to what our female athletes told us they wanted, has been brilliant” explained Snow Sports NZ Project Manager Louise Johnson.

Check out our website here! https://www.mountainwomen.co.nz/

23/05/2025

Spent an awesome few hours connecting with other Central Otago physios last night at the Central Otago Autumn Series – now in its third year! 🍂

Great opportunity to connect, and talk about “all things” Snow Sports, ACL rehab and Forcedecks, with awesome presentations by Ellis Meyer-Budge and Aidan Hermence and a heap of input on all fronts from Sarah Gillespie ⛷️ 🏂

Thanks for coming everyone! ….. bring on #4 in 2026, and fingers crossed for an inaugural Spring Series come Sept/Oct! 🌸

Physiotherapy New Zealand
Physiotherapy New Zealand - Otago Branch

23/04/2025

Call for Abstracts: Southern Symposium (SPS11)

Attention, all South Island professionals! 🌟 We're excited to announce the Southern Symposium (SPS11), a regional event designed to bring together experts, share knowledge, and spark meaningful discussions.

Date: Fri 31st October - Sun 2nd November
Location: Tūhura Otago Museum

Call for Abstracts: We are currently seeking abstracts for presentations. If you have expertise or research to share, we’d love to hear from you!

🔗 Please contact Physiotherapy New Zealand at pnz@physiotherapy.org.nz for Abstract/Poster guidelines and the template

This is a fantastic opportunity to contribute to the future of physiotherapy and connect with like-minded individuals. Don’t miss out - submit your abstract today!

🔵 Stay tuned for more details and event updates!

10/04/2025

Exciting times ahead!!!

❄️ With fresh snow on the hills, it feels like winter is just around the corner and we are stoked to share that things are absolutely humming along out at our Dry Slope Facility 🙌🏼

A huge thanks to our construction partners PlaceMakers Wanaka, Cook Brothers Construction & Civil Project Solutions for all their hard work, we can’t wait to see it all come to life in the coming months! ⚡️

05/12/2024

Stoked to share that this week I was approved and registered by the Physiotherapy Board of NZ as a Specialist Physiotherapist in the Scope of Sports Physiotherapy

It seemed only fitting that I received the call from the Board as I was attempting to wrangle my physio table, suitcase, ski bag, and our team onto a bus in Beijing – the glamorous life of a sports physio on tour
🧳🧳🎿 🏂 🚶‍➡️🚶‍➡️🚶‍➡️🚌 ☺️

I have now been a physiotherapist for longer than I haven’t - which seems a bit nuts - but what a journey it has been. And it’s quite simple - I love my work!

And as much as physiotherapy has been in my life a long time, SPORT has been in my life for longer, so the ability to combine both in a career as a Sports and Performance Physiotherapist has been a bit of a dream career choice.

I love that by giving my all to what I do, my work provides me the opportunity to help people be the best versions of themselves – be it recovering from injury, making lifestyle changes, working towards a specific goal, or achieving their dreams on the world stage. It is such a privilege to be part of people’s lives through all of these stages - encouraging people to find health, joy, and challenge in being active at all levels.

Sports Physiotherapy has taken me from community sport and recreation, through age group and regional representative levels, to pinnacle performances at World Championships and Olympic Games. I have participated in sport, and helped others to do the same. I have worked solo, and in massive teams. I have learned from others, and been an educator. We all have so much to give and so much to learn. Please do reach out if you’re keen to chat about any and all things Sports Physiotherapy!

I really can’t wait to continue the mahi – in myself to continue my learning journey in this field; in supporting my colleagues and those looking to enter our profession; and in the immediate and intermediate term - supporting the athletes I work with as we push on towards the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games.

** Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari kē he toa takitini - My success should not be bestowed onto me alone, it was not individual success but the success of a collective **

So a MASSIVE thanks to all to those who have contributed to my journey – I’m excited to see where it leads next!

Onwards 😊

21/06/2024

Grateful (and stoked!) to have been selected to be part of this amazing, and evolving program.

In Performance Health we get many opportunities to grow our skills as Sports Physiotherapists, but the opportunity to learn and develop in the leadership space is often elusive.

This year, HPSNZ WiHPS has taken the initiative to expand the executive leadership and professional development coaching program into a broader cohort. I have been selected to be part of this, and I’m very much looking forward to the growth opportunities it will provide me, that I can then deliver back to the crew I work with at HPSNZ and Snow Sports NZ.

Can’t wait!

This year’s Residency Experience involved input from a wider range of people than previous cohorts and as a result women from a diverse range of experiences applied for the 2024 intake.

28/07/2022

Incredibly proud to be here in Birmingham, representing my whanau, my profession, and my country at the Commonwealth Games

❤️🌿🖤🤚

We are The NZ Team - let’s do this 👊 🖤🌿

📸 Getty Images