DP World Lions cricket women’s physiotherapist aims big

DP World Lions cricket women’s physiotherapist, Sheenagh Jordaan reminisces on being called for national duty for the SA U19 tour to Bangladesh recently.

Sheenagh said the SA U19 tour to Bangladesh was exciting. “In the cricketing world, there is always talk on the different stresses the sub-continent presents to an athlete. It was a great team effort of pre-tour preparation in which we received advice from medical professionals within our system who are seasoned in subcontinent conditions.”

She has had a year of many firsts. Working alongside the Wanderers Sports Medical Centre she pioneered the role of team physiotherapist in the women’s domestic cricket space, servicing DP World Lions Women in the recent 2022/23 season. Previously, the team physiotherapist to the U19 Women’s Proteas at the inaugural U19 T20 Women’s World Cup

Jordaan added that the tour to Bangladesh had key focus areas, flags to watch out for and planned algorithms to tackle possible scenarios, mitigating anxiety and stress. She also takes a few lessons from this tour and adds them to her ‘toolkit’ for future reference.

She was initially set on becoming a paediatrician from a very young age. When she was in grade 10, she had an opportunity to shadow an intern doctor at a busy local hospital.

“Although that path was not for me, I knew my desire to assist people through the medical profession was still intact. Physiotherapy was suggested to me by an educational psychologist because of my testing scores and I did a little research into the profession.”

Jordaan added that she was intrigued by what she read, and her decision was set. She grew up surrounded by sport and naturally gravitated toward the sport side of physiotherapy.

Her gratifying moments include seeing growth in an athlete, seeing them return from injury to what they are passionate about and more resilient. “We lifted the T20 trophy in my first season last year, that was an incredible reward for hard years put in. But I can say that seeing the growth in the ladies as individuals and as a team over the past season and a half, is by far a favourite moment for me. “

Jordaan concluded by encouraging upcoming physiotherapists to be authentic. “There are many incredible physiotherapists out there, yet none of them are ‘you’. It’s what you do with all the information gathered, from a perspective of being true to yourself and your own unique gifting, that makes the biggest difference.”

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