Bridgette Urquardt – Inspirational Athlete

However, early in 2023 she began waking up with more acute lower back pain and concluded replacing her old “springy” mattress with a new one would solve her problem. When getting her mattress delivered she decided she could independently maneuver her mattress up a flight of stairs. While Bridgette successfully got the mattress up the stairs, it resulted in the most intense flare up of back pain she had experienced so far being unable to get through her day without sharp agonizing pain. As a result she decided to see a physio at PEAK for help. 

During the initial stages, Bridgette’s progress was halted by the demands of her job including at least eight 12 hour long shifts a fortnight with a heavy belt, lots of sitting, split up between having to carry 20kg bags on each side, and less than ideal manual handling of her patients. The pain began limiting her work capacity to a point where she had to cease work completely. As devastated as she was, she understood that to continue doing what she loved she had to get her body to a capacity that could undertake the tasks.

Not only has Bridgette achieved her 10km goal, but since first coming to PEAK she has almost doubled her deadlift weight from 30kg to 55kg and has a burning desire to keep breaking her PB’s and pushing her limits. She has also had remarkable improvements in her professional and personal life, getting no lower back pain day-day or throughout her 12 hour long shifts. Bridgette continues to embody the values of PEAK and we look forward to seeing her continue her journey into the future.

Myles Gay

PEAK Physiotherapist and Coach