• Sport

Aquatic therapist

Angelique de Klerk

Biokinetics is a medically related profession, using physical activity as the therapeutic modality in preventative health care, improvement of functional ability and quality of life.

This is done through scientifically designed rehabilitation and exercise programs for chronic disease, orthopaedic and sports injuries. Biokinetics provide a sport scientific service, specialising in testing, evaluation and performance enhancement for beginner and elite sportsmen and women.

Angelique de Klerk duties include thoroughly evaluating patients and tracking their rehabilitation progress over time in order to get them back to work/sport and be as functional as they were prior to illness or injury.

Her day starts at 5 am where I begin my day with rehabilitation with patients in both the rehab gymnasium and swimming pool (hydrotherapy) to about 10 I morning, she then has consultations with patients by appointment, and she continues to treat patients in the gymnasium and in the pool.

De Klerk was inspired to do Biokinetics 12 years ago after a knee operation and this made her realise that this is the profession she would love to do for the rest of her life.

“In this line of work you have to have people skills, movement (i.e. sports or physical activity) has to be a passion, patience, and working with people should be enjoyable to you,” de Klerk says.

The highlight of De Klerk’s job is seeing where a person started their physical rehabilitation journey, and where they are after rehabilitation. The feeling of accomplishment when seeing and experiencing this is priceless.

“Seeing that I as a physical therapist have helped someone leading a normal life after a trauma, illness, or injury, that is definitely the highlight of my profession,” she adds.

“I studied 4 years at the North West University of Potchefstroom (3 year human movement science degree & 1 year honours degree in Biokinetics),” she says.