Physio
BSc Physiotherapy
MSc Sports Physiotherapy (in progress)
BA Journalism, French and Law
Level 4 Sports Massage, ASCA Level 1 Strength & Conditioning
Ex Physio to Carlton AFL, GC Suns AFL Senior clubs
Main interests: Rugby, Dance, Soccer, Acute Sports Injuries, Post-Op and Surgical Rehab.
Former Lead Physio to ‘Cats! The Musical’, Connacht Rugby (Irish Rugby Union), Football association of Wales Main, Acupuncture and Dry Needling Qualifications & Strength & Conditioning programming
Multilingual: Fluent French, conversational Irish
Orla’s Story
I was born in London to an Irish mother and a father who’d grown up second-generation Irish in the London community (he’d argue he’s more Irish than the rest of us put together — extremely proud of his roots!). We moved back to Ireland when I was five so us kids could grow up around our big Irish family — Mam was one of eight — with an upbringing built around family and community.
I was the eldest of three, and we were never not doing something — soccer, beach lifesaving, swim squad, Gaelic sports, Irish trad music on a Friday. That’s really where I learned what sport teaches you: discipline, how to lose, how to work as a team, how hard work pays off.
I went to Galway to study French, Law and Journalism, realised pretty early it wasn’t for me, but dropping out wasn’t really a thing you did in Ireland, so I persevered and made the best of it — worked two jobs during term, then used the summers to work abroad while I figured myself out. California, Cornwall, Nice and the French Alps, Bali, all while still finishing the degree — not a bad track record!
First year I got hit by a car and was told no training for 6–8 weeks- at that time I was swimming and that time-frame felt like forever. But I’d already privately decided I wanted to retire from swimming, just on my own terms and not because of an injury — so having that decision effectively taken out of my hands was a genuine gut-punch, and getting through it, getting into the gym, getting stronger, and coming out the other side with a completely new direction is still one of the things I’m proudest of. It’s what made me think physio might actually be for me.
I moved to Cardiff to study Physiotherapy, originally just wanting a normal 9–5 life, help a few people, decent wage. Then a final-year placement at Cardiff City FC completely changed that — highest-scoring placement I had, and my mentor offered me a job for the July I graduated.
My Physio career started with a Welsh U17s camp in Florida (glamorous start, if I do say so myself), then Cardiff City part-time alongside Cardiff Devils ice hockey — easily 70 hours a week between the two, and I learned fast that no sport is ever really “part time.” Cardiff went full-time after that, and I stayed another year.
When the Physio role for Connacht Rugby came up I jumped at it — rugby physios really are some of the best in the industry because they see so much, and the mentorship there is where I properly grew as a clinician.
I still wasn’t ready to be back in Ireland full-time though, so when ‘Cats! The Musical’ offered me Head Physio on tour, combining travel and sports physio, I took it. Two years and 35 countries later I was ready to land somewhere, and Australia had always been the dream — so I took the risk on a private practice role in Brisbane. But I kept getting pulled to the Gold Coast for my love of surfing, which is eventually what brought me here.
Outside of physio, I love surfing, strength and conditioning, and I’m a proper bookworm, so any recommendations are always welcome!
