Mission: To progress Graduate Sport Therapists’ recognition and elevate our profile within sport and health care, and to help develop clear pathways that inform Members about the different sectors they can work in, as well as providing resources to achieve this.
Group Lead – Jennifer Owens
Vice Group Lead – Nic Perrem
For more information, and how to get involved, please contact admin@thesst.org
Jennifer is an Advanced MSK Clinician and Team Leader at Connect Health and was appointed to the board in December 2023.
When Jennifer began working at Connect Health in 2022, she broke new ground, becoming the first ever Sports Therapist in the role of Advanced MSK Clinician. Since then, she has been promoted into the role of a Team Leader in the Oxfordshire service, where she enjoys mentoring and supporting her colleagues.
Since beginning her journey at the University of Hertfordshire in 2013 where she would later graduate with a first-class honours degree in Sports Therapy, Jennifer is distinguished by diverse experiences across competitive sports and healthcare sectors. From working with the University’s Women’s Basketball Team, Hertfordshire Mavericks Netball Super league Team and Bristol City Football Club Academy, to private healthcare clinics and the NHS.
Jennifer’s passion lies in elevating the discipline of Sports Therapy. She is a vocal advocate for the professional recognition and equality of Sports Therapists, she is a Champion for Sports Therapists across Connect Health.
A significant part of her mission is to achieve statutory regulation of Sports Therapists by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
Nic Perrem is a Graduate Sports Therapist with experience across various clinical environments, including professional and university-level sports and private practice. He has held academic positions at two UK universities, where he contributed to the education and training of future Sports Therapists and other allied health professionals. Currently, Nic applies his expertise within NHS commissioning, bridging clinical knowledge with healthcare management, to optimise service delivery and patient outcomes. His career reflects a commitment to both hands-on patient care and strategic healthcare improvement. Nic is also a member of the Industry Recognition and Pathways Task Team. He is a strong advocate for the profession of Sports Therapy and hopes to use his tenure as a Director to achieve greater recognition of the profession.
Gita Pathiraja graduated in 2009 and has built up a diverse portfolio of experience, drawing from her extensive background in the Premiership Football League, Rugby League, and the Canadian National Football Team. Gita also worked in the NHS, providing post-operative care for neurological and musculoskeletal conditions before moving to Canada in 2018. She moved back to the UK in 2023 and has started GP Sports Clinic, in Warwickshire, which looks to incorporate elite-level rehabilitation and recovery whilst making it accessible to grassroots athletes and teams.
Dr Kevin Campbell-Karn is an Associate Professor and Deputy Head of School at Buckinghamshire New University, where he has been a pivotal figure since 2015 achieving successive 100% NSS overall outcomes for Sports Therapy. With a PhD in Sports Science from Brunel University, his research focuses on the clinical assessment of patellofemoral alignment, exercise rehabilitation to assist with ADHD, and technology enhanced recovery for hip and knee replacement surgery. Dr Campbell-Karn is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and has been a dedicated member of The Society of Sports Therapists since graduating in 2002.
Dr Campbell-Karn played a crucial role in modernizing The Society of Sports Therapists, serving on the Board of Directors from 2017-2022 culminating in becoming Chairman. He led initiatives to enhance governance, regulation, inclusivity, and member engagement while being a crucial board member for the return to practice guidelines during Covid-19. Dr Campbell-Karn’s experience will now join others within the IRPTT group as The Society drives towards higher standards and achievements.
