October Champion: Edward Casey

Written by UFIT Singapore | 27 Oct 2021

A massive well done to Ed Casey, UFIT's October Champion!

In March early this year, Ed started Physiotherapy with Dave Lee, having just had a total knee replacement for Osteoarthritis. His main goal? To complete the Ironman 70.3 Washington in just six months.

Being a seasoned triathlete, Ed knew this journey was going to be no easy feat. He worked incredibly hard on his rehab with Dave and they set out 4 clear objectives to make sure Ed was fit and strong enough to compete:

Range of Motion of the Knee to be 0-130 degrees
No pain when performing endurance reps during home exercises as prescribed
Good and consistent progression for walk/run intervals without any pain
Successfully completed triathlon-specific plyometric drills to improve running mechanics

Fast-forward 6 months, Ed successfully achieved what he set out to conquer and managed to complete the Ironman 70.3 in an amazing 7 hours and 53 minutes. We hear from Ed on how his Ironman went and the incredible journey that he went on to be able to compete...

Why did you come to UFIT?

"Muscle memory in my surgical knee needed retraining. The surrounding muscles supporting the knee needed strengthening. David provided me with exercises that dramatically improved my foot plant/stride in anticipation of running once I had 100% recovered from surgery in three months' time. I had received a referral to UFIT and Dave specifically as he is a fellow Triathlete and came highly recommended by a Sports Doctor of mine, Dr Low."

Competing in an Ironman is no easy feat, what made you decide to take part in it?

"This was my 6^th half Ironman and I have also completed 8 full Ironmans and many Marathons. This event, in particular, was the most important to me - having it as a goal motivated me to recover from total knee replacement surgery in a very short period of time. Having a Physiotherapist and fellow Triathlete such as Dave was instrumental in allowing me to achieve the goal of finishing the race!"

What improvements did you see?

"My sessions with Dave were geared towards getting me back into performance requirements with triathlon-specific exercises and workouts! With the restrictions in place, we were unable to utilise the gym facilities at UFIT Orchard, hence my physical therapy exercises were conducted mostly at home with minimal or no equipment. Over time, Dave taught me the following:

Muscle memory correction of my surgically repaired knee.
Quad strengthening exercises
Running form drills
Overall understanding of the importance of intelligent PT"

What has been the highlight of your physiotherapy journey?

"Seeing Dave on my weekly or biweekly sessions and getting feedback from him that I was improving. The encouragement was really important to help keep me motivated. Also, running for the first time and experiencing zero pain in my knee!"

Which aspect of working with Dave did you particularly enjoy? And what other benefits did you see from your sessions?

"Dave's knowledge of muscle, skeletal structure, and motion was immense. I wasn't told to blindly do various PT exercises. There was always an explanation of how it would lead me back to walking and then to running. Never once did Dave question my goal of finishing the Half Ironman just 6 months after surgery. He just kept training me to get there!"

If you're looking to overcome an injury, recover from surgery or manage pain, get in touch with us today. Our highly qualified physiotherapists treat all musculoskeletal and orthopedic problems and will return you to action stronger than ever before.

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