Congratulations to Mitchell Heward!
September 3,
2025 72 72 
Congratulations to Mitchell Heward who won the SASMA Sports and Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy Award at July's Flinders University Nursing & Health Sciences Award Ceremony. Read about Mitchell's journey with SASMA, and his future plans, below.
How were you introduced to SASMA and how did you get involved initially? What were your goals early on?
My original involvement with SASMA occurred when I completed my level 1 sports trainer certification in 2021. At the time, I was in my second year of university, and I was looking for ways to gain experience and develop my skills in the area to become a better physiotherapist and more employable in the future. I then completed my level 2 sports trainer certification in 2022. These courses allowed me to work with numerous sporting organisations while completing my university degree and certainly helped my development as a physio. I have since been acting as a Sports Trainer at the Mannum Football Club since 2021, I worked with South Adelaide FC’s junior program for a year, and I have worked for SASMA at the Master’s Games.
How did you feel these connections and practical experience helped you in your physio studies, and then entering the workforce?
Working as a sports trainer allowed me to actually practice a lot of the practical skills I had learned at university, such as taping, injury management and education. It also provided me with injured athletes I could assess! As a physio, I was able to practice my Lachman's test and talocrural anterior drawer for example, which not only helped me but helped my players to get the appropriate referral for follow up assessment or care. Working as a sports trainer also exposed me to athletes with a wide variety of injuries, which certainly helped me when it came to my musculoskeletal placements. I think these experiences also made me more employable as a physiotherapist and as a person.
Tell us more on the importance of building the connections within the sports medicine community and how valuable this was?
Working with Jack, Danielle and other members of the SASMA team has opened up numerous opportunities for me over the years. Through my level 1 and 2 sports trainer courses, I was able to learn from some fantastic sports doctors, physiotherapists and experienced trainers, while building connections with my peers.
Then while at uni, in my role as President of the Flinders University Physiotherapist Student Association, I worked closely with SASMA to establish an annual sports taping night for physiotherapy students. This course run by SASMA was able to provide students with further experience in taping and even provided the connection for some to then go on to complete a sports trainer course.
Through these connections, I was able to work for SASMA as a sports trainer at the Masters Games here in Adelaide in 2023, which involved working with other trainers from around the state in a variety of sports (including softball, baseball, fencing and volleyball). This was an invaluable experience, as it allowed me to observe how other trainers work and to learn from them.
I also recently attended SASMA’s "Management of the Runner” education night, where I learned from experienced medical and allied health professionals.
Do you have any advice for a first-year allied health student, on getting involved with SASMA and where this can take them?
To any allied health student, I would highly recommend completing a sports trainer course through SASMA while you are studying (do it in your first year if you can!). This is an amazing way to gain experience in the health/sports field and build your resume. Employers are generally impressed by individuals who have experience related to the field they are applying for. Furthermore, most sporting clubs in SA will pay you for your time!
Where are you working currently and what are your goals/ambitions for the future?
I am currently working for SA Health within the Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN), primarily between the Royal Adelaide Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital. I am in a graduate rotational position, meaning every three months I am working within a different area of physiotherapy which is exactly what I was seeking after uni to continue developing my skills/experience across a broad variety of fields. I am lucky that CALHN has some very experienced physiotherapists (and over 100 physios in total!) which I am learning a lot from. I have worked across geriatrics, acute surgical, orthopaedics, ICU and rehabilitation settings this year.
I have also begun the process of launching my own private physiotherapy business to learn the process of running a business and to continue to expand my knowledge/skills.
Finally, I am now the Head Physiotherapist at Mannum Football Club and I am enjoying being able to give back to the community.
Any final comments?
Completing a sports trainer course and getting involved with SASMA’s events is an amazing way for any allied health student to gain experience in their field, build a resume and to earn an income while studying. I would highly recommend getting involved with this amazing organisation and making use of their education nights and other offerings.
Congratulations, Mitch, we wish you all the best for the future!