Kezia Dawes teaches us about iceberg injuries, pelvic floor health and what it’s like being a new triathlete

Where did you learn the term, ‘iceberg injury’?

One of my mentors, Dana Tostenson, uses it as an analogy, and it’s something I find a really useful tool when I speak with clients.  A lot of the time, it stems from progressive overload or small compensations which eventually lead to some new bit of pain. Maybe you switched out your office chair ten months ago, but how did that affect your back in that time? Part of identifying iceberg injuries is figuring out how two seemingly disconnected things fit together. It’s about how our bodies react to different things.

How do you learn about new research in physio?

I use sources like ICE and AMP, which are bigger organizations that sift through a lot of research and pull the latest and best. I also listen to a lot of physio podcasts! Another big help is having an open knowledge exchange between physios. There’s so much focus on continuing education. It’s part of our governing body’s code of conduct, which is a huge part of the value of physio: you’re a continuous learner. I think a lot of physios are eager to learn, we’re a bunch of nerds! We truly want to grow. I think it’s so important to keep learning, so we can continue to serve our clients as best we can. 

At the clinic, we have educational nights where we’ll pick a topic and learn more about it together. The other beautiful thing is that there’s a mentorship program for new grads, which is great for helping them with topics that aren’t as well known or that they aren’t as well-versed in. 

Why are you interested in pelvic floor health?

For a couple of reasons: I had my own personal experience with pelvic floor trauma, and at some point, I realized that it wasn’t – and didn’t have to be – my normal. 

The other reason is partially because of my Mom! She’s a nurse practitioner now and she completed her Master’s while I was doing my undergraduate degree. She became interested in women’s health, so I would hear her talking about things like vaginal prolapses and different types of pelvic pain syndromes. At the time – as an undergrad and a 20-something – I definitely did not want to talk about those topics! But as time went on, I began to understand that it was important. Then, my own pelvic issues led me and my Mom to start talking about it more, and it ended up being something we’d talk about all the time.

Now, I’m going to be working with a group out of Vancouver called the ‘Cheerful Pelvis’ and do pelvic health mentorship.

How did physio find you?

The funny thing is, I originally didn’t want to be a physio! I knew I wanted to do something with movement, with bodies, but during my undergrad as a kin major, I struggled. Learning was a challenge for me and it was hard to be surrounded by my peers getting good grades and being very confident in their futures.

But, in my second year, I took this wonderful course called ‘Physical Activity for Adapted Populations’ and I started falling in love with the idea that everybody deserved to be active. Through that, I had the privilege of working with people with different abilities, and it was incredible. I felt so strongly about this work, that I wanted to major in it, but there wasn’t a degree pathway at my school, at the time. So, I created it! It was called “Adaptive Sports Performance.” 

It was around this time I learned that physio doesn’t just have to be intensive sports rehab. And, because I had finally found something I was passionate about, my grades had improved and I was able to apply for programs in both physio and OT. I got accepted into the physio program after the first round of interviews! It all felt like it was meant to be.

What’s it like to work with kids who need physio?

Working with kids is so much fun. You get to play! I find that my work with kids always involves some sort of game: it’s hard to tell them to sit still for a week, so we have to find ways to make the treatments work for them. I love hanging out with my pediatric clients, I feel like I jam with them! (I’m the same size!)

We’ll see kids as young as three months old because they’ve had torticollis and they need to work on stretching their neck. Or, there can be developmental issues that crop up: their nervous system might not have caught up with their chronological age, or they don’t throw a ball the same way their peers do and we want to figure out why. One thing I see most frequently is small athletes who go really hard and then have injuries as a result. Another common ailment is Severs’ disease, it’s an overuse condition common in children.

You’re a triathlete?

I would say I’ve been happily hoodwinked into it! I started out volunteering at the Tri for Compassion and admired the race culture I saw there, so I signed up. But, I wasn’t feeling confident about swimming, so my colleague Emily suggested I go with her. All of a sudden, I was being outfitted with a wetsuit, and now I’m in swim lessons. It’s been a lot of fun so far. The triathlon community is so supportive, everyone’s just happy you’re out there! I’ll be doing the BMO half marathon in May and then a sprint triathlon in June. Plus, an Olympic distance at Elk Lake in August.

Outside of training for a tri, how else do you stay active?

I dance! Ballet, hip-hop, and jazz. (I love jazz!) It’s fun to have that language for my dancing clients. It’s a good creative outlet for me, too.

I also spend a lot of time with Wally, my four-year-old Sheepadoodle. He’s very high-energy, so my husband and I take him on runs together, or for hikes and swims.

What’s your favourite part about living in Victoria?

I feel extremely blessed to live in a place where you can be surrounded by ancient, cedar pine forests on one side, a gorgeous ocean that’s so filled with life on another side, and the city – which has this cool culture scene and the urban aspects to it – on another, all so close together. It feels like the perfect mixture of all three. The access to activities here on the Island year-round is special. One weekend in December, it was sunny and I got a 40K bike ride in without being frozen or soaked.

I love the food and restaurant scene here, too. Wind Cries Mary in downtown Vic is one of my favourite spots! All the parks through Goldstream are beautiful. Running along the waterfront is envigorating: the fresh air is incredible and it’s so peaceful.