As planning gets underway on the next event, our Advisory Board provides invaluable new ideas and feedback to improve our show and maintain the quality of the educational content we deliver through our conference programme.  

With a variety of job roles represented, including soft issue therapists, osteopaths, physiotherapists, and MSK professionals, the group are well equipped to provide up-to-date knowledge and information on regulations, challenges, and priorities within the sector. This insight allows us to bring you the most engaging, relevant, and educational conference sessions possible.  

Gary Benson  

Gary Benson, the Founder and Director of the Sports Therapy Association is a qualified teacher, previously holding posts in Further Education, Higher Education and in the private sector. Utilising experience drawn from a career in the military and subsequent roles in sports coaching, fitness and the sports therapy industry he now represents and supports STA members. He is proud of what the STA represents and will continue to work tirelessly on behalf of members to fulfil the commitment to promote excellence in the field of Soft Tissue Therapy and Sports Therapy.  

Yvonne Blake  

Yvonne studied holistic therapy before becoming a Sports Massage Therapist in 1999. She subsequently completed a Degree and Master’s in Sports Therapy at the University of Central Lancashire in 2011 & 2013. Being a fitness fanatic, she has also trained as a personal trainer, CrossFit coach and Pilates instructor, and she is also the mobility specialist in her local CrossFit gym.    

Yvonne has taught sports massage for many years in further education, both in colleges and universities. She was a Senior External Verifier for VTCT for several years and has been involved in writing sports massage qualifications. She still practices sports therapy in her busy practice, specialising in working with CrossFit and strongmen athletes. Yvonne has been a Sports Massage Association (SMA) board director since 2014 and the Chairperson since 2022.  

Simon Bowen 

Simon is Chief Executive Officer at the Society of Sports Therapists. He has a wealth of experience gained from senior leadership roles held across various high profile professional bodies, including the Royal College of General Practitioners, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the British Psychological Society and the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health. Simon’s work within the charitable bodies sector has consistently focused on the development and implementation of membership engagement strategies, global expansion and partnerships. 

Simon is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and Fellow Member of the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM). He also has a postgraduate Diploma in Management and an MBA from Warwick Business School. 

Oliver Coburn   

Ollie is the founder and Managing Director of the MSK social enterprise, Freehab. He is also an Honorary Assistant Professor in the School of Health Sciences at the University of Nottingham, and the Operations Manager for BASRaT.  

Sonia Fierro  

Sonia is a qualified Osteopath and Sports Therapist specialising in performance enhancement, injury rehabilitation and flexibility coaching. She has experience working in both private practice and within elite sport (GB Fencing, GB Diving & Swimming, Rugby) and has a particular interest in strength sports and functional fitness (Powerlifting, Weightlifting, CrossFit). She has been a competitive Powerlifting athlete herself holding an Italian Deadlift record. She runs her own Recover Stronger educational courses.  

Mike Grice  

Mike is a Registered Osteopath with over 20 years' experience in the Health and Fitness Industry.  

Mike started his own training company in 2003 specialising in health, fitness and manual therapy training (Movement Therapy Education) and also lectures on the FdSc and BSc Sports Therapy programmes at University College Birmingham and throughout the world in Anatomy and Intrinsic Biomechanics Coaching.   

Mike is a lead tutor/instructor for Elite Therapy Education, Biomechanics Education, Oxford School of Sports Massage (OSSM), RockTape/RockBlade and NAQI and regularly teaches courses for Premier League and Championship football clubs.   

Mike has held consultancy roles with Boots, Pera Products, Startrite, Brytespark and Convatec playing a key role in the research and development of new products and education systems.  

Mike regularly presents at conferences including Therapy Expo, FitPro, International Fitness Showcase, Good Health Show and the IOC world conference for Injury Prevention in Monaco.   

Mike runs Movement Therapy Clinics in Birmingham where his team put all that Movement Therapy Education teach into practice.  

Amanda Hensman-Crook    

Amanda has more than 30 years’ NHS experience in orthopaedics and MSK physiotherapy with a passion for workforce transformation and innovation leading to improved quality and impact for service users in the context of personalised care. She still works in primary care as an MSK consultant physiotherapist, whist completing a PhD investigating consultant practice education, and lectures on advanced practice MSK modules in HEIs and injection therapy for SOMM. She developed First Contact Practice (FCP) in 2014 and pioneered the national standardised FCP data template used for national evaluation of physiotherapy FCP for NHSE leading to the implementation of physiotherapy under the ARRS scheme. As the HEE national clinical fellow from 2019-2021, Amanda led the development and implementation of the MSK, OT, podiatry, dietetic and paramedic FCP training and development roadmaps to practice and the national roadmaps supervisor infrastructure to support them, the UK Advanced Practice MSK standards and developed the UK MSK Partnership group. She is chair and programme lead for the national MSK conference at Therapy Expo and chair of the CARPE research advisory board.   

Mike James  

Mike is a former Military Physical Training Instructor and rehabilitation specialist, fitness expert and Sports Rehabilitator.  He has a strong reputation in the therapy world having had many articles published in national magazines and is a regular speaker at conferences and shows as well as running his own courses and workshops. Mike holds master's level degrees in both Physiotherapy and Sports Medicine as well as degrees in Sports Rehabilitation, strength conditioning and Sports Science.   

His passion is helping therapists and patients alike understand the evidence base by sharing his message in a practically understandable and applicable way.  

Mike lectures full time on the Physiotherapy programme at the University of South Wales   

Mike is affectionately known as “The Endurance Physio” where he runs a busy in person and online clinic coaching and treating athletes worldwide from novice to elite to optimise rehabilitation and performance.  

Daniel Lawrence  

Daniel Lawrence is a UK Chartered Physiotherapist, multi-published author, YouTube creator - @ThePhysioChannel - and international lecturer. Daniel holds separate post-graduate qualifications in Musculoskeletal Medicine and Education. Having completed 10 years as a University Lecturer, Daniel now combines teaching, creating, travelling and clinical work alongside his role as European Education Director for RockTape.  

Daniel has delivered lectures and workshops on Tendinopathy (his first book), Taping (RockTape), Cupping (his second book), IASTM (RockBlades) and Exercise for Pain Relief (his third book).   

Daniel frequently attends conferences as a guest lecturer and delivers bespoke training to professional groups around the world 

Anna Maria Mazzieri  

Anna Maria is a practising Soft Tissue Therapist and Educator. She established and continues to take on the role of lead tutor for The School which is a well-regarded group of training providers delivering the Diploma in Soft Tissue Therapy (BTEC level 5) in Exeter, Bristol and Birmingham.  

Having trained in Massage Therapy in 2002 and progressed into more clinical aspects of the profession (including the ISRM Soft Tissue Therapy Diploma and a BSc in Sports Therapy) Anna Maria champions its role in modern MSK care.  

 Through her clinics and schools, she is driving a change in Soft Tissue Therapy practice and training by pushing for Evidence Based Practice, a drive which she is now expanding to the wider industry with her involvement in developing a new curriculum for the introduction of Evidence Based Practice in one of the UK Soft Tissue Therapy qualifications.  

Dr Chris Norris 

Dr Chris Norris is a physiotherapist (MCSP) with a master's degree (MSc) in exercise science and a doctorate (PhD) in spinal rehabilitation.  He is the author of 14 books on injuries, exercise therapy, and acupuncture.  His textbook Sports and Soft Tissue Injuries (Routledge) is in its 5th edition and has been a leading text for over 25 years.  His Back Rehabilitation textbook (Routledge) is in its 3rd edition and continues to be a popular training text for exercise professionals.  Dr Norris is an independent consultant physiotherapist.  He delivers lectures and CPD courses throughout Europe, treats private patients in his own clinic, and acts as a visiting lecturer to several leading universities.  

Gemma Parry   

Gemma Parry is qualified in both Physiotherapy and Sport Rehabilitation disciplines having graduated with an MSc in Physiotherapy from the University of Birmingham in 2011 and MSc Sports Rehabilitation in 2016 from the University of Salford. She was the lead physiotherapist to GB Short Track Speed Skating at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics, the EYOF in Finland 2022 for Team GB, and Wheelchair Basketball Team England during the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. Previously occupying positions with GB Boxing, Birmingham City FC, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Bromsgrove School and Manchester United Soccer Schools, clinically Gemma continues to work for the English Institute of Sport delivering across multi-sport Olympic and Paralympic programmes. Following the recent completion of her PhD, her general research seeks to improve the field of musculoskeletal profiling, with the specific aims of deepening the understanding of how movement quality changings during growth and maturation within elite and non-elite sporting adolescent populations.  

Matt Phillips  

Matt Phillips is a Running Injury & Performance Specialist, creator & host of the Runchatlive Podcast and the Sports Therapy Association Podcast. Originally a strength & conditioning coach with the National Academy of Sports Medicine, Matt turned his attention to Sports Therapy in 2004 working particularly with distance runners & endurance athletes.  

Matt's website www.runchatlive.com aims to help both runners & therapists evolve from outdated ideas and embrace a more evidence-based approach to running injury prevention & management.  

His online & face-to face course ‘Gait Analysis for Runners: A Modern Approach’ takes place across the UK.  

Matt has spoken at numerous national conferences including Therapy Expo and has written for many websites & national magazines. He also spent time in Nairobi helping set up one of the first Gait Analysis stores in Kenya.   

His 2019 ‘Runchatlive International Running Conference’  saw world class speakers travelling to Brighton, UK from as far as Australia, Canada & The United States. His 2020 Runchatlive Conference was streamed with simultaneous translation into Spanish.    

Graham Smith

Professor Graham Smith is a Rehabilitation & Sports Injury Consultant and the current President of The Society of Sports Therapists, of which he was a founder member. The Society was formed in 1990 and now collaborates with 32 Higher Education Institutions and accredits 38 academic sport and exercise therapy programmes. Professor Smith has over 40 years of experience in sport and exercise medicine and lectures nationally and internationally on injury management and rehabilitation. 

Kate Williams

Kate is a Graduate Sports Therapist and the Head of Education for The SST. Kate works clinically in rugby union with over 20 years’ experience at professional and international level across the men’s and women’s game. Kate is also a senior lecturer and researcher with interests in injury prevention, hamstring hip and groin injury and prolonged sports related concussion.