Lauren – Beachy Speechie Legend!

Lauren is a Barefooter from way back. Born and bred in America and now living the great Australian dream (she lives so close to the beach she waves to whales from the verandah) Lauren loves life… with such passion that sometimes you can’t help adopting a bit of an American accent when you talk to her.

Lauren thank you for helping us highlight the amazingness of our clients by answering these questions.
As someone who lives a rich and fulfilling Barefoot Lifestyle we want to know more about you (and our Barefooters will be so keen to hear!).

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So Miss Lauren Buonomo (B-U-O-N-O-M-O!) where do we start…

As the eldest of 8 sisters I know you have to answer questions about that all the time but can you share with us what growing up with that many siblings is like? And tell us about what Saturday morning at the Buonomo household (in AMERICA!) was like growing up.

Growing up with all of my sisters was a lot of fun. The house was always full of people, including the family and the random assortment of friends. Our place was the place everyone came to. There was food always cooking and many a great conversation took place over the island bench or at the kitchen table. For visual effect, it is important to know that our extra long table was flanked by two extra long bench seats. That way there was always a way to squeeze more bottoms on to join in all the food and fun.

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The first time Blair came home to meet my family I think he started to fear what he had gotten himself into. Blair is the eldest of two boys and this was a very big contrast. Conversations are always going to be loud when there are 10 people at the dinner table. One time we were driving in the car and Blair goes “Why are you yelling at me?”, as I had maintained my American-family volume as we drove into the city.

Happy USA family

Saturday mornings were often spent at soccer matches but on the weekends and the Saturday mornings where leaving the house at 6 am to drive for 3 hours for a soccer game wasn’t on the cards, my mom had something else to monopolize her beautiful children’s day. It was CHORES. Now my mom had an absolutely ingenious way of organising her children to do their chores. She simply wrote a list of all the things that needed doing on a yellow legal pad and would leave it on the kitchen bench. Chores were a first in best dressed sort of thing. Sign up when you wake up! We learned about cost-benefit analysis quite early. Was having a sleep in more beneficial to having to spend 4 hours cleaning the garage? (If you are wondering what the answer is… the answer is NO! Always No when cleaning the garage of 8 children’s worth of things in the garage which no longer has space of actual cars.)

We know you are an extremely talented and passionate Paediatric Speech Pathologist and your eyes light up whenever you are around children. What drew you to working with little people initially? And do you have a funny story from working with one of the kids that you can share?

I guess growing up in the family I described above made working with kids a natural progression for me. Kids are fun and who wouldn’t want to play everyday for work  In saying that, there is also something really special about helping a child to do something or say something for the first time.

Now I have more than a few funny stories to share but there is one in particular which always makes me smile. I was doing speech therapy with a little girl who had a pretty strong lisp. All /s/ sounds were pronounced with a rather strong /th/. I was only new to work and still had a rather strong American accent. This little girl and I were sitting at the table doing some fun /s/ speech sound therapy with picture cards of /s/ words. We happened across a picture card of a sailor and I said “Look, it’s a Sailor” stressing the /s/ and exaggerating the word to demonstrate placement of her articulators. This little girl without missing a beat goes “It’s not a thailor; it’s a thal-ah”. She was calling out my American accent and the/r/ at the end of the word. To this day I make sure I “butt-ah my bread” and know “sail-ahs go to sea”.

Who is someone you really look up to and why?

This is a really hard question, because I have two someones I look up to – Kathleen and Louis Buonomo. They are my parents. Each has taught me and shown me something different. (I am realising I am doing a lot of talk about my family but I really think the way I grew up shaped me more than any of my other more varied life experiences.)

Both of my parents were the first of their families to get a college degree. They showed me the importance of getting an education. They instilled a very strong work ethic when it came to school. School work always came first and always trying to do better and learn more came next.

My mother, Kathleen, is a nurse anaesthetist and got her masters degree while working and had three young children at home (and I am pretty sure she was pregnant with the fourth). She works harder than anyone I have ever met. She is driven and focused. My mother is unwavering in her commitment to her family and is so self-sacrificing. She leaves for work before any of us are up yet and has already done two loads of laundry, made breakfast and organised dinner before first light. My mother taught me that if I want something then hard work and education are the ways to get it. I always knew my mother was mentally strong and driven. This was a picture of my mother that never waivered.

Barefoot Lifestyle

But only since I have been working in the hospital with very young babies and considering having children myself, do I realize how physically strong my mother is. In fact, I would say I am in awe of this newly recognised character trait. I guess if you are going raise 8 intelligent, strong and independent women you need someone as special as Kathleen Buonomo to blaze that trail and lead the way by example. I hope one day to be half the woman she is with perhaps a quarter of the children 

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My father, Louis, runs the family business and is a wholesaler of all things shoe related. He dreams of working part-time, which he defines at 40hours a week. More than his strong work ethic my father has taught me how to be compassionate. He is kind and always doing things for others. When my dad had just finished college, he travelled to the Philippines to teach and travelled all over. My dad also recently sent a shipping container full of musical instruments over to a school in Uganda so they could have a music program. He showed me that traveling is an important part of learning who we are and sharing ourselves with the world. He is part of the reason why I felt brave enough to leave my home at 22 to experience something new and to get my masters degree overseas. (He also indulged me in 4 years of an English Literature degree saying “That’s how people got their educations in the old days… by reading books”).

He has shown me what it means to listen and how sitting down for meals is an important part of that process. And even more than that, he has shown me how to make much from little. He jokes that being a short-order cook was the best training he ever had to be a father. And on top of that he has taken up running triathlons for fun!
We recently had the Olympics, a fantastic celebration of nations… who do you cheer in international sport?

When the Olympics were on we had them playing non stop in our place from opening to closing ceremony. Blair and I both got right into following our favourite sports as well as learning about a few more we didn’t know about (like handball! How awesome is that game?!).

If Australia is ever competing I have to cheer for the good ol’ green and gold. But I will always be an American at heart (loud, competitive and big fan of stripes ). If an Aus vs USA match is happening, then I have to cheer on my home country. Although, just between you and me, I feel great pride in whichever team takes the win!

 Barefoot Lifestyle
Beachy speechie life!

Thank you Lauren! Enjoy the sunshine! Sal and the Barefoot team

Krystal Hansen – One Tough Cookie

Krystal Hansen is one of our toughest Barefooters. Mentally & physically strong, Krystal always gives 100%, whether it’s on the mountain bike, in a group fitness class or climbing over obstacles in Tough Mudder. The best part about it, she’s always doing it with a massive smile on her face. We love hearing about her adventures whenever she is in the clinic, so we thought we’d ask her for some more details…

Most people head out to dinner for their birthday. Krystal spends hers mountain biking in New Zealand! We were keen to hear more about it…
March is one of the better months to go Mountain Biking in NZ and luckily this is my birthday month! For our first trip over, my riding buddies and I flew into Auckland and hired some vehicles to drive down to Rotorua. We mainly rode in the Redwood Forest in Rotorua, however, we also did some day trips to other places like part of the Great Lakes trail and Rainbow Mountain. We all had an absolute ball of a time and came back to Australia envious of the type of riding that NZ had to offer and keen to go again.

A year later on the second (birthday) trip, we based ourselves in Taupo and rode ‘Craters of the Moon’, the other trails at The Great Lakes and a 2-day trip along the Timber Trail. We finished the trip off back in Rotorua doing the Redwood Forest again.

I loved every moment over in NZ. It wasn’t just the great riding but also the feel from the towns. Some of these places (Rotorua especially) rely heavily on the income that Mountain Bike tourism brings into the town so they have great facilities for the mountain bikers and are very welcoming. Plus they have heaps of bike shops to go visit on your rest days!

What do you pack for an overseas mountain bike trip?

Well that is easy. For any trip I always make sure that I have 2 things: my passport and a credit card. These 2 things can get you out of any sticky situation! Obviously taking some other things along makes the trip easier. I do take my own bike across. You can hire bikes over there, however, I know how my bike reacts and performs which is important when you are riding terrain that you haven’t ridden before. The extra cost in my airfare for a second bag is a lot cheaper than the cost to hire a bike for the length of the trip.

Other items are: shoes, helmet, knee pads, elbow pads, gloves, at least 2 pairs of riding clothes (wash one pair, wear one pair), yellow sunglasses (normal
sunglasses are too dark for riding in the forest), hydration bag with 3L bladder, tools, some spare parts, and other stuff for maintaining the bikes while we are over there. On top of all this is also the normal stuff that you would take on a trip.

How did you originally become interested in Mountain Biking & what is the best way to get into the sport as a beginner?

For anyone who wants to try Mountain Biking, I would say first get yourself a half decent bike. One of my friends always says that the worst rider should have the best bike – meaning that when you make a mistake, a good bike might save you, whereas a poor bike will just kick you off. My other advice is to find some riding buddies. In my experience, mountain biking is a very social activity and a lot more fun if you are riding in a group. So even if you don’t know anyone else to ride with, there are heaps of facebook groups for you to join who do social rides. You can talk to the people at your local bike shop as they may also do shop rides that you can go along to. I’m part of a facebook group called “Brisbane Chicks Who Ride Bikes” and Bike Queensland also do Beginner Mountain Bike lessons. The main thing is to just get out there and try it.

What are other ways that you stay fit and injury free for this sport?
There are two parts to mountain biking: the physical side and the mental side. For the physical side, I (try to) cycle every day to work. It is a cheap option for me and keeps my legs use to the activity. I also go to the gym regularly for group classes and PT as this provides a bit of cross training and keeps my general fitness and strength up. Overall, my body tends to hold up pretty well with all that activity, however I still see Cherelle at Barefoot Physiotherapy and a massage therapist for tune ups.

Since mountain biking is also a big mental game, I try to hit the trails at least once a week. If I don’t and even if it is only 2 weeks between rides, I find myself losing my confidence and baulking at obstacles which then puts me off my game and sometimes causes me to fall off my bike and possibly get injured.

Thanks Krystal!

Rock Climbing and Injury – Why Does it happen?!

Rock climbing is an amazing sport. There is no other sport or any other activity for that matter that I have found that brings the sense of clarity you get just before a bold move on the cliff face. That sense of adrenaline, excitement, focus… maybe a little fear that the challenge brings that pushes you to the edge mentally and physically. As great as this is, if not tackled correctly the challenges of climbing may end up bringing more pains than excitement.

Cathy Thomson – Engineer of the world

Cathy Thomson is many things… fun, inspiring, wickedly smart and a bit of a nutter… just our kind of person! A true Barefooter. It’s funny because when you’re talking with Cathy (sometimes asking her to repeat herself because when she talks quickly her Scottish accent can get the better of you) you’ll be discussing something like the awesome new local cafe, how it’s so great to be able to catch up with friends there and how much you miss your mates when you’re in the jungle… wait what?! The jungle? Oh yeah that’s right, Cathy travels round the world for work, family and friends but still is 100% grounded in the day to day. The norm for her is not really the norm for most but she makes you feel like it is! We asked her some questions we wanted to know more about, and we thought you’d be interested in.

You have spent some time working in “the jungle” – can you tell us more about what this was like?

CATHY JUNGLE WORK

When I tell people I worked in the jungle they generally respond “the jungle?” with disbelief in their voice and I say, yes, the middle of the jungle, in Guyana in South America.

I worked there for 5 months from April to September last year in some of the most challenging conditions I’m likely to ever have the pleasure of experiencing.  To put some context around it before flying to Guyana I had just finished up on a project in rural NSW where I had a decent size room to myself in a camp off site, a nearby pub with tap beer and decent food, an IGA, an air conditioned modern gym and a 10 days on, 4 days off roster with a charter flight up and down from Brisbane.

Guyana could not have been more different. The typical journey was Brisbane to Los Angeles to New York to Georgetown, Guyana and the same to return. From Georgetown it was a 45 minute flight in a single engine 12 seater plane onto a dirt airstrip and then into the back of the troop trucks with suitcases!  I shared a room with another girl and there was one bathroom between two rooms. I spent 30 days at a time on site with 10 days off and once you were there that was it…there was no local pub (although there was a recreation room that sold beer and had pool tables) no IGA and a very basic gym!

When I first arrived the gym was basic, a small wooden shed with a dusty floor.  There were 2 benches, 2 barbells, some dumbbells…which was enough for me to do something! My gym sessions when I was there focused on bench press, deadlift and squat and I put together some training sessions round those lifts.  I chucked in a couple of circuit type body weight workouts too. The guys on site were pretty interested in the little Scottish woman who lifted weights…some offered tips, some helped me load the bar and others just nodded in approval!  I also took my trusty tennis balls with me and spent time doing my releases.

CATHY EXERCISE

When I got back for my second roster there was a full on gym with treadmills and bikes and loads more weights…it was gym junkie heaven except there was still no air con and it was much busier than the first little gym.  I managed to keep up some sort of training most of the time I was there. From time to time things would slip, fatigue would set in after long days at work and also towards the end of a 30 day roster just about all I could manage was dinner and bed…I learned to train as much as I could early in the roster!

I was lucky to work with some good people there too…there was a diverse mixture from Australia, Peru, Chile, Venezuela and Guyana. There was lots of Spanish spoken and unfortunately not much of it understood by me!

I also took advantage of my time there to embrace some other aspects of the “Barefoot Lifestyle” by using one break to visit my family in Scotland, another to visit the Caribbean exploring islands and scuba diving and another to visit Brazil.  Time spent in beautiful places with family and good friends is perfect medicine for the soul!

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My time in the jungle is a perfect demonstration of the idea that “Every situation is both good and bad at the same time, what changes is your perception of it”. Taking a moment every day to be grateful for the little things, like a pretty sunrise or chips with dinner or being able to lift weights, helped shift my attitude from grumpy to grateful and meant I embraced the adventure and have some fabulous memories! This is a photo montage of my Grateful 365 project.

Grateful Cathyl

I’d love to say that 5 months there didn’t take its toll on my body, unfortunately it did.  Lots of plane time, long work days and a pretty uncomfortable mattress means I’ve been in recovery mode since I got back. So that leads me to my “list”…

Your daily “list” of activities you do to take care of yourself is inspiring – would you mind sharing all or a few (& why you believe it’s beneficial)?

I started back with Monday to Friday life in October last year and I was struggling to get back into a good routine, it was like starting all over again. My first step was to think what works for me…well that’s actually a lie…my first step was to do nothing, or not much anyway. I was going to PT sessions and not doing anything else in between, going to Physio and “maybe” doing my releases in between, I was drinking beer on the balcony because it was Tuesday (if you’d seen my view you’d understand!) so then I started thinking “how can I set myself some small, achievable things to do that will help me live the “healthy” life I value.”  I’ve always got “to do” lists on the go for mundane things in life like car insurance, cleaning etc. so I decided to start one with my health goals in mind.

I kept it simple…small things that I was going to aim to do in the coming week, it looked a little something like this:

  1. Green smoothie every day
  2. Stick to bed time and wake up time (9.30PM and 5.30AM)
  3. 10 minute yoga practice every morning
  4. 2 PT sessions (with the fabulous Emma)
  5. 2 x 5km walks
  6. Pack lunch every day
  7. No alcohol until weekend
  8. Physio releases every day
  9. Sunday nature/outdoor time

My inner critic thinks that people will read that list and wonder why it was hard…then I tell her to be quiet.  I spent a long time (2 years on projects in total) living a very different life so even getting back into small things has been difficult. I’ve found that simplicity and routine are two things that are important to help me live my “barefoot life”. It has helped me to introduce a consistency that I was struggling to achieve without it, I’m excited to build on it and introduce a few new things!  I went to Scotland, Ireland and Vietnam for 3 weeks over the holidays so things were a bit different although I still wrote a list and packed my release balls and a gym band…I’m determined do my best to keep my body happy no matter where I am.

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We hear that you have started a Leadership course – how exciting! What made you want to do this?

Now that I’m back into the routine I’ve been threatening to do a Masters for a while and never found the right time or the right Masters. Now I think I’ve found the right course I’ve started it off having realised that there’s never the right time, there’s only ever right now!

I found a Masters that combines Organisational Coaching and Leadership. Some of the most influential people in my life to date have been coaches I’ve worked with…it is very powerful when someone helps you realise you actually have potential and then goes on to help you realise it. So I did my first 3 days Organisational Coaching training this month and loved it!

In my industry (construction and engineering) we can become very focused on getting the job done and sometimes forget “who” does the job. I think by changing that we end up with a more engaged and motivated worker who gets the job done because they want to, not because they have to.  I came up with my definition of Organisational Coaching during the training, my sell point if you like, “Realise the potential of the people in your business and you will realise the potential of your business”. I believe this applies to any business and it’s a definite passion of mine to share this potential with individuals and organisations.

The whole thing takes around 3 years, first step is a Graduate Certificate in Coaching and Leadership, hopefully before the end of 2016…so watch this space!

Thanks Cathy, loved reading your answers! Much love Sal and Cherelle

To stretch or not to stretch

Throughout most of my life (age 5 onwards) I have played very competitive soccer. During the later stages of my sporting (late teens and early twenties), I was plagued by a recurring injury to my left quad. This happened a few times over a couple years, always being a low-mid grade tear, but often kept me watching from the sidelines for months at a time. Reflecting back on my pre-game warm ups and routines, I can’t help but think about the type of stretching I would do before games.

quadricep-stretch

The two most practised and basic types of stretching are:

  • Static stretching
    • The more traditional type of stretching, involving getting in that “stretched position”, and holding it there for multiple seconds. An example is a quadriceps stretch in the photo above, holding this position for 30 seconds or more.
  • Dynamic stretching
    • Constant movement involving bringing the body in and out of a stretched position repeatedly. An example is jogging while doing “high knees” or doing lunge walks.

So, when do we use static stretching? When do we use dynamic stretching? When do we actually do any of them, before or after sport?

There are a lot of variables which can have big impacts on not only your chance of injury, but also your performance during your sport or exercise.

Generally… research is now showing that static stretching should be used after exercise or sport and dynamic stretching should be used before exercise or sport. It is suggested that following these guidelines will improve performance and decrease injury susceptibility.

So… how does this work?

Static stretching for long periods of time, can acutely lengthen the muscle to a degree not necessarily required for sport. This lengthening process may actually make the athlete more susceptible to injury in the short term (ie during the sporting performance immediately after stretching). Static stretching, because of its nature can relax people to a level which is not ideal for athletic performance. It has it’s benefits after exercise as well as helping to increase flexibility.

PEC-STRETCH

Dynamic stretching can loosen up the muscles in a stable environment (where nothing unexpected will happen – ie a tackle or quick change of direction), similar to what the muscles will be experiencing during sport. It also can help maintain an elevated overall body temperature, optimal for sport performance. It is proposed that this combination of keeping the body “awake” so to speak, and not “over-stretching” the muscle, is the ideal combination to prepare somebody for sport.

Most muscle groups can be stretched in a static or dynamic way, if you have any questions or recommendations for how to stretch any muscles/muscle groups, please ask!

Happy stretching!

 

Magic hands… and fingers!

Barefoot Physiotherapy Sal Oliver Lange

We’re a pretty musical bunch down here at the Blue House… Cherelle is off at Splendour as I’m writing this and Sal and I are busy practising our sweet tunes to play for her when she gets back (we’re thinking Blur but are open to requests). We thought you might want to hear more about our magic hands and playing Guitar from a physio’s point of view.

Since age five I was put into piano lessons (which I stuck out for a LONG 10 years), which actually built a great foundation for my passion of music.

This soon developed into what I thought were “cooler” instruments, focusing strongly on guitar. I have now played guitar for roughly 12 years (although currently not as often as I would like).

This love of music mixed with a determined personality makes for long hours put in when trying to learn a new riff of song.

About a two years ago when I was trying to master Sultans of Swing by Dire Straits, I roughly put in 15 hours of practice over a weekend. When Monday rolled around I had a very sore neck, a throbbing wrist and almost bloody fingers. Although my raw fingers were directly caused by an accumulation of pressing them against wire strings for so many hours, I very well could have avoided a sore neck and wrist.

Especially when putting in hours after hours of practicing a musical instrument you have to remember to protect your body. It is so easy to get caught up in playing and forget this. Check out two of the most common postural mistakes when playing guitar (especially beginners!).

WRIST POSITION:

Take note of the photos below:

Physiotherapy for guitarists

On the left – notice the flexed wrist position. This compresses the blood vessels and nerves travelling through the wrist. Staying in this position for prolonged times will give you a sore wrist in the short term and can lead to more serious problems long term (Carpal Tunnel syndrome for example)

On the right – Magic hands! Good wrist posture. Notice the neutral wrist position. Happy wrist and hand!

POSTURE

Have a look at the photos below:

Posture for guitarists Physiotherapy

On the left – Poor playing position – notice the hunched over back and the flexed/bent forward neck. This position is sure to give me a sore neck and back!

On the right – Good posture! What a rock star! Notice the neutral spine and neck position. Although it can be more challenging to learn guitar without constantly staring at your hands, you will become more comfortable in the future and your body will thank you!

Any song requests?

Ben

 

 

 

Pete – touch footy, barramundi fishing and sirens blaring!

Physio for paramedics

Pete Joseph loves a challenge. Whether it be side stepping on the touch footy field, barramundi fishing or saving lives. 

At Barefoot, we love to look after the people who look after us. Being a paramedic is taxing on your body. You need to put yourself into difficult situations physically and mentally. It’s important to have your outlets and for Pete Joseph, it’s touch footy & barramundi fishing. We were keen to hear more about this lifestyle that sounds like it’s out of an Adventure magazine!

You’ve just played for the NQ Touch Footy team at a State comp, but you live in Brisbane. How does that come about?

I’ve represented Cairns Pirates at the NQ championship whilst living in Cairns multiple times and due to this I was able to use my home grown status to tour with the team this year in June 2015. This is an avenue for players such as myself that have a passion for representing their home region.

Having grown up in cairns you can’t help but feel an emotional attachment to representing the region at any opportunity you can get. Not only do I get to play touch football with my mates I grew up with, but making it known to everyone that I’m a proud NQ boy and will always be. This is something most city slickers won’t ever understand. Cairns will always be known to me as my home and the connection with the region is something that will never fade. I suppose you can compare it to the same passion that Queensland supporters have during the state of origin series… Queenslander!!!!!

Physiotherapy touch football

We know you get asked about it all the time (because we all want to know about you guys in uniform!) but can you tell us about what made you decide to become a paramedic and what’s a usual day like?

I’m a bit biased, but being a paramedic is the best job in the world. I was an electrician but I wanted a bit more of a challenge and being a paramedic has certainly filled that void. Being a paramedic is rewarding and unique which makes the role so enjoyable.

And what’s a usual day like? It’s sometimes that’s hard to describe. There are no two days that are similar, not even close. We don’t have a usual day which is one of the reasons why I and other paramedics are attracted to the role. When we log on with our communications centre, the possibilities are endless. We could be simply talking amongst ourselves about the weekend sport when we receive a job that requires us to treat a patient that can be medically unwell or involved in a traumatic event. We never know what we will encounter or who we will meet, which is what makes it so interesting.

We hear that you love fishing in the NT. Tell us about your most memorable trip.

Fishing is my chance to completely relax. Being isolated with your mates catching HUGE Barramundi is hard to beat. I have heaps of great memories however catching your first fish [especially barramundi] of the trip always sticks in your mind. This photo was taken in Kununurra W.A which was our plan B location due to bad weather in the Northern Territory.

Fishing lifestyle Physiotherapy

Thanks Pete!

PS – Pete’s next focus for touch is to be representing the North Queensland Cyclones, March 2016 at the National Touch League Championship in Coffs Harbour.

 

If you have a demanding job that is hard on your body, why not book in with us for a ‘tune up’ – where we can check you over from time to time and treat anything that may come up.  This is a great way to keep your body at 100%  If you’d like to book in with us for a tune-up, CLICK HERE.