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Our Team
With over 20 years clinical experience as an injury specialist, in addition to working directly with various athlete populations, founder Karen Nichol has really learned to listen and understand what each client’s goals and motivations are.
This vast experience has allowed for Royal City Physio to clearly define which specific manual therapy techniques and rehab exercises work most effectively to treat various injuries.
At Royal City Physio, all of our physiotherapists have these same philosophies in mind.
All of our physiotherapists listen closely, perform manual treatment, and provide specific exercises and guidance with each and every visit. We too lead very active lifestyles and appreciate the impact that an injury can have on our life.
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Diego Grossling
Physiotherapist
Diego is a physiotherapist and on-field therapist dedicated to working with motivated athletes of all ages and levels. His experience expands from recreational to professional athletes (soccer, lacrosse, hockey, tennis, basketball), including at The On-Field Clinic and Vancouver Whitecaps.
His clinical approach is centered around a combination of exercise-oriented techniques with manual therapy. This includes a focus on sport specific rehabilitation, core stability, and recurrent injuries. He offers a unique blend of firsthand experience, and a deep passion for optimizing athletic movement and function. While he enjoys collaborating with athletes, whether it is recovering from an injury or looking to improve performance.
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Diego holds a Master of Science in Physiotherapy from Glasgow Caledonian University (MScPT), and a Bachelor of Kinesiology and Health Sciences from the University of British Columbia (BKinH). With further certifications in manual therapy, dry needling (IMS) and functional breathwork; while pursuing advanced certifications in Sport Physiotherapy (Diploma).
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Jamie graduated McGill University with her Applied Master’s in Physical Therapy following her Undergraduate Degree at Queen’s University in Honours Physical and Health Education.
As a Sport Physiotherapist, she has completed her Fellowship with Western University’s Fowler Kennedy Sports Medicine Clinic where she worked with Varsity rugby, soccer, basketball, football, lacrosse and volleyball teams. This led her to her professional career working with the Canadian Football League’s Montreal Alouettes earning a recent 2023 Grey Cup ring.
Beyond Jamie’s professional experience in sports rehabilitation, she has completed many post-graduate certifications such as: Dry Needling, Manual Therapy levels, Running Clinic certification, and Emergency First Responder.
Jamie Handfield
Physiotherapist
Jamie has a passion for working with patients across the lifespan and concussion management, as well as experience working with Whistler skiers, snowboarders and mountain bikers.
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Born and raised in Montreal, our bilingual therapist once competed in national championships as a Varsity soccer player and provincially both as a hockey player and track-and-field sprinter. She enjoys participating in sports in various capacities: as a player, a head coach, and a sideline therapist. This allows her to connect with athletes of all kinds and assist them on their rehabilitation journeys.
Jamie is a member of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association and Sports Physiotherapy Canada
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Chris completed his Master of Physical Therapy Degree after completing a Bachelor of Kinesiology at the University of British Columbia. He enjoys working with all injuries but has a particular interest in working with shoulder and knee injuries.
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Chris has a passion for sports, having played competitive hockey for over 8 years. Through this, he has seen the life-changing impact that physiotherapy can have. He now hopes to provide this same care by enabling his clients to reach their unique and diverse goals.
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Chris helps others to reach their full potential by providing individualized treatment through manual therapy, education, and person-centered exercises as he believes that every person is unique.
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Outside the clinic, you can find Chris playing hockey, hiking, weight lifting, or running around town!
Chris Chen
Physiotherapist
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Stephen Baker
Physiotherapist
An avid rock climber and newly minted distance runner, Stephen graduated from Western University with a Masters of Physical Therapy. He enjoys meeting and treating all kinds of people but takes particular joy in helping those with neck, hand or knee injuries return to their daily adventures.
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As a young lad, Stephen grew up a track athlete, briefly competing as a decathlete but primarily as a 400m sprinter. During that time he also enjoyed playing rugby as a flanker until he was outclassed in university by much larger gentlemen. He has since turned his attention to rock climbing, having trained and done competition for 10 years, and distance running, completing his first half marathon, the Toronto Waterfront Marathon, in October 2017. At the time of writing this biography, Stephen has run consecutively for 92 days with plans to run a 30km race, Around the Bay in Hamilton, and the Vancouver Marathon in 2019.
When he isn’t in the clinic, Stephen sings professionally in a men’s choir and enjoys the great outdoors. Ask him about classical music, rock climbing and the 2020 Olympics, and ‘couch to 5k’.
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Jayme Gordon
Physiotherapist
Jayme Gordon graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Master's degree in Physical Therapy. Prior to this she completed a Bachelor's of Science Kinesiology degree at the University of Victoria. She is a member of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association as well as the Physiotherapy Association of BC.
Jayme has a passion for working with a diverse patient population ranging from athletes to community-dwelling seniors. She grew up playing competitive hockey, softball, and volleyball.
She continues to stay active through recreational sports and spending time off grid exploring the outdoors.
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Founder, Physiotherapist
Karen Nichol
Karen Nichol graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy. For over two decades, Karen’s practice has been centered around the rehabilitation of active individuals with a focus on athletes, utilizing manual therapy and sport-specific exercise as her main treatment approach.
Being the primary therapist for many high-level sports teams, Karen has gained a vast knowledge for the distinct demands and movement patterns a sport requires. In clinic, Karen tailors each program to match the needs of both the athlete and their sport to ensure these individuals not only return to sport at a high level but minimize their chance of further injuries.
Since the start of her career, Karen has continuously worked with various levels of sports teams, ranging from minor sports through to national and professional teams. Some of these teams include: premier rugby, Jr A football, Canadian national field hockey, as well as extensive involvement with lacrosse. She currently serves as lead physio for the NLL's Vancouver Warriors, head physio for the WLA’s Coquitlam Adanacs, and chief physiotherapist for Canadian National Indoor lacrosse team since 2007. She worked as a senior physiotherapist for 5 years with the On-Field Clinic, specializing in sports-specific rehab of pro and amateur athlete. Additionally, she has operated as a consultant in injury prevention for the police academy at the JIBC since 2004.
Karen has completed many post-graduate certifications including: Orthopaedic Division Levels, various manual therapy courses, Anatomical-Neuropathic IMS, and First Responder Certification. She is a member of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association and the Physiotherapy Association of B.C.
Karen enjoys staying active in her free time with running, hiking, biking, swimming and yoga.
Adele Cutri
Adele is a Vancouverite through and through. Born and bred in Coquitlam, she loves cooking, travelling, hiking and spending time with her family and friends. If asked to name a couple of her favourite things in the world, Adele would be sure to mention puppies & Starbucks.