Mikaela Barnes’ 2021 in Review

It makes me smile and chuckle to myself to look back at last year’s Year in Review: “Plans, Perspectives, and Priorities.” It is such a healthy exercise to look back at where we have come from to launch us forward in our desired direction. In the present moment, we can be quick to leap to “the next thing” and miss seeing and celebrating in the progress that got us to this moment. Perhaps this moment was the moment one year ago, or ten years ago, that we couldn’t wait to achieve. Pause. Celebrate. Experience it all.

I can think back to many memorable clients who have walked through Royal City Physio's front door. It has been an honour to collaborate with and support them as they made big leaps and positive changes in their lives. There is nothing more rewarding as a physio, than to watch someone’s perspective shift post-injury and their new potential be realized. I want to thank each client for trusting me to support you on your rehabilitation journey.

The Royal City Physio team are more than just colleagues to me – we are a family and I know that they think of each of you like their own family. When you come to us, we want to support you in every way possible to get you back to the things you love!

Continuing the alliteration, looking back at 2021, this was a “Pause and Pivot” year. This past year has been filled with big milestones and reflections. I completed the Level 3 Lower Body course to continue to improve my manual therapy skills and embarked on learning more about Pelvic Health by taking the introductory course in February. My husband and I had our greatly anticipated wedding celebration with close family and friends, and it was everything we could have hoped for. My running performance through the winter months was continuing to exceed my expectations, and I am well on track for the new goals that I had set for myself. I put my Boston Marathon debut on hold, with plans to apply for the April 2023 event. In the meantime, I have a sub-18-minute 5K and a marathon personal best to crush – hopefully at the California International Marathon in 2022 – with my eyes set on breaking that 3:00 barrier.

Sometimes events happen that change our timeline and we all need to give ourselves permission without judgement to pause and pivot. These goals will happen, just not yet. The road to recovery is not linear, and sometimes the journey takes us to a new destination. That said, every journey starts with a single step, and I look forward to supporting you for yours!

Mikaela Barnes has a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and Master of Physical Therapy, both at Western University. Mikaela is passionate about understanding human movement, promoting body awareness, and establishing efficient motor patterns. Book with Mikaela today.