Well, I am mid way through my stay at Amar Seva Sangam, a centre for disability in Southern India, and all I can say is that it has been quite the experience so far! After three days of travel, three flights, one train and two rickshaw rides I found myself on the amazing campus of Amar Seva Sangam in the small village of Ayikudy, Tamilnadu. We are just two hours north of the southernmost tip of the country.

I was immediately impressed with the scope of the campus. They have three schools (two integrated and one for children with mental disabilities), hostels for disabled children and youth, a satellite university, vocational training sector, spinal cord unit, rehabilitation and medical facility and prosthetic and orthotic fitting centre all established on site. The campus and surrounding area are beautiful and peaceful, such a contrast to the chaotic cities of India.

Their mission is to create a “Valley for the Disabled”, where people with disabilities are empowered through various self-help initiatives to become fully integrated into society. It is estimated that 90% of disabled children in India do not receive any form of education; Amar Seva Sangam is working to change this by creating models for integration and developing various socioeconomic programs to support the families of children with disabilities.

Upon arrival, they immediately put me to work on a variety of projects. I have been dividing my time between hosting education sessions and workshops with the physiotherapists in the rehabilitation centre and developing proposals for the centre director in the administrative department. I also get to spend lots of time with the children that live on campus; they are amazingly inspiring. I have never been surrounded by so many children so full of joy, it’s contagious!

Highlights of my trip so far have included participating in a rally on World Disability Day and running in the Dream Run portion of the Mumbai Marathon.  I was also fortunate to be invited to an awards banquet hosted by CNN/IBN7 where our centre director, Mr. Sankara Raman, received a Super Idol Award for his work in the disability sector. It was an honour to be a part of such an exciting event.

I am enjoying the experience immensely but I sure miss Moveo, our Team and all of our fantastic clients! I hope everyone is doing well and I look forward to connecting upon my return in March.

~ Robyn Smith

She will be working at Amar Seva Sangam (www.amarseva.org), a multifaceted centre which addresses the needs of people with any physical or mental disabilities (particularly children with cerebral palsy and other neurdevelopmental disorders). It strives to break down the barriers that exist, particularly in the more rural communities, to enable them access to education, work and full participation in their communities. Despite being in a very rural area the centre is quite developed with an integrated school, satellite university, rehabilitation centre, prosthetics and orthotics lab and a full time residence for children and teenagers with disabilities. Robyn will be working on project and program development within the rehabilitation centre.

Moveo has been fortunate to bring on two great new physiotherapists to the team over the past few months to continue providing top quality physiotherapy services.  Jason Lee and Kelly McNabney have joined Sean Campbell in our physiotherapy division and together with the rest of our amazing team they are working to deliver exceptional care in our unique team-based setting.

Please continue to check in on our blog to follow Robyn and her experience in India. She also welcomes contact through email if you would like to reach her at robyn@moveo.ca.

MOVEO SPORT & REHABILITATION participated in the lower mainland’s biggest sporting event of 2009 by providing services at the triathlon for the World Police and Fire Games, which was held at Whonnock Lake in Maple Ridge on Saturday August 8th. 

The event attracted hundreds of athletes from across the world, and they all wanted post treatment event! Jenn & Robyn spent the morning cheering, crowd control, learning the names of various muscles in different languages, and volunteering their time to this amazing event. 

Dr. Sarah Jung obtained her Bachelors of Science (Kinesiology) at Simon Fraser University, where she was a member of the varsity swim team.  She then attended Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in Toronto, where she graduated Cum Laude and with clinic honours before returning to Vancouver.  Dr. Jung is a certified Active Release Techniques (ART) provider and is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA.

Dr. Jung is very familiar with an active lifestyle and competitive sports.  As a member of the varsity swim team at SFU, she attended numerous national swim meets and was a member of many National Championship teams.  Dr. Jung has also been providing injury assessment for BC Soccer Association Provincial Programs, and will be supplying ARTÒ for Volleyball BC’s Canada Games athletes as they prepare for the Canada Games in August of 2009. 

Jake was born and raised in Southern Alberta where he lived an active lifestyle, spending much of his time playing basketball, sparring at a local boxing club, rock climbing, and snowboarding.   Inspired by the positive effects of massage, Jake moved to Vancouver to attend the West Coast College of Massage Therapy, where he has been internationally certified as a Registered Massage Therapist.
During his time in British Columbia Jake has embraced the lifestyle, beauty and cultural changes that Vancouver offers. Drawn to the BC’s adventurous and physical lifestyle, Jake has found himself hiking Garibaldi and Grouse Mountain and spending time at Cliffhanger’s rock climbing facility.  In the future Jake is excited to pursue the sports of kayaking and mountain biking.
Surrounding himself in a positive and healing environment, Jake has joined the team at Movéo with a drive to promote physical well being and functional living.  He is eager to continue his education and will obtain his degree in Health Sciences from Thompson River University to continue working effectively with his clients to achieve their optimal health.

For an appointment with either of Moveo’s newest practitioners call the clinic to find out availability!

Join Olympians Zach Bell and Svein Tuft at MOVEO SPORT AND REHABILITATION CENTRE as they talk about their track and road cycling experiences in Beijing this summer. Hear how the track and the road events differ, how MOVEO has contributed to their successes and learn tips for training and racing like a pro. Event to take place Wednesday December 3, 2008 at 8 pm.  RSVP to Moveo to reserve your spot. FREE EVENT! Click on link above for more details.

The Girls attended the awards banquet at the Fairmont Hotel in Vancouver, where they participated whole heartedly in the “James Bond” Theme for the evening, dressing as James Bond girls. The girls attribute much of their success to their like-minded group of practitioners, working at Moveo that share the Moveo vision.

The girls were very suprised and happy to win this award, it is an honour to receive recognition for being young entrepreneurs!

Aimee grew up in the alpine town of Rossland B.C., and was a competitive ski racer throughout high school. Following graduation, she attended the University of Calgary and completed her Kinesiology degree, while playing on the university’s Varsity Field Hockey team. At this time she also took up the sport of snowboarding, and quickly qualified for a spot on the Canadian National Alpine Snowboarding Team. Upon completion of her degree, she competed on the World Cup snowboarding circuit for four years and was the Canadian Champion two years in a row. As an elite athlete, she required numerous massage and physiotherapy treatments for injuries. Due to injuries, Aimee retired from competetive snowboarding and soon became very interested in Massage Therapy.    Aimee’s own injuries have made her aware of the benefits of massage, and she is very keen to assist others in their recovery.

Aimee completed her Massage Therapy diploma at the West Coast College of Massage Therapy in New Westminster.   She has also worked as a personal trainer, and is currently working on her certification in Exercise Physiology.

Aimee currently lives in Squamish because of the active lifestyle that the the area provides. In the summertime on a windy day, you can often find Aimee at the Squamish Spit kite boarding in the Howe Sound. When it is not windy Aimee enjoys mountain biking and climbing. In the winter you can find her taking part in the various winter sports the mountains have to offer.

Aimee looks forward to meeting new clients and in helping them achieve their optimal health goals.