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Meet The Team

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Paul O’Connell (MSC, BSC, HCPC, MCSP)

PHYSIOTHERAPIST

About Paul

Paul is a physiotherapist with two decades of clinical expertise. He has worked right across the UK, from North Yorkshire and London to Hampshire and Dorset. Sports medicine is one of his areas of special interest: he has worked both on the touchline and in sports injuries clinics, and now lectures on the Sports Therapy programme at Bournemouth University. Having spent several years managing physiotherapy and health assessment teams in two key Nuffield Health hospitals, Paul also has an extensive understanding of orthopaedic surgery. Born and bred on the edge of the beautiful New Forest, he loves being active and out in the fresh air. He enjoys cycling, golfing – and running around after his young family.

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Louise O’Connell (BSC, BCP LEVEL 3 MATWORK)

PILATES TEACHER: MATWORK AND REFORMER

About Louise
Louise is a Pilates expert with 15 years’ experience in the private fitness industry. She started her career with a degree in Sports Studies, before going on to work for a number of health clubs, spas and corporate gyms. After taking a break to have her two children, Neave and Henry, Lou decided to go back to her first love, teaching group exercise classes. She is now a qualified specialist in Body Control Pilates, with a growing band of happy classmates and tutees. When she’s not teaching, Lou is a keen gardener. She has a productive vegetable patch and enjoys a fine glass of wine with a home-grown meal. During the winter months you’ll often find her having fun in the snow as skiing is an O’Connell passion.
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Aaron Coode (BSc, MSc, DC, DNS Sport)

CHIROPRACTOR

About Aaron
Aaron is a chiropractor with two decades of clinical experience, his areas of special interest in spinal rehabilitation, sport and gait related injuries. He has worked in professional sport for the last decade and is a keen advocate of evidence informed, patient centred care, his goal to create individual management plans with his patients to get them to meet their goals and live pain free. Splitting his time between seeing patients, teaching at the AECC University College and looking after the players at Southampton FC. Aaron also lectures nationally and internationally on the subjects of spinal rehabilitation, gait, western medical acupuncture and Instrument assisted soft tissue therapy.

He is a father to three boys, keen cyclist and runner and has a passion for water sports including surfing, surf lifesaving and he races outrigger canoes and stand-up paddleboards.

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Josephine Garofalides

PHYSIOTHERAPIST

About Josephine

Physiotherapist BSc (Hons), HCPC, MCSP, MAACP.

Jo brings 20 years of clinical experience to the team. After qualifying in 2003 she worked at Southampton NHS Hospital specialising in Musculoskeletal Outpatients and Hydrotherapy, she then continued to work within MSK at a private practice in Dorchester.  With a special interest in Acupuncture she has gained extensive experience in the management and treatment of a variety of musculoskeletal conditions.

Jo also works as a Research Physiotherapist at The Orthopaedic Research Institute, Bournemouth University and is involved in trials for hip OA and Robotic Hip replacement surgery.

Jo is married with 2 teenage children, she enjoys walking her dog at the beach, keeping fit, eating great food and spending time with her family.

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Mareen Frost

PHYSIOTHERAPIST

About Mareen

Mareen brings twenty years of clinical experience to our team.

After qualifying as a physiotherapist in 2003, Mareen gained valuable experience working in both private clinics and the health service in Germany. She spent nine years building up and managing a private physiotherapy clinic in Munich, with a focus on conservative orthopaedic medicine.

Mareen continuously adds to her skillset as a physiotherapist and has a special interest in pelvic floor health for both women and men. Her yoga and Pilates training is a great addition to her physiotherapy skills.

Having moved to the UK two and a half years ago, Mareen can often be found outside, hiking, cycling and dipping in the sea.

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Nathan Nobel, LEVEL 4

SPORTS MASSAGE THERAPIST

About Nathan
Nathan is a level 4 Sports Massage Therapist having trained in Bournemouth working within clinical settings but also gaining some valuable experience working for the Reading Rockets Basketball team and The Swindon Marine Football team.

Nathan has a passion to help people. Having had some of his own obstacles in earlier years he is keen to prove that anything is possible! He wants to keep learning with an admiration for improvement and adding to his qualifications.

In addition to his sports massage therapy, Nathan enjoys treating ankle injuries, knee injuries, and headaches. He is also trained in Kinesio taping and immobilisation strapping.

Outside work, Nathan enjoys hiking, exploring, and eating! You may also hear him singing on open mic nights locally.

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Sharon Sawyer

REMEDIAL MASSAGE THERAPIST

About SHARON

Sharon is not just a remedial massage therapist, she is your passport to relaxation!  Sharon offers a holistic approach to your wellbeing, incorporating the many benefits that remedial massage therapy an bring; relieving stress, promoting relaxation, easing muscle tension, improving circulation and reducing pain.

Whether you are seeking a deep tissue massage or a relaxing therapy, you are guaranteed a journey of relaxation and rejuvenation.

In her spare time Sharon enjoys anything outdoors in particular year-round sea dipping.

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Hazel Mills(BCP LEVEL 4 MATWORK)

PILATES TEACHER

About Hazel
Hazel has been teaching within the fitness industry for over 30 years, originally as a freelance aerobics Instructor teaching a wide variety of classes. She first took an interest in Pilates after an injury incurred whilst teaching a high impact aerobics class. Hazel fell in love with Pilates and the whole concept of it. Her interest in Pilates grew and continues to do so. She is a qualified Body Control Pilates teacher. Hazel took a further interest in rehabilitation and wanted to help people with specific problems and injuries.

She worked at the Anglo European Chiropractic Clinic in the rehabilitation gym where she worked with neck and back patients and sports related injuries, all of which complimented her previous training and Pilates teaching. Hazel believes Pilates is a great form of exercise for everybody providing benefits for all individuals.

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Alex Parker

PILATES TEACHER: MATWORK AND REFORMER

About Alex

Alex started Pilates many years ago now at the recommendation of her chiropractor at the time as she was suffering from constant neck and back ache due to her posture. He advised Alex that he could keep treating her, or she could fix the underlying issue herself and this information came like a breath of fresh air.  She knew she needed to take action to correct her posture which would eliminate her pain. He suggested Pilates so she gave it a try, and has never looked back.

Years later, Alex decided that she needed a career change and her wonderful Pilates teacher at the time encouraged her to train to become a Pilates teacher.  She trained for over a year under Suzanne Scott and her team at the Scott Studio in Somerset to gain her Pilates Foundation accredited Mat work Qualification in Dec 2011. 

After the birth of her daughter in 2013, Alex realised that her post-baby body needed something more than ‘normal’ Pilates. She couldn’t find the person she needed, so she became that person and studied under Jenny Burrell of Burrell Education and qualified in Advanced Modern Post Natal Assessment, Core Restore & Functional Exercise Programming.  She loves working with postnatal mums (with babies of all ages).  

Alex has since developed a love for Barre classes and now teaches the fantastic and biomechanically sound Bootybarre™. In 2018 she further developed her skills to teach the Pilates reformer with Body Control Pilates.

Her main interests and goals for her clients is to increase their body awareness by learning to correct movement patterns that they can use in their everyday lives, helping to combat aches and pains from work, motherhood and travel. 

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Diana Briggs

YOGA INSTRUCTOR

About Diana
Diana combines the traditional practices of yoga and mindfulness with modern, evidence-based scientific research. She is passionate about changing the perception of mental and physical health through yoga and works with her clients to make positive choices aimed at improving both physical and mental wellbeing.

Diana is recognised locally as a knowledgeable and very experienced instructor and will be leading our Women’s Yoga class providing supportive menopause yoga practice designed for women going through the perimenopause and menopause.

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Stewart Tompkins (BCP LEVEL 3 MATWORK)

PILATES TEACHER

About stewart

Stewart has been doing karate since 1985 and teaching karate since 1998. After 2 prolapse discs, 2 years of work and spinal operations, Stewart’s surgeon suggested he try Pilates and, after swallowing his pride, he began his Pilates journey.

Pilates has revolutionised his training regime and changed his life. Qualifying as a Body Control Pilates teacher, Stewart is passionate about helping people to gain a greater understanding of their body and movements. He is a fantastic teacher with great knowledge and an eye for precision.

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Rakhee Jasani

QIGONG & YOGA TEACHER

About RAKHEE

A dedicated Qigong and Yoga teacher, Rakhee is passionate about the transformative power of movement, mindfulness, and creative expression. Rakhee is excited to bring the profound benefits of Qigong to the Bridge community.

Her classes combine the wisdom of nature and Chinese medicine to create a holistic Qigong experience tailored specifically to the needs of older adults.

Regardless of your age, you can discover how movement, mindfulness, and creative expression can enrich your life. Embrace this new chapter of wellbeing and embark on a journey toward improved vitality. 

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Alice Loveridge

LEVEL 3 SPORTS MASSAGE THERAPIST

About Alice

Alice is a level 3 Sports Massage Therapist, trained in both Deep Tissue, Pregnancy and Post Natal Massage as well as being a and Medical Acupuncturist.

She qualified 2017 through ITEC via the University of Plymouth and continues to gain and update her
qualifications, completing her acupuncture course in Manchester in 2018.

Alice relocated to the New Forest from the Channel Islands in September 2023 where she worked with numerous sporting teams helping to manage injuries, but also offering deep tissue relaxation treatments. She is an active member of Lymington Cross fit + Hyrox and will be competing in the European circuit later this year. She has now made the leap to leave island-life behind moving to Christchurch for pastures new!

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I couldn’t have asked for a friendlier service from start to finish. 

I have been coming to Sam for only a short time but in that time she has literally performed what feels like a miracle to me. 

Paul has prescribed some serious physio, which I stick to, quite strictly. I am a bowling seventy-year-old and am delighted, at the improvement in general, to my movement range and resultant memory.

Louise understood that ‘my sort of Pilates’ needed to be personalised to suit my MS disability and she has been able to provide this in a safe and well suited session that is always lots of fun but also very effective. 

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Have a question? Get in touch!

To find out more about us and how we can help you, please contact us on 01202 473800 or email on info@bridgehw.com. You can also book a physio assessment online.