Sports therapy graduate Munachimso Bravehearth Enwereji discusses his background and his journey from Sports Therapy BSc student to Physician Associate at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your life before London Met?
I was born in Nigeria and raised in Italy from when I was two years old. I was given the name “Munachimso” by my mother which means “Always with God” in my native language Igbo.
Growing up in Italy was challenging, particularly having to face the hurdles of xenophobia and racism on a daily basis. I was fortunate enough to have great parents that supported and empowered me when I felt marginalised from society and close friends who empathised with my situation and ensured that I felt like I belonged. However, when I was a teenager, to ensure a better future for myself and my siblings, my parents decided to move to the United States where we briefly lived in Baltimore, Maryland. As time went on, we decided to return to Italy due to difficulty with integrating with American culture.
What brought you to London Met?
Once we returned home to Italy, I started secondary school by enrolling on a “Liceo Scientifico” (scientific lyceum) which is a type of Italian secondary school focused on the study of humanistic subjects, mathematics, and scientific subjects. While studying, my parents were finalising our move to the United Kingdom and when I was finishing my diploma, I decided to aspire to become a physical therapist in the sports industry, leading me to apply for the Sports Therapy degree at London Met.
Tell us about your current role
I am currently a Physician Associate (PA) at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, a medical associate practitioner that works as part of a multi-disciplinary team alongside doctors under the supervision of someone senior e.g Medical Consultant or General Practitioner (GP).
I currently work in Acute and Elderly Medicine in the hospital, which is the unit that treats patients with acute illnesses before being moved to the long-staying wards or specialist wards like cardiology, respiratory or gastroenterology.
As a Physician Associate, I am responsible for the holistic care of patients which may include taking histories, interpretation of investigations and management of acute or chronic conditions. The profession has grown since its introduction and now accounts for over 3,000 PAs nationwide.
What is your biggest passion in life and where did that passion come from?
A passion of mine is physical exercise, I cannot do without it as it is my main coping mechanism to overcome stress and feel better about myself. During the pandemic, I found running as a way to liberate myself from the isolation we all faced and the morning endorphins from running helped me succeed in my exams. In my sports therapy dissertation, I researched ways to improve athletes' performance and found that a small dose of caffeine was sufficient to improve, although in milliseconds, the performance time of a 400-meter sprint, which is a significant margin of difference in a tight race.
If you could sum up your experience at London Met in one word, what would it be?
Empowerment.
Any top tips for anyone thinking about taking a sports therapy course here?
You are going to study at the first university to run a sports therapy degree course in the UK. You will be taught by sports therapists and physiology lecturers and will have access to multiple facilities at the science centre which will enhance your learning. You will also be able to practice your skills at the sports therapy clinic. You will be part of a remarkably diverse and open-minded environment that embraces everyone regardless of their background.
