Healing hands for Olympics

2:11pm Monday 5th February 2007

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A RIBBLE Valley therapist has begun plans to appear at the Winter Olympics in three years' time.

Although Linda Southworth will not be competing, she will head out to the winter games in the Canadian resort of Whistler to provide medical support.

Miss Southworth, 35, runs an osteopathy clinic in York Street, Clitheroe, and hopes her expertise will aid competitors and spectators during the 2010 event.

With friends and family in Whistler, Miss Southworth has visited the resort several times. During one trip she spoke to osteopaths in the region who invited her to help them meet demand when the Olympics and spectators descend. Osteopaths treat problems surrounding joints of the body, particularly the spine, and with skiers hitting the slopes they could have their work cut out.

Miss Southworth said: "A clinic over there has given me the okay to work there.

"I'm sure it will be a busy time, especially as there will be so many more people requiring treatment.

"I'm expecting it be a mixture of both professional athletes and people there on holiday. I've got to go back over at some point in the meantime to assess how we can manage the exercise."

While there, she could also find chance to fit in a bit of play'.

"I do ski but I'm not that good. I'll make sure to get in a lot of practice between now and then."

Along with her fiance, Miss Southworth has recently set up full-time in Clitheroe and the news about Canada has provided a further boost.

She said: "I've lived in Clitheroe for 14 years and we've just opened here full time after being a practitioner in Charnock Richard.

"Clitheroe is a beautiful town and it's just a change of lifestyle for us.

"I am looking forward to the Olympics so much. My fiance is British-born but brought up in Canada so it'll be like going home for him."