YOUNG PHYSIOTHERAPIST INSPIRED BY GOLDEN GAMES

By Adele van der Linde

• Newly qualified physiotherapist Mahlatse Makola (22) is supporting the National Active Ageing Programme (NAAP) Golden Games for the first time.
• Ankle sprains and muscle spasms are the most common injuries she has treated among older persons competing in the Golden Games.
• She says the energy of the older participants has inspired her to stay active and to compete in similar activities when she reaches their age.

Twenty-two-year-old Mahlatse Makola, a newly qualified physiotherapist, is experiencing the National Active Ageing Programme (NAAP) and the Golden Games for the first time this year. She described it as a beautiful experience and a valuable learning curve.
“You get to grow in the field, and you get to see what you enjoy most. I would love to go into sports physiotherapy and, one day, I will make it to the Olympics!” said Mahlatse.

She explained that the most common injuries she has treated at the Golden Games are ankle sprains and muscle spasms. “Most participants do not receive pre-participation care throughout the year. They train on their own and then come here to compete, so they tend to experience muscle cramps and pulls. That is why it is ideal to have a post-participation clinic after the competition, where we promote muscle relaxation.”

According to Mahlatse, every session should follow three stages:
•⁠ ⁠the warm-up;
•⁠ ⁠the main session; and
•⁠ ⁠the cool-down.
“The cool-down is very important for athletes. We promote muscle relaxation through massages, ice baths and hydrotherapy,” she said.

In future, she would like to work with the athletes before the competition so that she can get to know them and their injury history. “At the moment, we see them for the first time, and some of them compete on old injuries, which makes the problems worse,” she explained.

Mahlatse says the older persons’ performance has inspired her to stay active, and she hopes to one day run like them and take part in the Golden Games herself.